Chapter 2: NetStumbler and MiniStumbler: Overview

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Introduction

NetStumbler is the application for WarDrivers who use Microsoft Windows as their operating system. While the term “killer application” is often overused to describe programs, NetStumbler certainly comes close to that description for many wireless network users. It has helped thousands of networking and security specialists in their jobs, and its ease of use has certainly advanced the popularity of WarDriving as a hobby.

If you are interested in locating wireless local area networks (WLANs) for professional use or have taken up the hobby of WarDriving, then you have probably heard of NetStumbler. NetStumbler has taken the wireless networking world by storm. From network administrators to law enforcement officials and every WarDriver in between, NetStumbler has become the wireless network tool of choice for thousands of users. It has a straightforward interface that most new WarDrivers can readily use, yet it is sophisticated enough to have radio frequency (RF) and networking tools to satisfy both computer networking and radio professionals.

NetStumbler has so influenced the world of Wireless LAN discovery that many users no longer call the activity “WarDriving,” but instead refer to it as “netstumbling” or simply “stumbling.”

So what is NetStumbler? Network Stumbler (the official name) is a wireless network detector and analysis tool. Marius Milner, the writer of the application, created the first version in early 2001, just as the price of 802.11b wireless networking devices were starting to become affordable on the consumer markets. While Peter Shipley of San Francisco is generally credited with creating the first WarDriving PERL scripts in April of 2001, Marius Milner was right behind Mr. Shipley, releasing the first beta version of NetStumbler a month later in May, 2001.

NetStumbler detects wireless local area networks (WLANs) that are based on the 802.11b and 802.11g data formats in the Industrial Scientific and Medical (ISM) radio band and Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure (U-NII), a band using 802.11a data formats. Furthermore, it provides radio frequency (RF) signal information and other data related to the peculiarities of combining computers and radios. NetStumbler may also provide information on the band and data format being used, depending on what wireless networking card is being implemented: 802.11b, 802.11a, or 802.11g. Since the first version, Marius has continued to improve the application, adding features and refinements to each release.

Note 

There are several parts to the wireless standard known as IEEE 802.11. Here’s a quick summary:

  • 802.11 Has data speeds of up to 2 megabits per second (Mbps) and uses either Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) or Direct-Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) transmission techniques. Even though both are based in the ISM radio band, FHSS and DSSS devices cannot network with each other.

  • 802.11a Has data speeds of up to 54 Mbps and uses the Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) technique in the U-NII radio band.

  • 802.11b Has data speeds of up to 11 Mbps and uses only the DSSS technique in the ISM radio band. It’s backward-compatible with 802.11 DSSS devices.

  • 802.11g Has data speeds of up to 54Mbps and uses both OFDM and DSSS techniques in the ISM radio band. Use of the DSSS allows it to be backward-compatible with 802.11b and 802.11 DSSS devices.

While 802.11 debuted in the mid-1990s, wireless networking didn’t become a big consumer item until the introduction of inexpensive 802.11b equipment in 2001. Even though the 802.11a standard was ratified just prior to 802.11b, most manufacturers made “b” equipment first. 802.11a has a very short range in comparison to any of the other standards due to the U-NII band, and has never gained much popularity. The newest standard, 802.11g, was ratified in 2003, and is backward-compatible with 802.11b and 802.11 DSSS equipment. For these reasons, 802.11b enjoys the most popular use, with 802.11g catching up quickly.
If you want to learn more about the standards, www.hpl.hp.com/personal/Jean_Tourrilhes/Linux/Linux.Wireless.std.html has some detailed information on how they came about.

The next two chapters will introduce you to NetStumbler and how to use it to your fullest advantage in your WarDriving endeavors. We will also discuss MiniStumbler, the PocketPC version of NetStumbler. Much of what is covered involves both programs, and in areas where those programs differ, there will be information specific to each application. As of this writing, the current release of both NetStumbler and MiniStumbler is v.0.4.0.



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WarDriving(c) Drive, Detect, Defend(c) A Guide to Wireless Security
Special Edition Using Macromedia Studio 8
ISBN: N/A
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2006
Pages: 125

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