[olug] Wifi detect utility

[William Haisch]

> When did NetStumbler get ported over to *nix?  I've
> only ever heard of Kismet being used...

It didn't.  Netstumbler doesn't want to have anything to do with Linux
/ Macs.  They send people to dstumbler and kismet.  MacStumbler is a
new source project but they incorporated part of the name.  There is
also iStumbler (detects 802.11 devices plus Bluetooth devices, can auto
associate your Mac with access points it finds, way cool!).  KisMAC
uses custom OS X Airport drivers to force the original Airport cards
and other 3rd party orinoco / Prism cards into monitor mode.  I'm
pretty sure it has no kismet code (or at least I read that somewhere .
  . )

There is also using Yellow Dog Linux (or other Mac Linux) with hacked
and patched orinoco drivers and self-compiled source of kismet.  I have
had this "kinda working" but it is not the ideal solution.  Some
networks would show up that "don't exist" and others that wouldn't show
up (like my own AP!).  I only screwed around with it for a while.  I
need to start that project up again . . .

Remember, thanks to Broadcom's total lack of open source, you can't use
Airport Extreme cards with Linux!  Yay!  I've always wanted to replace
the APX card in my laptop with a Linux-supported standard miniPCI
wireless card to see if Linux would see it, thus making stumbling
easier.  Maybe Apple just used the form factor and not the correct
wiring so a standard miniPCI card would release all the smoke stored in
the IC chips.

Links:
http://www.netstumbler.com/
http://www.macstumbler.com/
http://www.istumbler.net/
http://binaervarianz.de/projekte/programmieren/kismac/

--
-Wm.
William Haisch
bill at whaisch.com