Wireshark · Wireshark-users: Re: [Wireshark-users] wireless lan packet

[Guy Harris <guy@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Daniel Svensson wrote:

> oh, i tought that wireshark could do it anyway?

Wireshark can only do what the network adapter it's using, and the OS 
packet capture mechanism and network adapter driver, allow it to do.

> Is there any other freeware-softwares that do the same thing as airpcap?

AirPcap is hardware, not just software.

It works around an underlying problem with Windows, namely that the 
networking mechanisms in Windows prior to Windows Vista don't do a very 
good job of supporting packet capture on 802.11 devices.

If you're running Windows prior to Vista, the chances are unfortunately 
very good that the driver doesn't support promiscuous mode, which means 
that you won't be able to run in promiscuous mode while associated with 
the access point's network, and the chances are *certain* that the 
driver doesn't support monitor mode.

If you're running Vista, Microsoft Network Monitor:

	http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=18b1d59d-f4d8-4213-8d17-2f6dde7d7aac&displaylang=en

can capture in monitor mode if the driver for the wireless network 
adapter supports it.  I don't know which drivers support it.

If you're not running Windows at all, you might have better luck; the 
drivers do a better job of supporting promiscuous mode, and man of them 
support monitor mode, as per

	http://wiki.wireshark.org/CaptureSetup/WLAN