Open Wireshark (and if you're a Mac user running 64-bit Windows in Bootcamp or as a Virtual machine, you'll have to Run as Administrator). Procure (see, I can use corporatey talk sometimes too) a USB adapter that allows monitor mode capture in Acrylic (I use the Netgear A6200, and if you use that link then you'll be supporting this blog by giving me a kickback from Amazon).ģ. If you download Acrylic v2, then you can't).Ģ. Download and install Acrylic WiFi Free, including Monitor Mode support (and, actually, if you can find an old download of Acrylic v1, then you'll be able to save captured frames in a *.pcap file, just like you can in Mac OS X Wireless Diagnostics.

It's not quite as simple and it's not totally free, but it works (pretty much).ġ. Now, we can do similar things in Windows. Head down to the bottom of this post for a reminder. it works! It sniffs WiFi frames (sort of) and it does it for free (outside of the cost of an ordinary 802.11 USB adapter)! This changes everything (kind of)!įor years, the method for free WiFi sniffing on a Mac has been simple. I briefly checked out the app and dismissed it as yet another Discovery utility disguised as a something more. We support the latest 802.11ac standards with bandwidths of 20,40,80 and 160MHz in 2.4 and 5GHZ. In the comments section (perhaps the only worse thing for a blogger to say), someone mentioned a free, Windows-based application called Acrylic WiFi. Nine months ago (bad way to start a blog post, I know) I wrote a blog about the future of WiFi sniffing.

Acrylic wifi sniffer download