[kismac] Re: Passive monitoring?

  • From: Michael Rossberg <mick@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: kismac@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2003 17:49:18 +0200

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hey,


> A wireless computer can either obtain information about an access
> point passively -- by listening for beacon packets.  Or actively, by
> generating a probe  -- and getting a "probe response" from an access
> point.
> I think Apple actively probes rather than just listens ... but I'm not
> absolutely
> certain.

you are right for the airport driver. however it seems that the extreme 
driver can do both modes ;-)

>
> If you walk/drive around and keep looking the little
> menu, you will see ESSIDs of various wireless networks appear (as their
> signal is detected) and disappear (as their signal is lost).  [To do
> this,
> make sure you have the AirPort signal strength indicator on the menu
> bar by selecting "Show AirPort status in menu bar" on the Internet
> Connect popup.  Then click once on the signal display on the menu
> (near the clock).  Don't click on anything else, and it will stay up,
> showing you the SSIDs of the visible networks.  Information it
> gets by passive monitoring.]

the probe request generate responses. which are somewhat like beacons. 
but the passive monitoring of those is not really monitoring. the card 
is not in rfmon mode and all of this handling is done by the firmware
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