Wireless Network Monitor – The Promiscuous Mode
The Promiscuous mode is a specific
receive mode for network-technology devices such as wireless network
cards. It is normally used for packet sniffing and bridged network
for hardware virtualization. The frames include the MAC (Media Access
Control) address of the hardware.
In this mode the device
submits all incoming traffic to the network interface and transmits
the data for processing to the operating system. Devices that use
this mode can be combinations of switches and routers, network tester
or even a normal computer with a connection to a network.
For
Wireless LANs in promiscuous mode it will only forward the packets of
the network (access points) to which the client is currently
connected. The Promiscuous Mode is unsuitable to receive packages
from a network which you do not own because you need to authenticate
yourself with the network.
The opposite of this mode is the
non-promiscuous mode. In this mode the unit handles only the packets
addressed to it and this happens for example in Ethernet networks,
the evaluation of the MAC address plus broadcast packets.
Another method of usage is to detect
network connectivity issues. Some programs use this feature to show
everything that is transferred by the network and some of them can
transfer passwords and data in clear text. So a normal user should
stay away of this mode to prevent that someone else could steal this
data while the transferring process.
As you can see the Promiscuous Mode
should only be used by advanced users to avoid any damage to your
system or to open the door for hackers. But when you know what you
are doing this mode is quite powerful and you can repair your network
without any problem.
Of course not every wireless card
drivers support this mode because of it's not a secure mode. If you
need this mode you should watch out for another driver that supports
the Promiscuous Mode. You can contact your device's manufacturer and
ask for a new driver.
If you'd like to read more about the technology behind a Wireless Monitor follow the link.
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