312-50V9 · Question #331
You want to analyze packets on your wireless network. Which program would you use?
The correct answer is A. Wireshark with Airpcap. To capture and analyze wireless (802.11) packets on Windows, Wireshark must be paired with AirPcap, a specialized USB adapter and driver that enables monitor mode for wireless frame capture.
Question
You want to analyze packets on your wireless network. Which program would you use?
Options
- AWireshark with Airpcap
- BAirsnort with Airpcap
- CWireshark with Winpcap
- DEthereal with Winpcap
How the community answered
(29 responses)- A90% (26)
- B3% (1)
- C7% (2)
Why each option
To capture and analyze wireless (802.11) packets on Windows, Wireshark must be paired with AirPcap, a specialized USB adapter and driver that enables monitor mode for wireless frame capture.
AirPcap is the dedicated Windows capture driver that enables Wireshark to operate in 802.11 monitor mode, allowing it to see raw wireless frames including management and control frames. WinPcap only supports wired Ethernet adapters and cannot capture wireless frames at the 802.11 layer. The combination of Wireshark (the analyzer) and AirPcap (the wireless capture driver) is the correct pairing for wireless packet analysis on Windows.
Airsnort is a WEP key recovery tool designed to crack wireless encryption, not a general-purpose packet analyzer.
WinPcap is the standard Windows packet capture driver for wired Ethernet interfaces and does not support 802.11 wireless monitor mode capture.
Ethereal was the former name of Wireshark before it was rebranded in 2006 and is no longer a current or recommended tool, and WinPcap does not support wireless capture anyway.
Concept tested: Wireless packet capture tools - Wireshark and AirPcap
Source: https://wiki.wireshark.org/CaptureSetup/WLAN
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