CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION TO 802.11 HACKING

Welcome to Hacking Exposed Wireless. This first chapter is designed to give you a brief introduction to 802.11 and help you choose the right 802.11 gear for the job. By the end of the chapter, you should have a basic understanding of how 802.11 networks operate, as well as answers to common questions, including what sort of card, GPS, and antenna to buy. You will also understand how wireless discovery tools such as Kismet work.

802.11 in a Nutshell

The 802.11 standard defines a link-layer wireless protocol and is managed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Many people think of Wi-Fi when they hear 802.11, but they are not quite the same thing. Wi-Fi is a subset of the ...

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