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It sees my wireless interfaces as “Microsoft”

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It sees my Ethernet interface, but my wireless interfaces are displayed as "Microsoft" and of coarse don't have a properties of a wireless interfaces! I used to capture packets with my Belkin USB wireless adaptor on CommView, because my built-in wi-fi card doesn't support monitor mode, so I know it works. At that moment I had WinPcap 4.1.1. I tryed to roll back WinPcap, but it didn't help!

asked 04 Oct '12, 13:05

Fureous%20George's gravatar image

Fureous George
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accept rate: 0%

edited 04 Oct '12, 14:43


2 Answers:

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First of all, the adapter is just called "Microsoft" because that is the name the driver reported. You can change it at the Prefences -> Capture -> Edit Interfaces -> Comment. Second, if you're capturing on Windows you need AirPCAP adapters to be able to record 802.11 layer information with Wireshark, but I guess you already know that.

answered 04 Oct '12, 13:29

Jasper's gravatar image

Jasper ♦♦
23.8k551284
accept rate: 18%

I didn't know that could u explain it in more detail, please?

(04 Oct '12, 13:37) Fureous George

I'm currently logged on in Mc'Donalds on my built-in card, and one of these interfaces is capturing packets - I don't know if it's the one connected, because I know that u can't be connected if u in a monitor mode, and it must be in a active mode! I want to use my built-in card to connect, and my Belkin to capture!

(04 Oct '12, 13:47) Fureous George

I disconnected my Belkin USB and my built-in card is capturing packets in active mode! I want to capture packets with Belkin in monitor mode!

(04 Oct '12, 14:12) Fureous George

Usually - when capturing WiFI - you want to see the radio layer, meaning beacon frames, association requests, signal strength etc. which you can only do on Windows if you use an AirPCAP USB adapter. Of course you can capture on any WiFi card on Windows and see frames but you will not see this radio layer (802.11) unless it is an AirPCAP adapter.

Oh, and Wireshark will most likely not be able to capture on USB network cards on Windows. There are tons of questions here about that topic, for example http://ask.wireshark.org/questions/12791/wireshark-doesnt-detect-usb-datacards

(04 Oct '12, 15:10) Jasper ♦♦

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You'll have to use CommView (which probably provides its own driver for the adapter) or possibly Microsoft Network Monitor, which will use the adapter's own driver but which has a driver that connects to the adapter driver and, unlike the WinPcap driver, does so in a way that, on Windows Vista and later, supports monitor mode if the adapter's driver does (although there are adapters that have drivers that "support" it but with bugs). (Network Monitor doesn't support monitor mode on Windows XP.)

answered 04 Oct '12, 18:42

Guy%20Harris's gravatar image

Guy Harris ♦♦
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accept rate: 19%