document updated 12 years ago, on Jan 2, 2012

Card+driver capabilities: [aircrack] [BackTrack 3] [WinPcap]

Lookup a card's chipset: [lookup]

card [bus] {chipset}	OS [driver]	monitor mode	injection	promsc mode	non-promsc sniffing	notes
DLink DWL-650 [pcmcia] {Intersil Prism II} internal; ?mW	Linux [orinoco_cs]	Y	?	?	?
Alfa AWPCI085H [minipci] {Atheros AR5414} MMCX; 500mW	Linux [ath_pci]	Y	Y	Y	Y
Alfa AWPCI085H [minipci] {Atheros AR5414} MMCX; 500mW	Linux [ath5k]	Y	Y	Y	Y	In Ubuntu, use the command 'jockey-gtk' to switch drivers.
Alfa AWUS036H [usb] {Realtek RTL8187L} RP-SMA; 500mW	Linux [rtl8187]	Y	Y	N	Y	recommended, HIGHLY recommended
Alfa AWUS036H [usb] {Realtek RTL8187L} RP-SMA; 500mW	Windows [realtek]	N	N	Y	Y	You REALLY WANT a USB wifi card that has RP-SMA, and this is a great one.
TRENDnet TEW-443PI [pci] {Atheros AR5005GS} RP-SMA; 65mW	Linux [madwifi]	Y	Y	Y	Y
	Linux [ath5k]	?	?	?	?	bleeding edge
	Windows [atheros]	N	N	N	Y
	Windows [WildPackets]	TODO	N	N	Y	Fuck if I know how to get airserv-ng.exe working. `:\|`
Intel 2200 [MiniPCI] U.FL; 40mW	Linux [ipw2200]	Y	Y¹	?	?
Intel 2200 [MiniPCI] U.FL; 40mW	Windows [?]	N	N	Y	Y
Intel 2100 [MiniPCI] U.FL; 42mW	Linux [ipw2100]	Y	N	?	?
Intel 2100 [MiniPCI] U.FL; 42mW	Windows [?]	N	N	Y?	Y?
WRT54GS v1.0 [ethernet] {Broadcom BCM2050} 2 × RP-TNC; 28-251mW	Linux [?]	Y	N	?	?	binary Broadcom drivers only
Linksys WMP11 v2.7 [pci] {Broadcom } RP-SMA	Linux [bcm43xx]	?	?	?	?
I'm considering buying
EDIMAX EW-7318USG [usb] {Ralink RT2571W} RP-SMA; 50mW	Linux [rt73-k2wrlz]	Y	Y	N	N
	Linux [rt73]	N?	N	?	?
	Windows [edimax]	N	N	?Y?	?	only one person reporting that it works well in Winpcap though
	Windows [ralink]	N	N	?	?
Intel 3945ABG [MiniPCI-E] U.FL; 31mW	Linux [ipwraw-ng]	Y	Y	?	?	it's sort of in BT3 already
	Linux [ipw3945]	Y	N	?	?
	Linux [iwlwifi]	?	?	?	?
	Windows [?]	?	?	?	?
Ubiquiti Bullet2 {Atheros ?} RP-SMA; 400mW
Ubiquiti Bullet2HP {Atheros ?} RP-SMA; 1000mW

driver must include a third-party patch to get this functionality
able to see 802.11 headers when sniffing in this non-monitor mode (see here for more)
some attacks (fragmentation, chop-chop) won't work because they require simultaneous injection+monitor, which this driver is unable to do
the latest version of BackTrack is missing major functionality in this driver (functionality that's available elsewhere, either officially, or a third-party patch) (BackTrack is usually very good about including third-party patches that are required for cracking)

Have I personally confirmed this?
Yes — underlined+bold
No — blue background when you move the mouse over it

antennas
- 24dBi parabolic antenna, 3ft wide × 2ft high (Pacific Wireless GD24)
- 12dBi miniature external antenna (4" x 4" x 4") (Pacific Wireless MD24-12)
- "bazooka" — a waveguide antenna built out of 3" aluminium furnace duct, with a 3"→6" expansion piece on the end. I bought this kit as an easy way to get the N connector and pigtail, and used this calculator to determine the N-connector position.
- Dish Network 500, sans LNBF, with U-bolt mount — I need the bucket-o-cement or something more tripodish, and I need to make a decent wifi feedhorn (actually, I'll probably just physically mount the MD24-12 in front to serve as the feedhorn.
pigtails
- [2x] 4' RP-SMA(male) to N(male).
- [2x] 1' RP-TNC to N(male).

My "bazooka" waveguide antenna, built from 3" round aluminum duct. It's 2.5' long, though that's almost 300% of the desired 3/4 λ length.