I remember hearing of a program not too long ago, and I think I heard about it on here, that will scan the wireless frequencies around you so you can see what the channel with the least interference is. Does anybody know what program I'm thinking of?

11/4/2006 3:10:59 PM

i assume you mean netstumbler

http://www.netstumbler.com/

11/4/2006 3:22:47 PM

netstumbler does active scanning of wireless networks

it does not take into account wireless networks who do not broadcast their SSID

11/4/2006 4:43:29 PM

^ know of a freeware program that does?

11/4/2006 4:45:12 PM

kismet does passive scanning, which will find "hidden SSIDs" but only when a client goes to associate

i would leave kismet up for a bit, check the networks you see and their channels to find one that is not being used

also note the following property with wifi "channels":

Quote :

" Properly Set Access Point Channels. The 802.11b standard defines 14 channels (11 in the U.S.) that overlap considerably, leaving only three channels that don't overlap with each other. For access points that are within range of each other, set them to different channels (e.g., 1, 6, and 11) in order to avoid inter-access point interference. You can also take advantage of the automatic channel selection features that some access points offer. I often see companies setting their access points all to the same channel. The problem with this is that sometimes roaming will not work as users move about the facility, and the transmission of a single access point blocks all others that are within range. As a result, performance degrades significantly. With 802.11a, this is not an issue because the 802.11a standard defines separate, non-overlapping channels. "

[Edited on November 4, 2006 at 7:00 PM. Reason : authenticate replaced with associate]

11/4/2006 7:00:22 PM