wireshark packet capture for phones on wifi

If the device sends a probe request directed to a particular access point then the access point replies back to that particular device itself (in this case it is called probe response). In the case of device sending probe request to everyone (broadcast) all the access points who received the probe request frame will reply back with their beacons. This could either be a direct request to the particular access point or to everyone. The device (aka station) which does a scan to get the list of available nearby access points is actually sending a probe request frame. As the name suggests the management frames are the ones which are used to manage the network. Pls note most of the latest A.P provide an option to turn off the beacon frames for security reasons.Īt the top-level there are three types of frames in 802.11, the management frames, control frames and data frames.

There is a whole lot of information hidden in this frame which is a sub-type of management frame. It helps the end-user to knows its the availability and the services the access point can provide. These beacons are important in infrastructure BSS. It contains all the information about the network which in WiFi terminology is called its own BSS. There is a minimum time interval between two beacon frames which is 102 milli seconds. Beaconsīeacon frame are sent by access point all the time. How does the smart phone or whatever the electronic device which does the scanning to find the access points nearby able to see these things. In office environment, we may see access points with the same name repeated multiple times which helps our smartphones to connect to them when we are moving from one place to other. Access to internet is becoming more and more common (sometimes rudimentary) and it is now impossible to imagine that when we turn on the WiFi in our smart phones we see at least a few access point names in the list.

Even though we have access to mobile internet (like 4G or 3G) we still look out for these things. Whenever we go outside to hangout with our friends or family either to restaurants or to any place checking for the available free WiFI access points is one the first thing which we do nowadays.

Wireshark packet capture for phones on wifi