The Barnes & Noble Review
WarDriving gets plenty of publicity: mostly breathless TV reports of mobile hackers reading folks’ private emails. (Most WarDrivers aren’t doing that, of course.) WarDriving also has a technical mystique that makes it sound tougher than it is. You do need the right tools, instructions, and advice, though. WarDriving: Drive, Detect, Defend brings all that together in one place.
You’ll build a complete WarDriving toolkit -- hardware and software. Learn which wireless network cards to buy, and which to avoid. (Stay away from 802.11a cards, but also 802.11a/b/g combo cards; the authors will tell you why.) Discover how to choose the right external antenna -- and, yes, the obligatory homemade Pringles can antenna is discussed, too.
The most important WarDriving software is covered in detail. On Windows, that would be NetStumbler for Windows, along with MiniStumbler, its slimmed-down cousin for Pocket PCs. The authors show how to use it to to identify wireless networks; track networks by your location, via GPS satellite receivers; and how to analyze the information you’ve captured. On Linux, the software of choice is Kismet. Along with thorough coverage of configuration and usage, the authors walk you through installation on both Slackware and Red Hat Fedora.
You’ll learn how to map and organize WarDrives here. You’ll also take a close look at wireless security -- for both attackers and defenders. Along the way, the authors also take time to explode some myths. For instance, nobody “WarChalks” nowadays. But if you must, they do give you the “secret” symbols. Bill Camarda
Bill Camarda is a consultant, writer, and web/multimedia content developer. His 15 books include Special Edition Using Word 2003 and Upgrading & Fixing Networks for Dummies, Second Edition.
WarDriving-or moving around an area to map wireless access points-presents an opportunity for those interested in raising awareness of wireless connectivity and security vulnerabilities; an opening for those looking to contribute connectivity through deliberately opening access; and a security threat to those who fail to protect their networks-even though ethical WarDrivers point out that they eschew unauthorized network use. WarDriving teaches how to WarDrive, from necessary tools to useful software; each chapter ends with a summary, bullet points, and FAQ. Later chapters discuss how to attack and how to defend wireless networks, making this useful for readers wanting to protect their networks. The main focus, however, may find a narrow audience in most libraries; those seeking books on securing their network will want to supplement with more thorough guides, and those interested in WarDriving may already be conversant with the tools and ideas discussed. A supplemental purchase for larger libraries. Wi-Foo covers similar ground and discusses similar utilities, yet it goes much deeper into the nuts and bolts of both breaking into and defending wireless networks. Some more technical sections are balanced out by step-by-step explanations of security basics and patterns of attack. Extensive appendixes range from antenna irradiation patterns to war-chalking symbols to a penetration testing template. Wireless security is an ever-growing issue, which makes this thorough guide recommended for larger libraries. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
