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Ten Useful and Free Networking Tools

Article is provided courtesy of Cisco Press.
Date: Oct 13, 2009.

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Article Description

Eric Geier, author of Wi-Fi Hotspots: Setting Up Public Wireless Internet Access, shares 10 free networking tools and utilities. From stumblers to help you detect nearby networks, sniffers to see the data, and replacement firmware projects to supercharge your network, you ought to find at least some of some of the tools discussed here useful for your situation.

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From stumblers to help you detect nearby networks, sniffers to see the data, and replacement firmware projects to supercharge your network, here are 10 different applications you might find useful when installing, securing, or using private or public networks.

1. NetStumbler: To Find Nearby Networks

This is a simple stumbler that shows you the details of nearby wireless networks or access points (APs). You'll see each AP's MAC address, SSID, channel, encryption status, signal, noise, signal-to-noise ratio, and more.

NetStumbler is handy when installing a new network or AP. You can check for possible interference from neighboring or existing APs. You can also use it to verify coverage and proper positioning of APs by referencing the signal strengths.

You might even take a stumble once in awhile to check for rouge nodes or other problems.

2. 2. Network Magic: For an Easier Networking Experience | Next Section

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