The professional's choice. Kismet is the gold standard for wireless network detection, supporting monitor mode, packet capture, and advanced analysis.
Kismet is a wireless network and device detector, sniffer, wardriving tool, and WIDS (wireless intrusion detection) framework. Unlike smartphone apps that use standard WiFi APIs, Kismet can put your wireless adapter into monitor mode, allowing it to see all wireless traffic - not just networks you're connected to.
Originally released in 2001 by Mike Kershaw (dragorn), Kismet has been the go-to tool for serious wardrivers and security professionals for over two decades. It runs on Linux, macOS, and even embedded systems like Raspberry Pi.
The latest version features a modern web-based UI, REST API, remote capture support, and can detect WiFi, Bluetooth, Software Defined Radio signals, and more.
See ALL wireless traffic, not just networks broadcasting. Detect hidden networks, rogue access points, and capture raw packets for analysis.
Full PCAP capture for later analysis with tools like Wireshark, Aircrack-ng, or hashcat.
Combine multiple adapters for better coverage. Use local or remote capture sources.
Deep packet inspection, device fingerprinting, and intrusion detection capabilities.
Kismet requires a wireless adapter that supports monitor mode. Here are the best options for 2024-2025.
| Adapter | Chipset | Bands | WiFi Standard | Interface | Price | Rating | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alfa AWUS036AXML | MediaTek MT7921AU | 2.4/5/6 GHz | WiFi 6E (802.11ax) | USB 3.0 | $100 | TOP PICK | Best overall, 6GHz support, great Linux support |
| Alfa AWUS036ACH | Realtek RTL8812AU | 2.4/5 GHz | WiFi 5 (802.11ac) | USB 3.0 | $50 | PROVEN | Classic choice, excellent aircrack support |
| Alfa AWUS036ACHM | MediaTek MT7610U | 2.4/5 GHz | WiFi 5 (802.11ac) | USB 2.0 | $40 | COMPACT | Smaller form factor, managed mode |
| Panda PAU09 N600 | Ralink RT5572 | 2.4/5 GHz | WiFi 4 (802.11n) | USB 2.0 | $35 | BUDGET | Good budget option, dual-band |
| Alfa AWUS036NHA | Atheros AR9271 | 2.4 GHz | WiFi 4 (802.11n) | USB 2.0 | $30 | CLASSIC | 2.4GHz only but bulletproof compatibility |
| TP-Link Archer T3U Plus | Realtek RTL8812BU | 2.4/5 GHz | WiFi 5 (802.11ac) | USB 3.0 | $25 | VALUE | Cheap, needs driver install |
Kismet requires several packages. On Debian/Ubuntu/Kali:
# Update package list sudo apt update # Install build dependencies sudo apt install build-essential git libwebsockets-dev \ pkg-config zlib1g-dev libnl-3-dev libnl-genl-3-dev \ libcap-dev libpcap-dev libnm-dev libdw-dev \ libsqlite3-dev libprotobuf-dev libprotobuf-c-dev \ protobuf-compiler protobuf-c-compiler libsensors4-dev \ libusb-1.0-0-dev python3 python3-setuptools \ python3-protobuf python3-requests python3-numpy \ python3-serial python3-usb python3-dev
The easiest method - use the Kismet repository:
# Add Kismet repository wget -O - https://www.kismetwireless.net/repos/kismet-release.gpg.key --quiet | \ gpg --dearmor | \ sudo tee /usr/share/keyrings/kismet-archive-keyring.gpg echo 'deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/kismet-archive-keyring.gpg] https://www.kismetwireless.net/repos/apt/release/$(lsb_release -cs) $(lsb_release -cs) main' | \ sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/kismet.list # Install Kismet sudo apt update && sudo apt install kismet
Add your user to the kismet group for capture permissions:
# Add user to kismet group sudo usermod -aG kismet $USER # Log out and back in, or run: newgrp kismet # Verify group membership groups
Set up gpsd for GPS integration:
# Install gpsd sudo apt install gpsd gpsd-clients # Configure gpsd (edit /etc/default/gpsd) sudo nano /etc/default/gpsd # Set: DEVICES="/dev/ttyUSB0" # Set: GPSD_OPTIONS="-n" # Start gpsd sudo systemctl enable gpsd sudo systemctl start gpsd # Test GPS gpsmon
Start Kismet with your wireless interface:
# Start Kismet (it will handle monitor mode) kismet -c wlan0 # Or specify multiple sources kismet -c wlan0 -c wlan1 # With specific options kismet -c wlan0:name=Alfa,hop=true,channels="1,6,11"
Access the web interface at http://localhost:2501
Edit kismet.conf for persistent settings:
# /etc/kismet/kismet.conf or ~/.kismet/kismet.conf # Define capture sources source=wlan0:name=MainAdapter,hop=true # GPS configuration gps=gpsd:host=localhost,port=2947 # Logging options log_prefix=/home/user/kismet-logs log_types=kismet,pcapng,wiglecsv # Web UI password (first run creates this) httpd_username=admin httpd_password=yourpassword
Kismet can export in multiple formats:
# Kismet saves to .kismet SQLite database by default # Convert to WiGLE CSV for upload: kismetdb_to_wiglecsv --in capture.kismet --out wigle.csv # Extract PCAP from database: kismetdb_to_pcap --in capture.kismet --out packets.pcap # Export to KML for Google Earth: kismetdb_to_kml --in capture.kismet --out networks.kml
Configure channel hopping strategy for best coverage:
Optimize Kismet for long wardriving sessions:
Use captured data responsibly for security research:
Kismet works with other tools: