Performing recon on wireless networks

As you saw in the previous sections, information gathering is crucial and can provide you with a lot of tangible information. The same holds for information gathering on wireless networks. When you perform information gathering on a wireless network, it does not necessarily mean that you should already have access to that network. By making use of a compatible wireless network adapter, you will be able to capture wireless network packets that you can use later to perform actions such as cracking the authentication key and more.

Note

You will need to use a wireless network adapter that supports packet injection. The Alfa range of network adapters is an excellent choice. There are online resources that show the various wireless adaptors that support packet injection. Here’s an example: https://deviwiki.com/wiki/List_of_Wireless_Adapters_That_Support_Monitor_Mode_and_Packet_Injection.

Let’s focus on using the Aircrack-NG tool...