Kismet is a network detector, packet sniffer, and intrusion detection system for 802.11 wireless LANs. Kismet will work with any wireless card which supports raw monitoring mode, and can sniff 802.11a, 802.11b and 802.11g traffic. The program runs under Linux, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, and Mac OS X. The client can also run on Microsoft Windows, although, aside from external drones, there’s only one supported wireless hardware available as packet source.

Kismet-2.7.1 Screenshot

Distributed under the GNU General Public License, Kismet is free software.

Kismet is unlike most other wireless network detectors in that it works passively. This means that without sending any loggable packets, it is able to detect the presence of both wireless access points and wireless clients, and associate them with each other.

Kismet also includes basic wireless IDS features such as detecting active wireless sniffing programs including NetStumbler, as well as a number of wireless network attacks.

Kismet has the ability to log all sniffed packets and save them in a tcpdump/Wireshark or Airsnort compatible fileformat.

To find as many networks as possible, kismet supports channelhopping. This means that it constantly changes from channel to channel non-sequentially, in a user-defined sequence with a default value that leaves big holes between channels (for example 1-6-11-2-7-12-3-8-13-4-9-14-5-10). The advantage with this method is that it will capture more packets because adjacent channels overlap.

Kismet also supports logging of the geographical coordinates of the network if the input from a GPS receiver is additionally available.

Kismet has three separate parts. A drone can be used to collect packets, and then pass them on to a server for interpretation. A server can either be used in conjunction with a drone, or on its own, interpreting packet data, and extrapolating wireless information, and organizing it. The client communicates with the server and displays the information the server collects.

Linux Commands Training Quick Tips – Using Linux Less & More Commands to Pause Output
By Clyde E. Boom

The more and less commands can be used with the | (vertical bar or “pipe” symbol) to pause the output of a Linux command.

Example of Using the Linux more Command

The more command can pause the output of a command, but it doesn’t work as well..

For example, you can’t scroll up in the output of a Linux command with the more command – or search for text in the output of a command.

Run the following command to list the contents of the etc directory, which is off of the / (root) directory – and to see the output “scroll off the top of the screen”.

$<b> ls -l /etc</b>

Now run the following command example to pause the output of the ls command so that it doesn’t “scroll off the top of the screen”.

Be sure to type in the | (vertical bar) between /etc and more.

$<b> ls -l /etc |</b> <b> more</b>

Linux Commands Training Tips:

The vertical bar “|” symbol is usually below the Backspace key on your keyboard and is referred to as the “pipe” symbol. It is used to “pipe” the output of one command into another command. In this case, you are “piping” the output of the less command to the more command.

Press the Spacebar a few times to scroll down a “screenful”.

Press the up arrow key and then the Page Up key and see that you can’t scroll up.

Press q to quit out of the Linux more command.

Example of Using the Linux less Command

Now run the less command example below to pause the output of the ls command.

Make sure you type in the | (vertical bar) between /etc and less.

$<b> ls -l /etc | less</b>

This shows the first “page” or “screenful” of the file.

Press the Spacebar to see the next “screen” of output.

Now press the down arrow key a few times, then the up arrow, then press the Page Down key and the Page Up key.

Press the End key to go to the end of the output and then Home to go to the top of the output.

And now I would like to offer you free access to my Linux Commands Training Mini-Course, a 7 Lesson, Daily Mini-Course, including the free Linux Commands ebook and Linux audio podcasts – showing you how to get started learning how to use Linux commands.

You can get your instant access at: http://www.LinuxCommandsTrainingCourse.com

From Clyde Boom – The Easy Linux Training Guy – Easy, self-paced Linux training – In Plain English!