Slashdot Mirror
NetStumbler v0.4 Released
mindless4210 writes "A new version of the popular wireless network discovery tool NetStumbler was released today. Updates include support for more wireless cards, ip address reporting, new scripting features, and several bug fixes. This is the first new release since late August of 2002, over a year and a half ago. A new version of the handheld version, MiniStumbler, is also available for download."
Score one for using your neighbor's bandwith.
Without a proper flamewar, Anonymous was undecided on what shell to run.
NetStumbler v0.4.0 Release Notes
Marius Milner
Thank you for your interest in NetStumbler. It is provided to you as a convenience, at no cost and without warranty. If you don't like it, or if you feel that it doesn't quite do what you want, you are free to delete it from your system. By installing or using it, you agree to be bound by the terms of the License Agreement.
NetStumbler is "beggarware". This means that you do not have to pay for a license to use it. However if you use it and like it, please consider making a donation at http://www.stumbler.net/donate to support future development, web hosting and other costs that I incur as a result of making this software available to you. Please bear in mind that I do this as a hobby in my spare time, not as a full time job.
Commercial and Government users are strongly encouraged to donate. The suggested donation is US$50 per copy. You may donate by visiting the web site http://www.stumbler.net/donate. You can pay in a variety of ways and may send a Purchase Order if needed.
What is NetStumbler?
NetStumbler is a tool for Windows that allows you to detect Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) using 802.11b, 802.11a and 802.11g. It has many uses:
* Verify that your network is set up the way you intended.
* Find locations with poor coverage in your WLAN.
* Detect other networks that may be causing interference on your network.
* Detect unauthorized "rogue" access points in your workplace.
* Help aim directional antennas for long-haul WLAN links.
* Use it recreationally for WarDriving.
Requirements
General Requirements
The requirements for NetStumbler are somewhat complex and depend on hardware, firmware versions, driver versions and operating system. The best way to see if it works on your system is to try it.
Some configurations have been extensively tested and are known to work. These are detailed at http://www.stumbler.net/compat. If your configuration works but is not listed, or is listed but does not work, please follow the instructions on the web site.
The following are rules of thumb that you can follow in case you cannot reach the web site for some reason.
* This version of NetStumbler requires Windows 2000, Windows XP, or better.
* The Proxim models 8410-WD and 8420-WD are known to work. The 8410-WD has also been sold as the Dell TrueMobile 1150, Compaq WL110, Avaya Wireless 802.11b PC Card, and others.
* Most cards based on the Intersil Prism/Prism2 chip set also work.
* Most 802.11b, 802.11a and 802.11g wireless LAN adapters should work on Windows XP. Some may work on Windows 2000 too. Many of them report inaccurate Signal strength, and if using the "NDIS 5.1" card access method then Noise level will not be reported. This includes cards based on Atheros, Atmel, Broadcom, Cisco and Centrino chip sets.
* I cannot help you figure out what chip set is in any given card.
Firmware Requirements
If you have an old WaveLAN/IEEE card then please note that the WaveLAN firmware (version 4.X and below) does not work with NetStumbler. If your card has this version, you are advised to upgrade to the latest version available from Proxim's web site. This will also ensure compatibility with the 802.11b standard.
Other Requirements and Compatibility Issues
* Your card must be configured in such a way that it can be seen by the management software that came with the card.
* The Microsoft-provided Orinoco drivers that come with Windows 2000 do not work with NetStumbler. Please visit Windows Update or www.proxim.com and upgrade to the latest drivers.
* When NetStumbler is in "auto reconfigure" mode (the default), it will occasionally disconnect you from your network. This enables it to perform its scans accurately, and is not a bug.
* If you have the WLAN card configured to connect to a specific SSID, NetStumbler may not report any accees points other than tho
and had no idea that netstumbler is..
Q. What is Netstumbler?
A. NetStumbler is a Windows tool that allows you to discover 802.11b (and 802.11a, if using Windows XP) wireless LANs. It includes GPS integration and a simple, intuitive user interface.
Though primarily targeted at owners of wireless LANs, it has been the de facto tool for casual users such as "war drivers" since 2001.
NetStumbler 0.3 won the eWeek / PC Magazine i3 award for Innovation In Infrastructure, 2002.
I find it interesting that it isn't opensource.
From his weblog:
NetStumbler is not open source. Indeed it contains a lot of code that was developed under Non-Disclosure Agreements, and the source cannot be released to the general public - if I do so then several teams of lawyers will show up on my doorstep.
What about the RIAA and FBI agents showing up on our doorsteps, just for using it?
Did you respond to the last slashdot story? 1) On your internet connection 2) At a public access terminal 3) From your neighbors WiFi
What's another word for Thesaurus?
-Steve Wright
When they moved the 802.11 standards body to Texas. :->
Ah now my cisco wifi card is finally more supported than before. It worked pretty good on the old version but netstumbler would often just shut down instantly when more than one access point were available at the same time. This new version seems to work MUCH better.
The cisco cards work great under linux and its nice to see this great app become even more useful even if it is for windows. On that topic has anyone ported NS or another active wifi scanner to linux?
What post? The one you're carrying inside your rusty innards!
Hey folks, since we are /.'ing him and no doubt downloading NetStumbler and MiniStumbler in droves, it might be a good idea if someone could setup a torrent for it (I'm @ school @ the moment, otherwise I would) and/or click on his donation links.
While it's no Kismet, it is a solid tool and the new MiniStumbler actually does a great job on my HP iPaq with integrated WLAN.
(I'm also glad I got them yesterday [grin])
Mind the gap...
That means that instead of just listening to packets as they fly by, it actually sends out 802.11 frames to request info about any APs that will respond. So whereas you will get wireless nets that otherwise have no traffic at the moment, you won't get any that don't broadcast their SSID.
So to answer your question, yes, a NIDS tool could detect that you are sending out 802.11 frames at the rate of once a second. :)
When you are sniffing with kismet, you are putting your card into a monitor mode, which basicly shows you everything that is going over the air. This includes the 802.11 encapsulation packets, beacon frames, probe requests, etc. When you are in monitor mode you can't be associated with an access point.
On the other hand, when you sniff with ethereal when connected to the network, you are sniffing the ethernet network, not the wireless network. It's like sniffing inside a pptp tunnel, you don't see the raw ppp frames.
I find it interesting that it isn't opensource.
Q: Can I see the NetStumbler source code? Is it open source? Etc...
A: NetStumbler is not open source. Indeed it contains a lot of code that was developed under Non-Disclosure Agreements, and the source cannot be released to the general public - if I do so then several teams of lawyers will show up on my doorstep.
Cut the guy some slack. He writes award winning software.
This is the Internet. You can say "fuck" here. - AC
ethereal sniffs on the network level. So it'll soak up your tcp, udp, icmp, etc and display that. Kismet sniffs on the link level (basically the level above). You'll get the wlan traffic going back and forth but if its encrypted you'll have to wait until enough weak traffic has gone by for it to crack the wep.
Of course, if the wlan isn't wep'ed up, kismet will happily read and drop the packets to a log file just like ethereal will. Basically your hunch was right.
cool thing about this is that in monitor mode you are invisible to the networks, where as with netstumbler you can be seen on the networks.
Uhm, this software doesn't support your built in wireless cards (Airport) because it's a windows program.
Thinking different is fine, as long as you're *THINKING*
Damnit... I hate these things. Everytime someone in my neighborhood finds a new app like this my commection slows to a crawl. Why can't I just get off my ass and set up WEP?
I've been working as a tech for belkin for awhile now (I know I should hate my self for that but it pays the bills) and a while ago a guy called saying that he had set up his router to...
1. NOT broadcast SSID and,
2. use a 128 bit wep key
But he was pissed off because his network was still "showing up as an available network!" After talking to the guy for a long time I figured out that he was using netstumbler (V3) and that SSID was showing up there, but no place other than that.
Because every one that I work with uses netstumbler, and war drives I asked them if there was any way to make iso stumberl coul dnot see the WAP. When I told this to the guy on my phone he freaked out hard core, and told us that we needed to take some sort of leagle action aginst the guy who invented netstumbler.
Anyway, my point is that WiFi networks + Americans who are afarid of everything + Netstumbler = one pissed off fear filled sue happy american.
Note: this has been posted by r.future (a person who spends way to much time on the internet!)
i just used my neighbor's wireless/dsl connection to download the new version :)
"Here's 50 bucks, take this in case I get drunk and call you a bitch later." - Ricky (Vince Vaughn)Made (2001)
- color s/n graphs
- detection of weped networks
- detects the beacon interval for aps
- detects the maximum supported rate for aps (with prism2 cards in scan mode)
- reports if the ssid of a network is default
- export/import to wi-scan'esque log format
- support for prism2 cards (without wep detection)
- interactive display of ap statistics
- intuitive navigation hotkeys
- nmea gps support
- monitor mode support for prism2 cards
- /dev/speaker audio support for reporting detected aps and nodes
- realtime logging to file (for wi-scan'esque compatibility)
- detection of weped and adhoc networks
- detection of nodes on bss networks
- detects if a bss network uses shared or keyed authentication
- detects the maximum supported rate of aps and nodes
- detects the beacon interval for aps
- detects if bss nodes are set to connect to any network or a specified one
- partial detection of 40-bit or 104-bit encryption
Download at http://www.dachb0den.com/projects/dstumbler.html (or just install it from ports!)