NetStumbler is a program that show the local wifi networks and the channel they use. This is useful if one needs to choose a somewhat free channel for one's wifi connection. But this is in Windows.
What about an Ubuntu alternative?
Update after answer on using Kismet+Kismon: That is not at all like NetStumbler: I have to manually edit a configuration file.
From the links provided I understand that i have to install Kismet, and run sudo lshw -C network
to get the needed data that I have to enter into a configuration file that is accessible by sudo gedit /etc/kismet/kismet.conf
.
Running sudo lshw -C network
, I get:
*-network
description: Ethernet interface
product: NetXtreme BCM5751M Gigabit Ethernet PCI Express
vendor: Broadcom Corporation
physical id: 0
bus info: pci@0000:10:00.0
logical name: eth0
version: 11
serial: 00:14:c2:dd:01:c9
capacity: 1Gbit/s
width: 64 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm vpd msi pciexpress bus_master cap_list ethernet physical tp 10bt 10bt-fd 100bt 100bt-fd 1000bt 1000bt-fd autonegotiation
configuration: autonegotiation=on broadcast=yes driver=tg3 driverversion=3.128 firmware=5751m-v3.29a latency=0 link=no multicast=yes port=twisted pair
resources: irq:16 memory:c8000000-c800ffff
*-network
description: Wireless interface
product: PRO/Wireless 2200BG [Calexico2] Network Connection
vendor: Intel Corporation
physical id: 4
bus info: pci@0000:02:04.0
logical name: eth1
version: 05
serial: 00:15:00:3b:d1:20
width: 32 bits
clock: 33MHz
capabilities: pm bus_master cap_list ethernet physical wireless
configuration: broadcast=yes driver=ipw2200 driverversion=1.2.2kmprq firmware=ABG:9.0.5.27 (Dec 12 2007) ip=192.168.0.10 latency=64 link=yes maxlatency=24 mingnt=3 multicast=yes wireless=IEEE 802.11bg
resources: irq:21 memory:c8400000-c8400fff
So confusing. 9 pages of forum for that? can i get simple instructions?
Also, I worry for something like:
~$ kismet
Launching kismet_server: //usr/bin/kismet_server
Suid priv-dropping disabled. This may not be secure.
Done
What does this mean, not secure?
Also, here it says: "when quitting kismet, it leaves your wireless card stuck in monitor mode. To revert back to Managed mode (client mode), the commands would be similar to the following:
sudo ifconfig wlan0 down
sudo iwconfig wlan0 mode Managed
sudo ifconfig wlan0 up
What does this mean? Do I have to run those (in fact not those lines, but other, similar but different info ---) each time (after) I use Kismet?
In the configuration file I have edited only 2 lines:
13 suiduser=cipricus
and
27 source=ipw2200,eth1,intel
But this is what happens:
~$ kismet
Launching kismet_server: //usr/bin/kismet_server
Suid priv-dropping disabled. This may not be secure.
Done.
And:
~$ kismon
(kismon:7877): Gtk-WARNING **: Unable to locate theme engine in module_path: "pixmap",
(kismon:7877): Gtk-WARNING **: Unable to locate theme engine in module_path: "pixmap",
(kismon:7877): Gtk-WARNING **: Unable to locate theme engine in module_path: "pixmap",
(kismon:7877): Gtk-WARNING **: Unable to locate theme engine in module_path: "pixmap",
(kismon:7877): Gtk-WARNING **: Unable to locate theme engine in module_path: "pixmap",
Client: start 127.0.0.1:2501
Client: Open connection to 127.0.0.1:2501 failed: [Errno 111] Connection refused
kismet_server must be running to get live data
Client: stop