WiFi monitoring tool

[watercooled]

A while back I used a WiFi monitor tool and I've just gone to download it again but I can't remember what it's called. I remember it had graphs showing things like SNR, signal strength etc. Does anyone know what it might have been? If you could name a few, I'll probably recognise it.
Thanks

[synaesthesia]

Netstumbler at a guess, or Wireshark maybe.

[watercooled]

Ahh netstumbler that's the one. Thanks

[malfunction]

Anyone know if netstumbler is still the tool of choice? I'm getting intermittent 'black outs' and 'grey outs' with my wifi signal and I'm wondering if something's clashing. I'd really like to borrow a Wi-Spy but that's probably not going to happen...

Edit: I'm running XP so the fact that netstumbler doesn't support vista isn't an issue, I just want to know which tool is best for detecting other networks so I can choose an appropriate channel for mine (my default drivers / the windows tool can't detect hidden APs AFAIK, hence the desire to use something else)

Edit2: Oooh, me like:

[Singh400]

@malfunction: That does look very nice. I shall try that when I get home. Cheers!

[watercooled]

Yeah me too. Thanks!

[kedengkedeng]

Is there a way (software) to physically locate the source of a WiFi signal? I assume triangulation is required? Or trial/error, randomly moving my laptop and guessing?

[watercooled]

Not that I know of, just use one of the above tools (I think netstumbler is more suited to this application) on a laptop and move it around. Even if there were a tool, some sort of directional antenna or triangulation would be required.

[oldboy47]

Is that at netstumbler dot com?

[CaptainCrash]

Is there a way (software) to physically locate the source of a WiFi signal? I assume triangulation is required? Or trial/error, randomly moving my laptop and guessing?

If you have a GPS phone, you could give Vistumbler a shot.

edit: had another look, not sure if it will do what you want...

[watercooled]

Is that at netstumbler dot com?

Yes, or http://www.stumbler.net/
I checked the checksum of the file from both sites and they are the same

[graystreet]

Personally I prefer Inssider.

[da.Guvna]

Is there a way (software) to physically locate the source of a WiFi signal? I assume triangulation is required? Or trial/error, randomly moving my laptop and guessing?

I did a course on some software called AirMagnet a couple of years back that does what you want.

http://www.airmagnet.com/products/survey/

It's still a bit trial-and-error. You basically import a floor-plan of your building, mark where you're currently standing on the floor-plan and click 'begin survey'.
Then you walk around your building, click your new location every 20ft-or-so on the floor-plan until you've done a complete lap of your building.
For each click, it surveys the wifi spectrum for signals, their strengths, their SSIDs, the channel they're on, etc. and plots them like a heat map on the floor-plan.

It's really designed to be used to detect black-spots and security holes in your own wifi network, but you could use it to lock on to a specific SSID and generate a 'heat-map' for that signal, which would show you roughly where it is physically.
It'll detect hidden networks as well.

You've got 2 obstacles though.

1.) You can download a trial, but I'm not sure how limited it is. The full version is pretty expensive.
2.) At the time I took the course, it only supported a small number of wireless adaptors...basically, only adaptors that had a specific chipset would work with it. Can't remember what it was now, but it'll be in the sys requirements somewhere.
You also need to install some special AirMagnet drivers to unlock the hidden secret-spooky features of said chipset.

Check it out and see what you think! It was fun to play with on the course!