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 Obviously it couldn’t work in Windows Vista because this program is way too outdated!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.
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Hi all,
Do you have any update in 2010?
Especially in relation to W7.
Thank you,
Rajko
HI again, that appears to confirm it as the post preceding this one with the test sentence at the end displayed the apostrophe correctly without the forward slashes and didn’t ask me to enter a captcha. Something in your captcha page script appears to be messing things up.
BTW Raymond, out of curiosity, can you tell me why when I use an apostrophe it prints 7 forward slashes after the word and immediately before the apostrophe. Is it my end or your end. Then again, I think it might be your end as my first post has it displayed correctly with the apostrophe after Nirsoft and before the s with no forward slashes. The slashes only appear in my post immediately before this one. The first (and second post as well) didn’t require me to enter a captcha while the last post with the 7 forward slashes and an apostrophe did require me to enter a captcha so I am wondering if there is something in the script that handles the captcha page messing something up. Not a biggy, just naturally curious :)
Testing, testing, this sentence contains a word with an apostrophe to see if it’s still happening.
What do you mean by hidden, no SSID? If so, I can see them fine, I have a couple of them viewable at the moment. They just show no label in the SSID column but the rest of the info is there.
The only major difference I can see is that inSSIDer graphs RSSI, which definitely has its uses, and also shows the speed while the Nirsoft tool doesn\\\\\\\’t. Though the latter may be because I have my wireless locked so as to ignore everything but G on my network. When I have the time I will switch over to All (i.e. A through G) to see what additional networks I see.
I would say that the main advantage WirelessNetView has is that it doesn\\\\\\\’t need installing, i.e. can be run from a stick or external drive, will pick up your active wireless card automatically and with oui.txt added, is only 66KB unzipped.
Ooops, got confused about that. Didn’t know that there’s a Wireless”NET”view. I thought it was the keyview :P
Hmmm, WirelessNetView is unable to find hidden network?
Raymond, sorry but no, click the link I gave and see for yourself, WirelessNetView is a sniffer. In fact I am looking at it on one of my tablets at this very moment showing me the 8 other wireless networks accessible from my flat. You are thinking of WirelessKeyView.
BTW, if you do try it scroll down the Nirsoft page and get oui.txt and add it to WirelessNetView’s folder. This adds another column showing the makers name for the wireless networks sniffed.
I’d like to know how to crack wep in vista x64. thanks
Have you played around with Aeropeek NX, Aircrack, or Air Snort? All very useful in the steps after NetStumbler.
Nice program Raymond ,
there is another program for vista too
program name : Vistumbler
program home page : vistumbler.sourceforge.net
download links :
===> zip downloads.sourceforge.net/vistumbler/Vistumbler9-0.zip
===> exe
downloads.sourceforge.net/vistumbler/Vistumbler9-0_Installer.exe
hi raymond i want system mechanic 8 license can u give it pls last time u had given for 6 months it expired i love system mechanic
Jycm, Nirsoft’s WirelessNetView is to retrieve wireless password that is saved on the local computer. inSSIDer is to sniff out hidden wireless network around you.
I hope that you will post article related to backtrack soon.
Cheers,
Raymond, you might also care to have a look at Nirsoft’s WirelessNetView, which is also free and works on XP/Vista. Also, like all Nirsoft tools, it doesn’t need installing, I know that is something you appreciate in your work as a general IT guru :)
nirsoft.net/utils/wireless_network_view.html