Hostap and promiscuous mode

[Joe Parks]

On Wed, 2 Nov 2005 17:35:51 +0100
gabriele cicala <gabcicala at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi all.
> I've searched in the mailing list and also on the net if it is possible to
> use the hostap driver in promiscuous mode while I'm connected to a wireless
> LAN. I mean while an active link is enabled between me and another host in a
> WLAN I would sniff other traffic that is not sent to me (using Ethereal, of
> course).

Promiscuous mode doesn't produce quite the same results with wireless cards as it does with Ethernet cards.   You *can* put hostap driver into promiscuous mode, but it still won't show you any traffic not sent with your card as the intended receiver (so not much use for the purpose you mention)

But there is a way to sniff other traffic.   You can put the card into MONITOR mode.   This allows you to sniff other wireless traffic.  However it prevents you from using the card in a *normal* way.   You can no longer transmit (well at least not reliably) or associate to or act as an Access Point.