OK, here’s the definitive set of tools that I use to make sure a wifi network is working:
* “Advanced LAN Scanner”:http://www.radmin.com/products/utilities/lanscanner.php. This is super useful for figuring out what devices and computers are actually on a network. When you get to a new network run it and it will tell you what’s running and what they are.
* “Wardriving”:http://wiki.personaltelco.net/index.cgi/WarDriving. This is a great site for all the tools you need to find open access points around town. That’s called wardriving.
* “Wardriving downloads”:http://wardrivingonline.com/downloads/wardriving.htm#Windows. They host a great list of all the tools that you can have
* “Netstumbler”:http://www.netstumbler.com/. This tool now works with Prism2 (what Intel uses), if you put it into NDIS mode and then you can see all the APs that are around
* “Aircrack”:http://www.grape-info.com/doc/win2000srv/security/aircrack-2.3.html This tool sniffs and cracks WEPand WPA keys if you forget them.
Here are some device specific things:
* “WAP54G”:http://www.seattlewireless.net/WAP54G. This is a definitive guide to the various hacks around the web for this access point. Of main note are the hacks that let you turn up the power from 20mW to 100mW to get more range.The builde at “hyperwap”:http://www.hyperwap.org/forum/viewtopic.php?id=53 is based on the latest 3.04 firmware and is very nice.
