WARLORD

The Complete Wardriving Knowledge Base

Your comprehensive guide to wireless network discovery, mapping, and security research. Whether you're using a smartphone, laptop, or building your own hardware - master the art of wardriving.

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RINGMAST4R
// The WarLord // Founder of #wardriving
WiGLE Rank #157 | Team #2 in World

Welcome to My Domain

I'm Ringmast4r, the creator and maintainer of this wardriving knowledge base. What started as a personal obsession with wireless networks has evolved into this comprehensive resource for the community. Whether you're mapping WiFi networks through city streets, hunting for 6GHz signals with the latest hardware, or building DIY rigs from ESP32s and Raspberry Pis - I've been there, documented it, and now I'm sharing everything I've learned along the way.

1.38M+
WiFi Networks
4.3M+
Bluetooth Devices
23M+
Team Networks
143+
Team Members
#wardriving Founder Pwnagotchi Builder WiFi 7 Hunter ESP32 Tinkerer #2 Team in World
My Origin Story Phone Rankings My DIY Builds The Archives

What is Wardriving?

The Art of Wireless Discovery

Wardriving is the practice of searching for and mapping wireless networks while moving through an area, typically in a vehicle, on foot, or bicycle. Using a portable device with WiFi capabilities and GPS, wardrivers collect information about wireless access points including their SSIDs, security types, signal strength, and geographic coordinates.

The term originated in the early 2000s as a nod to "wardialing" - the practice of using a modem to scan phone numbers looking for computers, made famous by the 1983 film WarGames. Today, wardriving serves multiple legitimate purposes including security research, network planning, and contributing to global wireless mapping projects.

Modern wardriving has evolved from laptops with PCMCIA cards and cantenna antennas to smartphones running dedicated apps, and DIY builds using Raspberry Pi and ESP32 microcontrollers.

Global Database WiGLE.net has over 1 billion unique wireless networks mapped worldwide
Two Decades Strong The wardriving community has been active since 2001
Security Research Helps identify insecure networks and improve wireless security
Community Driven Thousands of contributors mapping the wireless landscape

"Wardriving isn't criminal. Convictions are possible where it's part of a larger criminal case, but it shouldn't happen in the absence of some other criminal purpose."

- Jennifer Granick, Stanford Law School

Choose Your Path

There are multiple ways to get started with wardriving. Choose the path that best fits your equipment, technical skill level, and goals.

Phone Wardriving

The easiest way to start. Use your smartphone with apps like WiGLE WiFi to scan and map networks on the go.

  • No additional hardware needed
  • WiGLE app for Android
  • GPS + WiFi + Bluetooth scanning
  • Automatic upload to WiGLE.net
  • Best phones & chipsets guide
Start Learning

Kismet Wardriving

The traditional approach using a laptop with Kismet - the gold standard for wireless network detection.

  • Professional-grade detection
  • Monitor mode support
  • Advanced packet capture
  • Supports multiple adapters
  • WiFi, Bluetooth, SDR support
Start Learning

Homebrew Wardriving

Build your own wardriving rig using Raspberry Pi, ESP32, or other microcontrollers.

  • Raspberry Pi builds
  • ESP32/ESP8266 scanners
  • Pwnagotchi integration
  • Custom antenna setups
  • Portable battery solutions
Start Learning

History of Wardriving

From Pringles can antennas to smartphone apps - the evolution of wireless network discovery.

1983

WarGames & Wardialing

The film WarGames popularizes "wardialing" - using modems to scan phone numbers for computer systems. This plants the seed for future "war-" naming conventions.

2001

Wardriving is Born

Peter Shipley coins the term "wardriving" and presents his findings at DefCon 9. The wardriving community begins to form. Wardriving.com launches.

2001-2002

The Cantenna Era

DIY antennas made from Pringles cans become iconic. NetStumbler for Windows and early Linux tools emerge. PCMCIA WiFi cards are the standard.

2002

WiGLE Launches

Wireless Geographic Logging Engine (WiGLE) launches, creating a community-driven database for wireless network mapping that still thrives today.

2004

Kismet Matures

Kismet becomes the go-to tool for serious wardrivers. World Wide WarDrive events map thousands of networks globally.

2005-2008

WEP Falls

Aircrack-ng and similar tools make WEP cracking trivial. This drives adoption of WPA/WPA2 and highlights the importance of wardriving for security awareness.

2011-2012

Mobile Revolution

Smartphones become viable wardriving platforms. WiGLE releases Android app. Reaver exploits WPS vulnerabilities.

2019

Pwnagotchi

AI-powered Pwnagotchi project launches, combining wardriving with gamification and machine learning on Raspberry Pi.

2020s

Modern Era

WiFi 6/6E/7, WPA3, 6GHz band scanning. ESP32 DIY builds. Over 1 billion networks in WiGLE. Wardriving remains relevant for security research.