Installation guide
Wireless Guide 99
10
Advanced Features for
Wireless Analysis
Overview
This chapter describes advanced features wireless analysis with the Sniffer
software. Advanced features are a combination of standard Sniffer software
features — network monitoring, capturing, decoding, and filtering, as well as
features specifically for wireless LANs:
The Dashboard includes counters for many different wireless LAN
frame types, as well as a Throughput gauge measuring the bit rate of
data packets. See Dashboard Counters for Wireless Networks on page
101.
The Monitor’s Host Table includes an 802.11 tab with entries for all
detected wireless stations. Each station is listed with several wireless
LAN-specific counters. See Host Table Counters for Wireless Networks
on page 114.
The Monitor’s Global Statistics application includes a Channel Surfing
tab with statistics for each channel in the wireless LAN. See Global
Statistics Counters for Wireless Networks on page 118.
The Matrix, Host Table, and Protocol Distribution post-analysis tabs
in the Display window each include 802.11 views, allowing you to focus
specifically on 802.11 statistics for wireless stations. See Post-Analysis
Views for Wireless Networks on page 121.
The Statistics post-analysis tab in the Display window includes many
wireless-specific statistics. See Post-Analysis Views for Wireless
Networks on page 121.
The Define Filter dialog box’s Advanced tab includes wireless LAN
packet types on which you can filter (for example, PLCP Errors). See
Define Filter Options for Wireless Networks on page 130.
The Decode display can completely decode 802.11 traffic. In addition,
the Sniffer software can perform WEP decryption either during capture
or after capture if the correct WEP keys are specified. See Protocol
Decodes for Wireless Networks on page 133.