Newbie wants to look at other people's packets (promiscuous mode fails to capture packets)

I want to start looking at other people' packets.
But I must be doing something wrong.
Don't I need to be in promiscuous mode to capture "someone elses packets"?

Following advise read here, I installed netstumbler & wireshark on windows
in my first attempt to capture encrypted packets from the safety and
comfort of my home.

Even though I KNOW there are wireless access points all around me, I can't
seem to capture anything in promiscuous mode. Please see my netstumbler
screenshot I just placed at
http://img292.imageshack.us/my.php?i...rumbleros0.gif which should be
pretty normal when it comes to local area access points - so there MUST be
some traffic that I can capture.

My question is why doesn't being in promiscuous mode capture any packets
from my home? When I'm not in promiscuous mode, aren't I only getting my
own packets (which isn't the point).

Can you advise me as to what step I'm missing so as to "see" other people's
packets? It can't be that my neigborhood is that dead, wirelessly, can it?

"George D." <(E-Mail Removed)> hath wroth:

>I want to start looking at other people' packets.

Nosey.

>But I must be doing something wrong.
>Don't I need to be in promiscuous mode to capture "someone elses packets"?

Yes. It's also known as "monitor mode".

>Following advise read here, I installed netstumbler & wireshark on windows
>in my first attempt to capture encrypted packets from the safety and
>comfort of my home.

Yep. If wireshark doesn't see everyone elses packets, you don't have
a promiscuous mode driver installed. Did you notice AirPcap?
<http://www.cacetech.com/products/airpcap.htm>
If you search alt.internet.wireless for "promiscuous mode", you'll
find some clues on other ways to get it. For example, the WildPackets
driver will work:
<http://www.wildpackets.com/support/omni/omnipeek_personal/wireless>
As always, the promiscuous mode drivers are hardware specific.

>Even though I KNOW there are wireless access points all around me, I can't
>seem to capture anything in promiscuous mode. Please see my netstumbler
>screenshot I just placed at
>http://img292.imageshack.us/my.php?i...rumbleros0.gif which should be
>pretty normal when it comes to local area access points - so there MUST be
>some traffic that I can capture.

I like the SSID of "Virus (infected)". Clever. Yeah, any place that
crowded is going to see some traffic.

>My question is why doesn't being in promiscuous mode capture any packets
>from my home? When I'm not in promiscuous mode, aren't I only getting my
>own packets (which isn't the point).

See the WireShark Wiki and FAQ on wireless capture:
<http://wiki.wireshark.org/CaptureSetup/WLAN>
<http://www.wireshark.org/faq.html#q10.1>

>Can you advise me as to what step I'm missing so as to "see" other people's
>packets? It can't be that my neigborhood is that dead, wirelessly, can it?

No, I can't. No clue what you're using for hardware. It's a driver
issue and the various replacement drivers are very hardware specific.

--
Jeff Liebermann (E-Mail Removed)
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558