The sys admin's daily grind – Netdiscover
Swords to Plowshares
This month, sys admin Charly grabs the fairly ancient Netdiscover wardriving tool and takes care of his neighbors' WiFi networks.
"Charly, can you take a look at this? My (choose a computer term) isn't working!" This is a situation that eventually anyone who "does something in IT" gets into. By now, friends and neighbors have realized that I cannot help them with Windows problems. If their WiFi network is acting up, however, there's no escape.
So, in response, I connect my laptop to my neighbors' wireless LAN and check out the network. With what? Well, normally with Netdiscover [1]. This tool goes back to the days when wardriving was cool and widespread. For our younger readers: Wardrivers would walk or drive through the neighborhood armed with a laptop looking for open or poorly protected wireless networks and, for example, drop the King James version of the Bible into the confused owner's printer spooler just as a little warning.
Netdiscover supports active and passive modes. In passive mode, it does not send packets but evaluates the network traffic flying by. In a WLAN, in which all the devices transmit on the same radio channel, you can accumulate a fairly extensive list of devices in a short time. You launch Netdiscover in passive mode by typing
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
System76 Releases COSMIC Alpha 7
With scores of bug fixes and a really cool workspaces feature, COSMIC is looking to soon migrate from alpha to beta.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 6.0 Available for Installation
The latest release of OpenMandriva has arrived with a new kernel, an updated Plasma desktop, and a server edition.
-
TrueNAS 25.04 Arrives with Thousands of Changes
One of the most popular Linux-based NAS solutions has rolled out the latest edition, based on Ubuntu 25.04.
-
Fedora 42 Available with Two New Spins
The latest release from the Fedora Project includes the usual updates, a new kernel, an official KDE Plasma spin, and a new System76 spin.
-
So Long, ArcoLinux
The ArcoLinux distribution is the latest Linux distribution to shut down.
-
What Open Source Pros Look for in a Job Role
Learn what professionals in technical and non-technical roles say is most important when seeking a new position.
-
Asahi Linux Runs into Issues with M4 Support
Due to Apple Silicon changes, the Asahi Linux project is at odds with adding support for the M4 chips.
-
Plasma 6.3.4 Now Available
Although not a major release, Plasma 6.3.4 does fix some bugs and offer a subtle change for the Plasma sidebar.
-
Linux Kernel 6.15 First Release Candidate Now Available
Linux Torvalds has announced that the release candidate for the final release of the Linux 6.15 series is now available.
-
Akamai Will Host kernel.org
The organization dedicated to cloud-based solutions has agreed to host kernel.org to deliver long-term stability for the development team.