User`s guide

demonstrate, sniffing a network properly take a solid understanding of how the various pieces of

equipment and software work together in unison.

2.1 Requirements

Sniffing a network is not as simple as plug and play. There are several requirements that

must be met before a sniffer will operate, depending on the target data. This section will outline

the technical aspects of network sniffing and the necessary hardware and software components

needed to successfully capture data.

2.1.1 Hardware

Before you attempt to sniff, you must have the proper hardware. This is not as simple as

selecting any network card off the shelf and plugging it in to a computer and expecting it to

work. Due to compatibility issues with the OS, other hardware components, and more, it is

important to perform some preliminary research into a sniffer’s requirements before purchasing

anything.

One particular area where the right hardware matters is when attempting to sniff a wireless

network. This is because there are several major types of wireless network cards (WNICs)

available on the market. For example, you can currently buy 802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11a/b,

802.11g/b cards and even 802.11a/b/g cards. In addition, within just the 802.11b group (the most

popular group) there are two main types of chipsets that are used on the WNICs: PrismII and

Orinoco. Therefore, you will want to investigate the product and its hardware requirements, in

addition to the network

2.1.2 Drivers

Once you have the appropriate hardware, you still need to ensure that your OS has the right

drivers to use that hardware. This can be a tricky part of getting a sniffer to work properly, and it

is why many sniffers either run on Unix based OSs, or require a special driver to be installed

before it will work in Windows.

In the case of the mobile Windows environment, most general-purpose local sniffers will

work with any WNIC without the need for a special driver or patch. Assuming your WNIC is

working before a sniffer is installed and the sniffer program is compatible with your card, you

will need no extra drivers. This said, if you want to perform wireless sniffing, your sniffing will

be limited. Currently there are no publicly available drivers that make true promiscuous sniffing

a reality for the Pocket PC. Instead, you will only have access to networks with which your

WNIC can associate, and then with only one at a time.

Note: If you are installing a Windows sniffer, you will probably need a special driver known

as Winpcap available at http://winpcap.polito.it.

To install this driver, simply download and

double-click the executable. The installation process is straightforward and only requires a few

clicks of your mouse.

Note: Airscanner Mobile Sniffer™ is based in part on Winpcap, so you will not have to

install Winpcap separately as Airscanner Mobile Sniffer™ will install the necessary parts for

you. However, you will need to install it if you plan to use Ethereal for advanced post-data

capture analysis (recommended).