# wireless sniffer for mac os x



## broke (Jan 9, 2006)

What wireless sniffer do you recommend for Mac Os X ? Is there a bundle with wireless sniffer and gui for os x that you recommend?

I tried to install ethereal, but I had to install extra software, which made my system not function properly. I had to re-install everything.


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## ora (Jan 9, 2006)

I use Kismac (http://kismac.binaervarianz.de/). Its fairly simple to use and rather powerful. I use it at work to check large wireless networks and it does the job very well.


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## broke (Jan 13, 2006)

but I can just find wireless networks with this tool, I can not get a dump of traffic in the same way as you would with ethereal ?!


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## fryke (Jan 13, 2006)

Wouldn't that be illegal, anyway?


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## broke (Jan 13, 2006)

no, it is very common to sniff traffic in your own network to see what is going on sometimes. Packet sniffers are some of system administrators best tools...


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## ora (Jan 13, 2006)

You can't do that with an airport express card, as the drivers are closed source, but its still a very good stumbler (you didn't ask for a sniffer).


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## joshuatree (Dec 8, 2008)

Ofcourse you can do that, you can use Packet Peeper to do it, it's a GUI for tcpdump.

To ora:
He asked for a sniffer, he wrote "sniffer" 3 times in he's post.
And what has this to do with the drivers are closed? Nothing.


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## Doctor X (Dec 9, 2008)

I am sure, after nearly three years, *ora* is most gratified to discover that.

--J.D.


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## ora (Dec 9, 2008)

Hehe, cheers Doc. Joshua though rude is correct, i clearly read stumbler for sniffer.

If you had read the kismac docs back in 06 you'd know that at the time airport express used some technology with some security implications, so a bunch of the working details about the airport express chipset where not available to the kismac developers to let them make a passive mode sniffer function with airport express cards.

You'll be pleased to know that it does work these days - though as fryke pointed out, most uses of it are dubious anyway.


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## Doctor X (Dec 9, 2008)

Apparently, along with manners, the concept of *Private Messaging* eludes him.

--J.D.


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