Wireless snoopers...

[jbrown]

When looking for wireless networks, can you be 'seen' . I've iStumbler, Macstumbler. amd Kismac.

 

[stoid]

I don't know for certain, and it may depend on how the stumbler works. If the stumbler is passive, i.e. it just looks for stray packets being broadcast on Wi-Fi frequencies, it shouldn't be able to be detected. On the other hand, if it uses an active method, i.e. tries to communicate back with the wireless router, a system admin might be able to discover your activity, though I don't think that they'd be able to find you, they'd just have an activity log.

 

[varmit]

Kismac will pick up any wireless when in passive mode. As long as the wireless basestation sending data out (hidden SSID and a computer is connected to it) or broadcasting its SSID.

And if that is a question, use a ? mark. If it was, then yes, my wireless can be detected, because I broadcast my SSID so my friends can connect when they come over. My house is far enough from the road and from the neighbors that I don't think they can get on it.

 

[jbrown]

And if that is a question, use a ?

My bad!!!!!!!!!
Any decent instructions around for Kismac?
And can I detect if anyone is snooping into my WI-FI? Can they see my emails, network communications etc.?

 

[Espnetboy3]

ok so if my neighbor was on a wireless network and i was close enough to the house i could just turn on the airport card in my laptop and it would connect. I know that people at my college can get on there network wireless , legally because they have it setup for students , ive never brougth my laptop to school but with the airport card would i be able to go to the school and get online once i enable it.

 

[emw]

ok so if my neighbor was on a wireless network and i was close enough to the house i could just turn on the airport card in my laptop and it would connect.

Perhaps, assuming that they didn't have wireless security on, such as a password or MAC filtering.

I know that people at my college can get on there network wireless , legally because they have it setup for students , ive never brougth my laptop to school but with the airport card would i be able to go to the school and get online once i enable it.

Again, theoretically. Some schools will use MAC filtering to insure only students can access the network, or may require a password. Are you a student at this school (apparently not enrolled in any grammar classes ), or are you just a visitor?

 

[munkle]

How do you check who is on your network?

 

[emw]

How do you check who is on your network?

One fairly simple, albeit not incredibly informative way, is to check your router's DHCP table or wireless client table. Anyone on there that isn't you? It won't tell you much about them, but it will give you the MAC address of the wireless clients, so you can exclude them if you'd like.

I'm sure there are more complete tools, depending on that it is you are trying to determine.

 

[aswitcher]

One fairly simple, albeit not incredibly informative way, is to check your router's DHCP table or wireless client table. Anyone on there that isn't you? It won't tell you much about them, but it will give you the MAC address of the wireless clients, so you can exclude them if you'd like.

I'm sure there are more complete tools, depending on that it is you are trying to determine.

Something like that under Tiger would be nice. Popup alerts when people log in or out of a WAP you have admin control over would be very nice...plus capturing historical data in an easy to use and review form so you can see who might be getting on.

 

[emw]

Something like that under Tiger would be nice. Popup alerts when people log in or out of a WAP you have admin control over would be very nice...plus capturing historical data in an easy to use and review form so you can see who might be getting on.

Ye it would, but doesn't that rely on the WAP providing information to the OS? That is, if I've got a Linksys WRT54G sitting there doling out IP addresses to the wireless masses, my OS X box won't know who's connected unless the router is enabled to send out some sort of messaging, I would think.

May be easier to integrate with Airport Admin, but I imagine it's still a challenge.

 

[Mechcozmo]

I can see this happening.

OS queries the DHCP table on a router every once in a while, say, minute...

Airport has a software upgrade that does it for you immediately.

And yes, people can see your files but they cannot run your programs. So if they found your email database, it would be near useless to them because they cannot read it. They cannot run a program. Now, if you use RDC then you can get some major issues... but that is to a Windows box only...

 

[aswitcher]

Ye it would, but doesn't that rely on the WAP providing information to the OS? That is, if I've got a Linksys WRT54G sitting there doling out IP addresses to the wireless masses, my OS X box won't know who's connected unless the router is enabled to send out some sort of messaging, I would think.

May be easier to integrate with Airport Admin, but I imagine it's still a challenge.

You should be able to sniff the local traffic capturing those using the router and identifying them by user name and NIC. Because your the admin you have the codes which should make this pretty easy in theory to poll the router as well to get the info.