Sniff Wi-Fi

If I seem a little giddy this week, it's because I finally got a Novatel MiFi 2200 for my Verizon Mobile Broadband service. MiFi uses the Verizon CDMA Revision A data network to create a WiFi hotspot that you can take anywhere. I haven't taken the time to give it a full analysis, but in my initial usage I found it quite impressive. MiFi has been available for several months now, so I don't want to spend too much time on the basics. It's a rectangular device slightly larger than a credit card (and about half a centimeter deep) that acts as a WiFi hotspot connecting you to Verizon's 3G data network. I got the MiFi for my girlfriend because she uses my Verizon 3G service when I'm not on the road. She's not at all tech-savvy, so I figured it'd be an easier way for her to get online than having to run the VZAccess Manager connection software on her laptop in order to dial out with her Novatel v740 ExpressCard. As it turns out, MiFi is so great that I t...

When I think of WildPackets OmniPeek, I think of a WiFi sniffer made for highly specialized work. Lately, however, I've found that people who are new to sniffing often seem to like it more than higher profile sniffers like Wireshark and AirMagnet WiFi Analyzer. On the surface, AirMagnet WiFi Analyzer and Wireshark each have a distinct edge over WildPackets OmniPeek in attracting novice users. AirMagnet has a very nice interface and Wireshark has a very nice price (free). That's why I'm sometimes hesitant to tout OmniPeek to newbies. I feel like I'm telling them about something that is probably out of their price range, and then even if they did buy it they'd have to spend a few weeks learning how to really use it. I got a new perspective on things when I was working at a large industrial company last week. They have a policy banning rogue APs and ad-hoc networks and I had a small test bed set up for my work. On the fourth day that I was there (and you'd hav...