CTS 047: Troubleshooting Wi-Fi with Wireshark




Clear To Send: Wireless Network Engineering show

Summary: It’s that time, a new episode about WiFi! Our main topic is Troubleshooting WiFi with Wireshark.<br> I saw this get shared on Twitter which is an article from <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/aug/05/airbnb-wifi-security-threat-risk-travel" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">The Guardian</a>. Apparently, AirBnb WiFi is a security threat for travelers. This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone but it is possible that the owner could be spying on your traffic, collecting information on you or even stealing your passwords. The best thing to do is not use the WiFi. I know, hard to do. From another perspective, a maliciuos hacker could break into your access point and install a backdoor and have his/her way with your WiFi. Now that’s a scarier thought.<br> I noticed Keith Parsons shared an <a href="http://twitter.com/KeithRParsons/status/763390528889114626/photo/1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">interesting photo</a> on social media. He displayed what he carries every day as part of his WLAN Professional toolkit. My toolkit is a lot lighter than that only because I hate carrying a lot of gear. Here’s a look into my toolkit:<br> <br> * <a href="https://shop.ekahau.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Ekahau</a> adapters<br> * <a href="http://amzn.to/2aVtUSV" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Metageek dBx adapter</a><br> * <a href="http://amzn.to/2aVtN9J" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Google Pixel C tablet</a><br> * <a href="http://amzn.to/2aVt6NO" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Omnipeek adapters</a><br> * <a href="https://www.packet6.com/go/belkin-usb-hub" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">USB extender</a> with <a href="http://hubholster.com/" target="_blank">Hub Holster</a><br> * <a href="https://www.packet6.com/airconsole-review/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Airconsole</a><br> * <a href="http://www.netool.io/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Netool</a><br> * Macbook Pro<br> <br> For software I use:<br> <br> * <a href="https://shop.ekahau.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Ekahau</a> ESS<br> * <a href="http://amzn.to/2aVts78" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Chanalyzer</a><br> * <a href="https://www.adriangranados.com/apps/airtool" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Airtool</a><br> * <a href="https://www.adriangranados.com/apps/wifi-explorer" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">WiFi Explorer</a><br> * <a href="https://www.adriangranados.com/apps/wifi-signal" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">WiFi Signal</a><br> * <a href="https://www.savvius.com/products/network_visibility_performance_diagnostics/omnipeek_family/omnipeek_network_analysis" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Omnipeek</a><br> * <a href="https://www.wireshark.org" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Wireshark</a><br> <br> What’s in your toolkit? Leave a comment below. I’m very curious what other professionals carry.<br> A WiFi Question from Lee Badman caught my attention, #WIFIQ 8/10/16 Have you ever had to deal with someone spoofing/copying your residential or business SSID? Circumstances, course of action?<br> On campus I know I’d find that rogue access point and shut it down after finding it.<br> But if it’s a neighboring tenant, what options do you have? The only thing I can think of is to simply ask them to change their SSID.<br> Troubleshooting WiFi with Wireshark<br> Download this <a href="http://www.cleartosend.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/802.11-state-machine.pcap_.zip" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">sample pcap</a> file to follow along.<br> My primary computer is a Macbook Pro. You can perform the same troubleshooting steps on a PC.<br> First step is to download the application at <a href="http://www.wireshark.org" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">wireshark.org</a>.<br> Before capturing wireless frames, there are a few things to take note. If you’re using a Macbook Pro/Air then you should be okay capturing frames using your built-in wireless adapter.