Going beyond windows to discover networks one of the first tools many look at is NetStumbler. (found here http://www.netstumbler.com/downloads/) . This one has been around for years and does come with some benefits. One of the big pluses to this program is that it will run natively in Windows. No special drivers, no special gear, no need to know Linux commands. Simply download, install, and start finding wireless access points. When you run the program you will see it provides a lot more information than the Windows wireless zero service did. If you watch the YouTube video some of the more significant options are shown.
My video consists of a drive in a Pittsburgh suburb. You can see the name of the wireless network, if it has encryption, and how good the signal strength is. The lock shows that it is encrypted. One down side on this function is that it will show encryption as WEP even if it is WAP. One of the drawbacks of the program. On a positive note however the program has good support for a GPS device. You can then use this information to plot WiFi points on a Microsoft streets and trips map. It can be a little cumbersome and requires a few steps to get the information on a map. I won’t go into detail with it because soon I will show a tool that does it much better and in a simpler way. But know it can be done.
The program is free however if you want to map it out on streets and trips you’ll have to pay.
If you desire a handheld version well you’re in luck. At the same download location you can find miniStumbler for your smart phone or PDA.
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