Sniff Wi-Fi

I wrote about using Discovery software , and then it dawned on me: many people prefer pictures. Here, then, is how I use Discovery software when troubleshooting Wi-Fi, illustrated. First, I figure out which device needs troubleshooting.  In this case, let's pretend it's one or more iPhones. (That #nofilter picture was taken by me at about 4:50 a.m. on the morning of January 20, 2009.  It was COLD a.f. out there.) Notice how my iPhone shows RSSI instead of signal bars.   Your iPhone/iPod/iPad can , too. Once I know which device needs troubleshooting (and, PLEASE, do not skip that first step.  Troubleshooting without using the actual device that needs to use the Wi-Fi is a big waste of time that annoys users), then I need some Discovery software. iOS: Airport Utility (Apple) Mac OS X: Wireless Diagnostics (Apple), WiFi Explorer (Adrian Granados - $15) Windows: Acrylic WiFi (Tarlogic), inSSIDer (Metageek - $20) Android: WiFi Analyzer ( farpr...

Who wants some free stuffffffff?!? You're reading a free blog, so I'm guessing the answer is, "all of us".  And that's good.  You've come to the right place.  Because the first part of my three-part series on Essential Wi-Fi Troubleshooting Tools is going to be about the free (or, very inexpensive) one: Discovery Software. Discovery software, which is also called Scanner software, is software that records and displays information that a Wi-Fi radio gathers during 802.11 Discovery.  There are two ways that 802.11 Discovery can be done: Active Scanning and Passive Scanning.  (Hence, the term "Scanner" software.)  Passive Scanning involves a device listening for Beacon frames that have been sent by APs.  Active Scanning involves a device sending Probe Request messages as a broadcast in the hopes of getting APs to respond with Probe Response messages.  Beacon frames and Probe Response frames carry essentially the same thing: information about th...

Clickbaitttttttttt! "Three Essential Tools"...  Brilliant!  Years ago, I would've been embarrassed to have such a click-baity headline.  No longer. Why the change, you ask?  I don't know.  It could be that I'm in the Money stage of my career.  (You see, I relate most things in life to pro wrestling.  A pro wrestler's career has three stages: Titles, Money and Legacy.  When you're young and you don't know any better, you want titles.  Being " Intercontinental Champion " [or, in the case of an IT guy, " Network Administrator "] fulfills you.  Management takes advantage of that by underpaying people who are in the Titles stage.  Once someone reaches the Money stage, they are no longer impressed by titles.  "You want to make me Intercontinental Champion?  Great.  What's my paycheck?"  The final stage is the Legacy stage, which most of us never reach.   The Rock is in the Legacy stage.  He has won titl...