NetStumbler Software Uses

The actual software that NetStumbler produces is primarily used by
security consultants who find it a necessity to check that their corporate
WLANs are not wide open to the public. It is all too common for hackers
to access wireless networks from the street or outside corporate facilities
and consume your precious wireless network bandwidth.
A system administrator can use this tool in order to check how far the
wireless coverage extends from the WLAN into surrounding areas. Net-
Stumbler allows the collection of demographics information about the
802.11 network. This information can be used to prevent hackers from
accessing the network from nearby offsite locations, or keeps any overly
curious person from accessing a network.
This type of tool is most useful in determining what types of wireless
network exist in almost any location. Unsecured wireless networks exist
in more public places that you might think (Figure 2.2), including:


Public office buildings

Malls

Tax preparer offices

Restaurants

The benefit and problem of setting up wireless LANs is that it is all too
easy for companies or small offices to supply employees with 802.11b
devices. All that is really necessary is to set up an access point at the wired
LAN server, and everybody is connected on the wireless corporate network.