Wireshark · Wireshark-users: Re: [Wireshark-users] Sniffing Wireless with Wireshark?

[Guy Harris <guy@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Nov 1, 2009, at 1:40 PM, Raymond Jender wrote:

> I do not have Airpcap.  It's a little pricey for me right now.  I am  
> in a Wi-Fi learning mode right now in preparation for certifying  
> (CWNA/CWSP).  Is there some open source equivalent to Airpcap?  Or  
> some freeware software?

Yes.  There's a freeware product called "Linux" (well, it usually goes  
under names such as "Ubuntu" and "Fedora" and...); if you run that on  
your PC, you'll probably find it much easier to capture on 802.11  
networks.  Other freeware products that do better have names such as  
"FreeBSD", "NetBSD", "OpenBSD", "DragonFly BSD", "PC-BSD", etc..

Unfortunately, there's no freeware *for Windows* that will make this  
work better.

> And I could not find where the "802.11 channel" option is in  
> Wireshark?

There isn't one, at present, unless you have AirPcap (not even on  
UN*Xes such as Linux or *BSD).