Several free tools are available that detect and analyze WiFi networks. I tested a few of them and compiled the following list. All of them run in MS Windows with the exception of Kismet. Please provide your feedback about your own favorite free WiFi tools.
NetStumbler
NetStumbler lists all the WiFi networks in your area, their signal strength and whether or not they’re passworded. NetStumbler has long been a favourite for this sort of functionality, but it doesn’t work well with Vista or 64-bit XP. It has GPS support.
OS: Win XP
Version: 0.4.0
Bands: 2.4 GHz only
Download: http://www.netstumbler.com/downloads/
InSSIDer
Free application inSSIDer scans networks within reach of your computer’s Wi-Fi antenna, tracks signal strength over time, and determines their security settings.
InSSIDer has been developed by the folks at MetaGeek who also offer the Wi-Spy RF Analysis products.
OS: Vista and Win XP 64-bit
Version: 1.2.6.0115
Bands: 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz
Download: http://tinyurl.com/ygfuv3l
Xirrus WiFi Inspector
The Xirrus Wi-Fi Inspector is a powerful tool for managing and troubleshooting the Wi-Fi on a Windows XP or Vista laptop. Built in tests enable you to characterize the integrity and performance of your Wi-Fi connection.
Note: I tested it on Windows 7 and it works without flaws.
OS: WinXP, Vista, Seven
Version: 1.0.1
Bands: 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz
Download: http://www.xirrus.com/library/wifitools.php
Cain & Abel
Cain & Abel has been developed in the hope that it will be useful for network administrators, teachers, security consultants/professionals, forensic staff, security software vendors, professional penetration tester and everyone else that plans to use it for ethical reasons.
This product is like a swiss army knife and can do several things. Among these, WiFi analysis. It can discover WLANs, their channels, SNR, etc. During setup, it will automatically install WinPCAP.
OS: XP, Vista
Version: 4.9.35
Pre-req: WinPCAP
Bands: 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz
Download: http://www.oxid.it/cain.html
Vistumbler
Vistumbler finds Wireless access points and uses the Vista command ‘netsh wlan show networks mode=bssid‘ to get wireless information (discussed next). It has GPS support.
OS: Vista and Seven
Version: 9.8
Bands: 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz
Download: http://www.vistumbler.net/
Meraki WiFi Stumbler
The Meraki WiFi Stumbler is the first browser-based wireless scanner. WiFi Stumbler provides detailed, real-time and continuously updated information about nearby wireless networks (even those with hidden SSIDs), including the type of access point, MAC address, wireless channel, signal strength, encryption type and more. It also features built-in search, sorting and filtering capabilities to make it easy to quickly find the data that you need when in the field troubleshooting networks.
Running it in a browser means no need to download and install software. WiFi Stumbler will run in most browsers on either a PC or a Mac, and it can even be used when you are not connected to the Internet if your browser supports HTML5 offline mode (currently only Firefox 3.5, but Safari and Chrome support should follow soon as well).
OS: not OS dependent, nothing to install
Note: Works with a Java enabled Firefox
Version: Beta
Bands: 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz
URL: http://tools.meraki.com/stumbler
Netsh
The netsh shows SSID, signal strength, channel, supported data rates, and access point MAC address (BSSID). Compare this to Windows Vista graphical information which only shows SSID and signal bars.
To display WLAN networks in basic view:
netsh wlan show networks
To display WLAN networks in detailed view:
netsh wlan show networks mode=bssid
OS: Vista, Seven
Version: n/a
Bands: 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz
Kismet
Kismet is an 802.11 layer2 wireless network detector, sniffer, and intrusion detection system. Kismet will work with any wireless card which supports raw monitoring (rfmon) mode, and (with appropriate hardware) can sniff 802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11g, and 802.11n traffic. It has GPS support and can monitor on several Wireless adapters at a time. It also supports ‘drones’. Kismet Drones are designed to turn Kismet into a distributed IDS system. Drones support all of the capture methods Kismet normally supports, including multiple capture devices per drone. Drones capture wireless data and forward to a Kismet server over a secondary connection (ie, wired Ethernet).
Note: Kismet is pre-installed in the BackTrack 4 distribution. You could simply download the BT4 ISO and burn it onto a DVD or boot the ISO directly in VMWare.
OS: Linux and its variants
Version: 2010-01-R1
Bands: 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz
Download: http://www.kismetwireless.net/index.shtml
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