Tutorial: Is My Wireless Card

Compatible?
Version: 1.06 December 31, 2008
By: darkAudax
Introduction
A common question tat !eo!"e ask is #$ a%e mode" AB& 'ire"ess card, is it com!atib"e
'it Aircrack(n)*+ or #,at card sou"d $ buy*+ or #&an my card do in-ection*+ and so
on. .is tutoria" address tese questions.
/irst o00, ans'erin) tese questions in%o"%es some 'ork on your !art. $t is not as easy as
!ostin) te question on te /orum and 'aitin) 0or an ans'er. $0 you do not do your
ome'ork 0irst, no e"! 'i"" be !ro%ided. 1n te oter and, i0 you in 0act do your
ome'ork !ro!er"y, !eo!"e 'i"" make e%ery e00ort to e"! you.
$0 you are !"annin) to !urcase a card ten te easiest metod is to !ick a card 0rom te "ist
o0 su!!orted cards. $0 you are considerin) !urcasin) a !articu"ar ten you can use tis
tutoria" to determine i0 it 'i"" 'ork 'it aircrack(n).
Anoter !oint $ 'ant to make is tat tere are many, many com!atib"e cards out tere tat
are not "isted in te su!!orted cards section. 2"ease, !"ease take te time to !ost to te
/orum 'en you are success0u" 'it a !articu"ar card. .is is te on"y 'ay 'e can ex!and
te "ist o0 su!!orted cards. ,en you !ost, !"ease !ro%ide te manu0acturer, mode", card
re%ision i0 a!!"icab"e, ci!set and 'at dri%ers you used.
3o', on to te matter at and. 4ere are te ste!s 'e 'i"" be 0o""o'in):
1. Determine your requirements and constraints
2. 5earn te basics o0 a 'ire"ess card
3. Determine te ci!set
6. Veri0y te ci!set ca!abi"ities
7. Determine te dri%ers and !atces required
6. 8e"ect a card
Determine your requirements and constraints
/irst decide i0 you sim!"y 'ant to "isten to 'ire"ess net'ork tra00ic or to bot "isten to and
in-ect !ackets. $t is im!ortant to rea"i9e tat at tis !oint in time, ,indo's can on"y be used
0or "istenin) to net'ork tra00ic. ,indo's cannot in-ect data !ackets. .is is a 0undamenta"
"imitation. As 'e"", tere are 0ar 0e'er cards com!atib"e 'it ,indo's.
De!endin) on te card:ci!set, 5inux )i%es you te abi"ity to bot "isten to and in-ect
!ackets.
8o at tis !oint you need to a%e decided:
,ic o!eratin) system you !"an to use
;our !re0ered ard'are 0ormat <2&$, 2&=&$A, >8B, etc.?
,ic 0eatures you require <"istenin), in-ection?
.ese 'i"" be constraints "ater on in tis tutoria".
Learn the basics of a wireless card
.ere are t'o manu0acturers in%o"%ed 'it 'ire"ess cards. .e 0irst is te brand o0 te card
itse"0. @xam!"es o0 card manu0acturers are 3et)ear, >biquiti , 5inksys and D(5ink. .ere
are many, many manu0acturers beyond te exam!"es )i%e ere.
.e second manu0acturer is 'o makes te 'ire"ess ci!set 'itin te card. .is is te
most im!ortant com!any to kno'. >n0ortunate"y, it is sometimes te ardest to determine.
.is is because card manu0acturers )enera""y donAt 'ant to re%ea" 'at tey use inside teir
card. 4o'e%er, 0or our !ur!oses, it is critica" to kno' te 'ire"ess ci!set manu0acturer.
Bno'in) te 'ire"ess ci!set manu0acturer a""o's you to determine 'ic o!eratin)
systems are su!!ort, so0t'are dri%ers you need and 'at "imitations are associated 'it
tem.
$t is a %ery im!ortant to rea"i9e tat te di00erence bet'een te t'o manu0acturers. Cust
kno'in) te card manu0acturer and mode" does not a""o' you to !roceed. ,at you rea""y
need to kno' is te ci!set. .e next ste! !ro%ides in0ormation about o' to determine te
ci!set in your card or te card you are !"annin) to !urcase.
Determine the chipset
1k, tis is te rea""y ard !art. $ 'i"" te"" you u! 0ront tat you need to do your researc 'e""
in tis ste! to be success0u". 1n te oter and, i0 you are "ucky, your card is a"ready "isted
in te su!!orted card section and tis )i%es you a"" te in0ormation required.
$0 tis is not te case, ten you 0irst need to determine 'at 'ire"ess ci!set your card uses.
.is can be done by one or more o0 tese tecniques:
8earc te internet 0or +Dyour card mode"E ci!set+ or +Dyour card mode"E "inux+.
Fuite o0ten you can 0ind re0erences to 'at ci!set your card uses and:or oter
!eo!"eGs ex!eriences. .is is by 0ar te easiest and most success0u" 'ay o0
determin) te ci!set. Be sure to ceck a number o0 searc entries to ensure tey
are consistent.
8earc te /orum
;ou may a"so a%e a "ook at 'indo's dri%er 0i"e names, itGs o0ten te name o0 te
ci!set or te dri%er to use.
&eck te card manu0acturers !a)e. 8ometimes tey say 'at ci!set tey use.
1n some cards suc as 2&$, you can !ysica""y see te 'ire"ess ci!. 5ook 0or te
brand suc as Ateros, .exas $nstruments, etc. .e ci!set number can a"so quite
o0ten be obser%ed.
A"" 'ire"ess de%ices so"d in te >nited 8tates must be /edera" &ommunications
&ommission </&&? a!!ro%ed. .ese same de%ices are ty!ica""y so"d around te
'or"d. @ac de%ice must a%e a /&& identi0ication number <$D? on te board itse"0.
$0 you a%e tis $D ten you can use te /&& $D 8earc to "ooku! detai"ed
in0ormation on te de%ice. $t 'i"" )i%e you te manu0acturer, mode" and usua""y te
ci!set. .e @qui!ment Autori9ation in0ormation !a)e !ro%ides )enera"
in0ormation.
4ere are some oter resources to assist you in determine 'at ci!set you a%e:
=ad'i0i com!atibi"ity "ist
,ire"ess Ada!ter &i!set Directory near"y te best resource 0or tis kind o0
in0ormation
Ateros ci!sets based 'ire"ess 802.11a:b:) de%ices on"y Ateros(based cards
,5A3 Ada!ter &i!set Directory not u!(to(date but sti"" %ery use0u"
Ateros &ommunications .ota" 802.11 2roduct 8earc
4ard'are &om!arison 'it a "ot o0 detai"s.
1%er%ie' and detai"s about 'ire"ess ada!ters
>8B 2roduct $D "ooku! /or >8B de%ices, obtain te de%ice id %ia te "inux "susb
command and ten "ook it u! %ia te !roduct id. .is is te 0irst a"0 o0 te de%ice id
be0ore te co"on. @.). 0bda:818H. >se #0bda+ ten matc te #818H+ to entries
0ound.
&ard manu0acturers add to te con0usion by kee!in) te same card mode" number yet
can)in) te ci!set inside tem. .is is 'ere you 'i"" ear te term #card re%ision+ or
#card %ersion+. D(5ink seems to do tis a "ot. 8o 0irst determine i0 tis a!!"ies to your card.
.e %ersion is ty!ica""y 0ound stam!ed on te card and "ocated near te seria" number or
=A& addess. 8ee tis D(5ink !a)e 0or an exam!"e o0 te same card 'it di00erent
re%isions.
8o 'en you are determinin) te ci!set 0or your card, make sure to inc"ude te
re%ision:%ersion 'en doin) a searc. /or exam!"e, searc 0or #D,5(I670 &1 ci!set+
and not -ust #D,5(I670+. .e re%ision:%ersion is extreme"y im!ortant.
$0 you are runnin) "inux, tere are a %ariety o0 metods to obtain card in0ormation and
!ossib"y determine te ci!set. 4ere are some metods:
.e #dmes)+ command can quite o0ten contain detai"ed messa)es indicatin) 'at
card 'as detected and te ci!set.
$0 te card is an $8A card, you are usua""y out o0 "uck.
$0 te card is a 2&$ card, you need to use te command #"s!ci (nn+ to dis!"ay te
card identi0ication strin)s. $n some cases, suc as on cards 'it Broadcom ci!sets,
tis a"one can re%ea" te ci!set. .e +(nn+ sou"d cause te 2&$ $D to be dis!"ayed.
An exam!"e o0 'at a 2&$ $D "ooks "ike is #168c:0013+ 0or an Ateros ci!set card.
1nce you a%e te 2&$ $D, tere are many $nternet sites to do "ooku!s. 8ome sites
are tt!:::!ciids.source0or)e.net: or tt!:::'''.!cidatabase.com:. ;ou can 0ind
oter "ooku! sites by searc 0or #2&$ $D+.
$0 te ard'are is a >8B don)"e, you need to use te command #"susb+ to dis!"ay
te don)"e identi0ication strin)s. $n some case, #"susb+ doesnGt 'ork <0or exam!"e i0
usb0s is not mounted?, and you can )et te identi0ication strin)s 0rom te kerne" "o)
usin) #dmes)+ <or in :%ar:"o):messa)es?.
$0 te card is a &ardbus card <32 bits 2cmcia?, and i0 you are usin) a re"ati%e"y ne'
kerne" <2.6.J or abo%e? 'it te kerne" 2cmcia subsystem, you need to use te
command #"s!ci (nn+ to dis!"ay te card identi0ication strin)s. $0 te card is a
&ardbus card <32 bits 2cmcia?, and i0 you are usin) an o"der kerne" 'it te
standa"one 2cmcia subsystem, you need to use te command #cardct" ident+ dis!"ay
te card identi0ication strin)s. .ry bot and see 'at comes out.
$0 te card is a true 2cmcia card <16 bits?, and i0 you are usin) kerne" 2.6.16 or "ater,
you need to use te command #!ccardct" ident+ to dis!"ay te card identi0ication
strin)s. $0 te card is a true 2cmcia card <16 bits?, and i0 you are usin) an o"der
kerne", you need to use te command #cardct" ident+ dis!"ay te card identi0ication
strin)s. 3ote tat cardm)r 'i"" a"so 'rite some identi0ication strin)s in te messa)e
"o)s <:%ar:"o):daemon."o)? tat may be di00erent 0rom te rea" card identi0ication
strin)s.
.e #"smod+ command can be used to see te "oaded modu"es. $0 te 'ire"ess card
'as auto(detected ten you can sometimes 'ork back'ards based on te "oaded
modu"es to determine te ci!set.
@%en i0 you are runnin) ,indo's, you can boot 0rom a "i%e distro and use te "inux
tecniques abo%e.
$n a ,indo's en%ironment, try ard'are ana"ysis too"s suc 4,i3/1 to obtain te ci!set
in0ormation.
$0 you are unab"e to determine 'ic ci!set your card as, ten you are out o0 "uck. ;our
o!tions are to !urcase a card 0rom te com!atib"e "ist or to researc and identi0y a card
'ic matces your criteria ten !urcase it.
1nce you kno' te ci!set, ten !roceed to te next ste!.
Verify the chipset capabilities
>sin) te &om!atibi"y 8ection determine 'at 0eatures te ci!set !ro%ides 0or te
!articu"ar o!eratin) system tat you 'i"" be usin).
$0 tis matces your requirements, )reat. $0 not, te consider usin) anoter o!eratin) system
or usin) a di00erent card.
$0 your !rime o!eratin) system is ,indo's, and you "ike te "inux 0eatures, consider usin)
a "i%e "inux distro. .is 'ay you a%e te best o0 bot 'or"ds.
2roceed to te next ste! o0 determinin) te dri%ers and !atces required.
Determine the driers and patches required
>sin) te Dri%ers 8ection you can no' determine te dri%ers required 0or your ci!set and
your o!eratin) system. .e 'eb site as "inks to te so0t'are required.
/or "inux, )enera""y, you need to !atc te dri%ers in order to )et te ad%anced 0eatures suc
as monitor mode and in-ection ca!abi"ity. =ost !atces can be 0ound ere. Kemember you
'i"" need to a%e te kerne" eaders and, in some cases, te kerne" sources on your system
!rior to com!i"in) te dri%ers.
.is tutoria" 'i"" not be !ro%idin) detai"ed instructions on o' to !atc your system.
$0 you donGt a%e te ski""s or ex!erience to !atc your system, consider usin) a "i%e "inux
distro suc as Back.rack 'ic a"ready as a"" te !atced dri%ers.
!elect a card
&on%erse"y, i0 you kno' 'at ci!set !ro%ides te 0eatures you 'ant, you can use te
&om!atib"e card "ist to 0ind a card tat uses tat !articu"ar ci!set.
As 'e"", tis tutoria" 'i"" a%e )i%en you te kno'"ed)e to determine i0 a !articu"ar card
you are considerin) !urcasin) 'i"" !ro%ide you te 0eatures you 'ant.