Kismet
Kismet is a wireless network and device detector, sniffer and IDS supporting Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and other radios.
Legal & ethical use. Use this tool only on systems, networks and data that you own or have explicit written permission to test. Unauthorised access or scanning can break computer-misuse laws (for example Pakistan's Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, and equivalents elsewhere). Practise in your own lab or in authorised environments such as CTFs.
What it is used for
- Survey Wi-Fi coverage and rogue access points in your own premises
- Detect wireless devices around a lab
Key features
- Passive detection
- Multiple capture sources
- Web UI
Installation
See the Kismet documentation for packages and build instructions.
Beginner usage guide
Run it passively with a supported adapter and review the device list in the web UI.
Example commands
Run these only against your own lab or authorised targets. Placeholder addresses such as 192.0.2.x are documentation ranges.
Start Kismet with an interface
kismet -c wlan0-c selects the capture source; then open the web UI on port 2501.
References
Source verification
Last reviewed: 2026-10-27
Links checked over HTTP: 2026-10-27 07:51 UTC — official: 200, docs: 200, repo: 200
Command flags checked against the real binary kismet (Kismet 2025.09.0-b5d5a2d04) on 2026-10-27.