WiFi Scanner for Mac OS X v2.3

WiFi Scanner is the most feature rich and complete WiFi scanning app on the app store and is a great tool for personal use and for IT professionals. All features available on 10.6 and later (Snow Leopard, Lion, Mountain Lion, and Mavericks)

WiFi Scanner is an 802.11 / WiFi wireless scanner and connection manager for 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac networks. WiFi Scanner is an easy to use tool for designing, verifying, and troubleshooting WiFi coverage. The tool provides information such signal strength, noise, manufacturer name based on MAC address prefix of device (OUI), and AP channel assignments for WiFi access points.

An update to WiFi Scanner for Mac OS X was released on January 28th.

Scan, View, & Compare

WiFi Scanner scans for surrounding networks and supplies vital WiFi information needed for troubleshooting purposes.

Filtering & Quick Join

Filtering options narrow the results in a high-occupancy area. Join the best network in the area.

Visualize Conflicts

2.4 GHz and 5 GHz channel graphs allow you to see overlapping and overbearing signal interferences, which affect network performance. The Signal Rank graph shows how your network compares to others, as well as which Access Point on your network has the strongest signal.

Export Info & HTML Files

Exporting the results into CSV files is easier than ever, with options to export specific or all scans. This makes data logging quick and simple.

HTML reports layout the selected information into an easy to read format for any browser. Reports have the option of coming with the troubleshooting graphs as well, giving a visual guide to the tabled information.

For more info please check out check out WiFiScanner.com

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Verizon Knows Your WiFi SSID and Key

I logged into “My Verizon” online billing and account manager and noticed that Verizon knows my WiFi SSID and wireless key / password. See below for a screen shot of “My Services” section. If I click on “Unhide” is shows my wireless key in clear text.

I have Verizon FiOS and use an “Actiontec M1424WR“, an 802.11n 2.4 GHz only wireless router provided by Verizon that also connects to the FiOS fiber termination box in my house via coax.

I always assumed that Verizon had some level of remote management capability for this device (firmware updates, remote reboot, etc) but didn’t think they had this level of information about my configuration.

Some cool things they could do for customers with this type of access/information.

1) Ship out replacement hardware with the preconfigured wireless SSID and key.
2) Help customer configure new devices with correct WiFi info.
3) Automatically configure other Verizon equipment (cell phones, set top boxes, alarm equipment, home automation devices) with wifi settings for customers.

Or even cooler ideas….

1) Allow Verizon customers to share each others WiFi through WiFi agreements and technology like Hotspot 2.0.
2) Give Verizon technicians Internet access whenever they are in Verizon serviced area.
3) Provide WiFi access to business partners (UPS, Fedex, Postal Service) that need data services while at/near home.

The Verizon FiOS iOS app also pulls router SSID and password and based on change log for app it was added on January 1, 2014 to version 3.5.4 of app.

I don’t remember agreeing to share this information with Verizon or allowing them to store this information. I’m also not sure what category this information falls under. Is it my private information or is it business information that can be stored/shared by the service provider (like call records)?

One guaranteed way to opt-out of this information sharing is to disable the WiFi on my Verizon provided wireless router and use my two other access points exclusively.

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Android 11ac WiFi Tablets

Did a quick search for WiFi 11ac tablets on WIFi Alliance website and found following results.

1) Searching for any device in category “Tablet (Wi-Fi only)” for 11ac tablets results in zero tablets that have been certified.

2) Searching for “Tablet (Wi-Fi and other)” results in 13 tablets. Other in this case is 3G/LTE etc.

3) In comparison, if you are looking for a WiFi Alliance certified smartphone with 11ac you have 143 devices to choose from.

Not sure why “WiFi only” 11ac Android tablets have not been released yet. If you know of any that exist that are not WiFi Alliance certified but made by well known manufacturers let me know at @WLANBook.

Below are product links to 11ac Android tablets.

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Roku Direct WiFi SSID

Roku is a stream video player similar to Apple TV. Roku offers four models named Roku LT, Roku 1, Roku 2, Roku 3. The Roku 3 remote comes with a with headphone jack for private listening. The remote is different than previous models and uses WiFi to communicate with the Roku box.

After powering up a Roku box an SSID will be broadcasted with network name in the format “DIRECT-roku-XXX”. The XXX is the last three digits of the Roku box’s serial number. Below are details for SSID from WiFi Scanner for Mac OS app.

If Roku device is powered off the SSID disappears confirming that signal is from Roku box and not remote. The device I have powered on to channel with SSID on channel 165 but then switch to same channel that is was on before being powered off.

Some interesting info about DIRECT Roku SSID.

1) This is not a normal WiFi network. You won’t be able to connect to it for Internet access. It is only for the Roku remote and is uses a WiFi technology called “WiFi Direct”.

2) You can’t turn this WiFi network off or change any settings like network name, channel, or security.

3) 2 spatial stream 5 GHz radio for WiFi Direct feature..very nice in such a low cost device.

4) It has Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) enabled. Looks like Roku uses WPS with push button configuration (PBC) for pairing remote with Roku 3 box.

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Still No WiFi Scanner Apps For iOS / iPhone / iPad

It is 2014 and Apple still doesn’t allow wifi scanning apps on the App Store that provide RSSI or channel information for access points.

I get several emails a week asking if there exists a WiFi Scanner app for iOS / iPhone / iPad similar to WiFi Scanner app for Mac OS. My usual reply is “No wiFi scanning apps exists on app store” and I include a link to my 2010 blog post explaining that Apple banned all WiFi Scanner apps for using non published API / “private framework” to scan for WiFi networks.

Most people reply back asking what options they have for getting RSSI info on iOS and my usual answer is below.

1) Jailbreak / root iPhone and use an app from other app store markets
2) Develop/build own app to collect RSSI and Channel information on iOS
3) Switch to Android

In 2012, we found a way to report on RSSI and channel if by using how iOS logs the WiFi association process in our WiFiMedic app. This lasted for a few months until Apple asked us to remove the app from the app store and then they removed the info we used to report RSSI and channel info from iOS 6.

The WiFiMedic app was updated to comply with Apple’s request and no longer reports RSSI and channel info but is focused on speed testing and diagnostics (ping test, trace route, connection status).

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Sniff and View WiFi Pcap Packet Captures on iPads using iPcap

Just found out about a new iOS app called iPcap that can open pcap files on iPads. The cool feature of this app is that it can be paired with a “capture device” via WiFi for live captures. The capture device currently looks like a customized Raspberry Pi with two USB adapters. One of the USB adapters broadcasts the pairing SSID and the other USB adapter is for captures.

For $149 $124 you will get below (discount for first 200 buyers).

1. iPcap hardware for Wi-Fi packet capture
2. 8GB SD card (1 unit)
3. Wi-Fi USB adaptors (2 units) – One for packet capture, other for iPad
4. Micro USB cable for powering
5. iPcap – Aginova App not included; App can be purchased from App Store ($2)

I hope to get my hands on the hardware soon so that I can give it a full review.

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Enterprise WLAN Market Share Q2 2013

Below are top five WLAN vendors based on revenue market share in Q213.

1. Cisco – 53.7%
2. Aruba Networks – 11%
3. HP – 6.0%
4. Ruckus Wireless – 5.5%
5. Motorola Solutions – 3.5%

[source]

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Twitter IDs CCIE Wireless

I wanted to follow more WLAN professionals on Twitter and decided best place to start was with engineers with expert level certifications.

Many of these experts are very active on Twitter and are willing to share their knowledge and time to help others reach the CCIE Wireless rank. I recommend using Twitter to start following these professionals. It is a low cost way to be part of the worldwide WLAN ecosystem.

Below are CCIE Wireless with Twitter IDs. Send me a Tweet @WLANBook if you want to be added to list or if I have incorrect info listed.

CCIE Wireless Twitter IDs (updated: 10/6/2013)

CCIE #7764 – @LeeWaskevich, Lee Waskevich
CCIE #20652 – @RalphOlsen, Ralph Olsen
CCIE #24750 – @wirelessccie, Jerome Henry
CCIE #26024 – @netboyers, Jason Boyers
CCIE #28054 – @stefangerer, Stefan Angerer
CCIE #28298 – @revolutionwifi, Andrew vonNagy
CCIE #31229 – @blakekrone, Blake Krone
CCIE #32380 – @weterry, Wesley Terry
CCIE #40629 – @samuel_clements, Sam Clements

CCIE Wireless Count

Not sure where official count is listed but found graphic below from a 2013 Cisco Live presentation that has count at 64! Count in 2012 was 93 and 2011 was 42.

Also found 15 year CCIE count that shows other CCIE certs trending up but CCIE wireless is trending down.

Twitter IDs Other of WiFi/WLAN Experts

Twitter IDs of CWNP Certified Wireless Network Expert CWNE

Twitter IDs of Aruba Networks Experts (ACMX, ACDX)

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Twitter IDs of CWNP Certified Wireless Network Expert #CWNE

I wanted to follow more WLAN professionals on Twitter and decided best place to start was with engineers with expert level certifications.

Many of these experts are very active on Twitter and are willing to share their knowledge and time to help others reach the CWNE rank. I recommend using Twitter to start following these professionals. It is a low cost way to be part of the worldwide WLAN ecosystem.

CWNE Twitter IDs

CWNE # 01 – @DevinAkin, Devin Akin
CWNE # 02 – @kimberlyAgraves, Kimberly Graves
CWNE # 03 – @KeithRParsons, Keith R Parsons
CWNE # 04 – @mistermultipath, David Coleman
CWNE # 05 –
CWNE # 06 – @joelbarrett, Joel Barrett
CWNE # 07 – David Westcott
CWNE # 08 –
CWNE # 09 –
CWNE # 10 – Rick Murphy
….
CWNE # 12 – @Ben_SniffWiFi, Ben Miller
….
CWNE # 17 – @wifichef, Reggie Pugh
….
CWNE # 21 – @GTHill, GT Hill
….
CWNE # 23 – @MetkaDragos, Metka Dragos
….
CWNE # 33 – Peter Mackenzie
….
CWNE # 44 – @80211University, Bryan Harkins
CWNE # 45 – @wirelessccie, Jerome Henry
….
CWNE # 51 – @JenniferLucille, Jennifer Huber
….
CWNE # 54 – Shawn Jackman
….
CWNE # 78 – @marcusburton, Marcus Burton
….
CWNE # 84 – @revolutionwifi, Andrew vonNagy
….
CWNE # 86 – @PPJM, PPJM Engelen
….
CWNE # 89 – @wifisamuri, Jon Linton
….
CWNE # 90 – @troymart, Troy Martin
….
CWNE # 94 – @tdennehy, Timothy Dennehy
….
CWNE # 96 – @GregorVucajnk, Gregor Vucajnk
….
CWNE # 98 – @travis_schlafkek, Travis Schlafke
….
CWNE # 101 – @samuel_clements, Samuel Clements
….
CWNE # 103 – @Srynearson, Sean Rynearson
….
CWNE # 113 – @MacdonaldWiTS, Neil Mac
….
CWNE # 117 – @Cinergywifi, Jared Griffith
….
CWNE # 125 – @JasonFernyc, Jason Fernyc

CWNE Count

I started researching the CWNE certification designation and found out that there are under 200 CWNEs Info from CWNP.com below.

The CWNE (Certified Wireless Network Expert®) credential is the final step in the CWNP Program. By successfully completing the CWNE requirements, you will have demonstrated that you have the most advanced skills available in today’s enterprise Wi-Fi market.

The CWNE certification assures that you have mastered all relevant skills to administer, install, configure, troubleshoot, and design wireless network systems. Protocol analysis, intrusion detection and prevention, performance and QoS analysis, spectrum analysis and management, and advanced design are some of the areas of expertise you will need to know.

CWNE Count (updated: 10/6/2013): 127 (source)

Twitter IDs Other of WiFi/WLAN Experts

Twitter IDs of Cisco Systems CCIE (Wireless) Experts

Twitter IDs of Aruba Networks Experts (ACMX, ACDX)

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Aruba ACMX and ACDX Twitter IDs

I wanted to follow more WLAN professionals on Twitter and decided best place to start was with engineers with expert level certifications.

Many of these experts are very active on Twitter and are willing to share their knowledge and time to help others. I recommend using Twitter to start following these professionals. It is a low cost way to be part of the worldwide WLAN ecosystem.

Below are ACMX / ACDX Twitter IDs. Send me a Tweet @WLANBook if you want to be added to list or if I have incorrect info listed.

Aruba ACMX and ACDX Twitter IDs

ACMX # 1, ACDX # 1 – @ryan_holland, Ryan Holland
….
ACMX # 9 – @wifikiwi, Chris Lyttle
….
ACMX # 10, ACDX # 10 – @kimberlyAgraves, Kimberly Graves
….
ACMX # 131, ACDX # 131 – @jgwifi, Joshua Gardiner
….
ACDX #216 – @Whereisjrw, James Whitehead

ACMX and/or ACDX Count (updated: 10/8/2013)

ACDX over 200
ACMX estimated to be over 150

Twitter IDs Other of WiFi/WLAN Experts

Twitter IDs of Cisco Systems CCIE (Wireless) Experts

Twitter IDs of CWNP Certified Wireless Network Expert CWNE

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