

Option 1: Check an Adapter's Chipset Before You Buy Jump to a Section: Check a Perspective Card | Test an Existing Card | Try an Attack Out to Make Sure It Works Choosing a Wi-Fi adapter requires you to know about a few things, such as the chipset inside, the antenna in use, and the types of Wi-Fi that the card support. This chip, along with the other circuitry in the adapter, translates signals from your computer into radio pulses called "packets," which transfer information between devices. Each wireless network adapter has a chip inside of it that contains its own CPU. These devices may seem a little complicated at first, but they're pretty simple. While this may not seem like much, making a mistake in purchasing a network adapter can add up quickly and be discouraging when first learning about Wi-Fi security. If the internal one doesn't support the modes, an external one will be needed.Įxternal network adapters average between $15 and $40 per card. I found the card in a Lenovo laptop I use to support both, so sometimes it's possible to save by using your internal laptop card for practice when appropriate.

While some internal cards may offer some support for monitor mode, it's more common to find that your card isn't supported for tools included in Kali Linux. Don't Miss: Buy the Best Wireless Network Adapter for Wi-Fi Hacking in 2018.The wireless cards in most laptops aren't very good at doing anything other than what's required to establish a basic Wi-Fi connection. Wireless cards supporting monitor mode and packet injection enable an ethical hacker to listen in on other Wi-Fi conversations and even inject malicious packets into a network. Not all wireless cards can do this, but you can quickly test one you already own for compatibility, and you can verify that the chipset inside an adapter you're thinking of purchasing will work for Wi-Fi hacking. To hack a Wi-Fi network, you need your wireless card to support monitor mode and packet injection.
