I spent a lot of time researching and learning how to crack WEP encryption with BackTrack 3 during my 2 weeks time off last month. After spending a lot of hours getting my wireless card working, I had another problem which is unable to use Kismet to search for hidden and non-hidden wireless network. That is not a problem because I could boot up Windows and use a Windows based wifi network scanner called NetStumbler. I went to the official NetStumbler website and found that the latest version is 0.4.0 released on April 21, 2004! Obviously it couldn’t work in Windows Vista because this program is way too outdated!
Actually in Windows Vista, we can use the command netsh wlan show networks mode=bssid to discover access points but this doesn’t show “hidden access point”. After a little searching, I found netstumbler alternative called inSSIDer that works on Windows Vista and also on 64-bit of Windows XP.
inSSIDer is a free Wi-Fi network scanner for Windows Vista and windows XP. Because NetStumbler doesn’t work well with Windows Vista and 64-bit Windows XP, they decided to build an open-source Wi-Fi network scanner designed for the current generation of Windows operating systems.
inSSIDer Features:
Inspect your WLAN and surrounding networks to troubleshoot competing access points. Use Windows Vista and Windows XP 64-bit. Uses the Native Wi-Fi API. Track the strength of received signal in dBm over time. Filter access points in an easy to use format. Highlight access points for areas with high Wi-Fi concentration. Group by Mac Adress, SSID, Channel, RSSI, and time “last seen.”
It’s very easy to use. After installation, run the program, select your wireless network card from the drop down list and click the Start Scanning button. RSSI values are measured in NEGATIVE decibels. So the higher the number, the more negative you are. So in fact lower RSSI’s are better. Do take note that not every wireless card is supported and it is recommended to use the “Connect to a Network” tool in Window instead of the software provided with your wireless card.
inSSIDER is a freeware and was strictly created for troubleshooting wireless networks but not to help you connect to any unencrypted wifi networks. Again, this is another tool that can be both good and evil. The only issue is where we draw the line and decide where we should stand.