Re: antenna - Re: Wireless pentesting requirements

["Andrew A. Vladimirov" <mlists () arhont com>]

<snip>
> you mean you want them holding this ??
>
>         http://zapchecker.com/rf_signal.html

How about these:

http://www.xlmicrowave.com/analyze-r.htm
http://www.bkprecision.com/www/np_feat.asp?m=2650
http://green.advantest.co.jp/eprise/main/home/English/Page/Product/Detail/Product_U3641_U3641N_E?grp=p
http://green.advantest.co.jp/eprise/main/home/English/Page/Product/Detail/Product_U3661_E?grp=p
http://www.eu.anritsu.com/products/default.php?p=27&model=S100C%2C+S300C%2C+S800C+Series
http://www.eu.anritsu.com/products/default.php?p=28&model=S200C+Series
http://www.eu.anritsu.com/products/default.php?p=145&model=MS2711D
http://www.eu.anritsu.com/products/default.php?p=29&model=MS2711B
http://www.cms.rohde-schwarz.com/live/rs/product/rsdisplay,id,8,nodeid,8,linkobject,products_,model,R%26S%20FSH%20Models,_language,en.html
http://www.kandelelectronics.com/categories/FrequencyCounters/FrequencyCounters/
or many from this list:
http://www.testequipmenthq.com/applicationsearch.asp?keyword=SM

Ok, I'm mainly kidding since the majority of these analyzers are far too 
expensive and often difficult to lift.

The point is that you do need a reasonably sensitive frequency analyzer 
or at least a counter for site surveying, and that counter should not be 
restricted to the ISM / UNII bands (mind the harmonics!). So, if you 
can't afford the big guys, even a Zapchecker can come handy. After all, 
it has a decent SMA connector you can plug in any antenna you want 
(could be a tupperware or pringles just as well).

Ok, this may not be directly related to wireless pentesting as many see 
it, but we consider a decent site survey to be an important prerequisite 
of a proper wireless pentest (in fact, a prelude to it). Besides it is 
very useful when performing forensics / incident response on WLANs.

"Network stability and network security are two sides of the same coin." 
(Dan Kaminskiy)


> -- pringles -- one can make or buy ....
> -- tupperware --  one probably has to make it ...
>         - home made is good and bad, if they can explain why they
>         made it and all the RF antenna design issues that commercial
>         antenna will miss

The main problem with home brew antennas is verifying their parameters 
(beamwidth, coverage zone shape, gain, VSWR etc) with sufficient 
precision. Something like

http://www.eu.anritsu.com/products/default.php?p=146&model=S331D%2FS332D
http://www.eu.anritsu.com/products/default.php?p=25&model=MT8212A

comes handy, but then there is again that pesky price problem.

Cheers,
Andrew

--
Dr. Andrew A. Vladimirov
CISSP #34081, CWNA, CCNP/CCDP, TIA Linux+
CSO
Arhont Ltd - Information Security.

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