Monitor mode

Twisted · 02-01-2004

I am a hardware guy, don't claim to understand that which I can't touch.

Why is it so hard in Windows to make a driver that support monitor mode, when *nix variants all support it?

gmiller220 · 02-01-2004

I'm with you on this one! But I think it has to do with the fact that the windows kernel is "set in stone" so to speak. Windows uses a "middle man" (API is it?) so that it makes everything simpler to code. Linux on the other hand gives you the blueprint to the internal workings of it's kernel thus allowing support to be written directly for that piece of hardware.

Anyways this is the way I understand it. If anybody that really knows would care to share please do.

King_Ice_Flash · 02-01-2004

Between that and the fact that ol’ Bill won’t give out the source code. There are also a whole bunch of dlls and other stuff that the drivers read. Ethereal for windows does a monitor mode using the Pcap, but I don’t know if it can be changed to work when your are not associated with a network. It would be cool to have a program like kismet for windows that can do all of the intrusion detection and read packets without being connected to the AP. But it would probably end up being in a permanent dysfunctional alpha state like Airsnort for windows.

sparafina · 02-01-2004

In January's Linux Journal, there's an interesting section on IOCTLs adn a nice example of how to use them on wireless cards. It is also downloadable as a free issue.

Chris · 02-01-2004

It is the closed source problem. For instance, ISS does have a monitor mode driver for Orinoco's (and their other supported cards) for Wireless Scanner. I don't know it for a fact, but my understanding is that they made an agreement with MS ($$) to get ahold of the applicable Windows source so they could write the drivers.

Can anyone verify that one way or the other?

Twisted · 02-02-2004

Maybe this is the the point I am missing.

"as I understand it" most/all network cards can be put into monitor mode.

Is this true? Or do you have to use some kind of shim "NDIS,pccap, et el" ?

02-01-2004	#1 (permalink)
Twisted Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 185	Monitor mode I am a hardware guy, don't claim to understand that which I can't touch. Why is it so hard in Windows to make a driver that support monitor mode, when *nix variants all support it?

02-01-2004	#2 (permalink)
gmiller220 People are dumb Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 466	I'm with you on this one! But I think it has to do with the fact that the windows kernel is "set in stone" so to speak. Windows uses a "middle man" (API is it?) so that it makes everything simpler to code. Linux on the other hand gives you the blueprint to the internal workings of it's kernel thus allowing support to be written directly for that piece of hardware. Anyways this is the way I understand it. If anybody that really knows would care to share please do. __________________ "Got Google???" It does a Wifi Good

02-01-2004	#3 (permalink)
King_Ice_Flash Alien Paranoid Stumbler Join Date: May 2003 Location: WI Posts: 2,695	Between that and the fact that ol’ Bill won’t give out the source code. There are also a whole bunch of dlls and other stuff that the drivers read. Ethereal for windows does a monitor mode using the Pcap, but I don’t know if it can be changed to work when your are not associated with a network. It would be cool to have a program like kismet for windows that can do all of the intrusion detection and read packets without being connected to the AP. But it would probably end up being in a permanent dysfunctional alpha state like Airsnort for windows. __________________ "Yeah," said a voice from under the table, "you go to pieces so fast people get hit by the shrapnel."

02-01-2004	#5 (permalink)
Chris Bad as Can Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 1,141	It is the closed source problem. For instance, ISS does have a monitor mode driver for Orinoco's (and their other supported cards) for Wireless Scanner. I don't know it for a fact, but my understanding is that they made an agreement with MS ($$) to get ahold of the applicable Windows source so they could write the drivers. Can anyone verify that one way or the other? __________________ perl -e 'print pack(c5, (41*2), sqrt(7056), (unpack(c,H)-2), oct(115), 10)'

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02-01-2004	#4 (permalink)
sparafina Registered Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: TX,MD,NY Posts: 1,431	In January's Linux Journal, there's an interesting section on IOCTLs adn a nice example of how to use them on wireless cards. It is also downloadable as a free issue.

02-02-2004	#6 (permalink)
Twisted Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 185	Maybe this is the the point I am missing. "as I understand it" most/all network cards can be put into monitor mode. Is this true? Or do you have to use some kind of shim "NDIS,pccap, et el" ?