inSSIDer risky download.

IF you look at the correct site you will find the answer to open source, and this is where you SHOULD download it from.

I agree Bob L, the software does exactly what it claims to do provided you get it directly from the above host site. Sounds like you were trying to download it from some place other than from the Metageek web site. They use it to help promote their web site along with their commercial products. I'd love to get my hand on a couple of them but at the present time I can't justify purchasing them.

I tried netstumbler in the past but it did not support the Broadcom based radio card that came in my laptop. inSSIDer on the other hand was able to detect and use my wireless card the first time it was run.

I have no connections with the people at Metageek other than I am a happy user of the inSSIDer program. I use it prior to installing wireless routers to see what channels are free or have the least amount of other devices using them. Also nice when troubleshooting a prior working system that started to go flaky. Too many times I've seen neighbors add a router or wireless access point near a customer's location and start causing interference. With inSSIDer I can easily identify the problem device and change my customer's equipment over to another channel.

You can download it from the metageek.net web server, or from download.com at:

Neither of these are "unknown" but rather are rather quite well known. CNET does a rather though job of testing (and reviewing) the software that appears on its download site.

Nope. If you want open source, there is Linux, which has several sniffers and scanners that are open source. Also a live CD loaded with such tools.

The normal virus, spyware, and malware scanners should suffice to reduce your paranoia. However, if you are seriously worried, I suggest one or more of these defenses:

1. Build a machine for the sole purpose of testing downloaded software. Run it there to see what it does before installing on your main machine.
2. Install VMware player and run Windoze as a virtual machine. Install any suspicious software in the VM. If it blows up, just erase your VM and try again. This is the way I like to test software.
3. Use an image backup program and a USB hard disk to do a backup of your entire hard disk drive. I use Acronis True Image Home 2011 () for the purpose. If your machine gets trashed, then just restore from your latest image.

Netstumbler is old and hasn't been updated for many years. It doesn't work with Vista and Win7 and doesn't work on 802.11a frequencies.

Jeff Liebermann wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

You have to connect to their servers to INSTALL it after you download it and you get messages about them scanning your system to see if it contains the necessary components. You cannot download a complete package without a secondary connect to unknown servers with unknown purposes.

This fact and fact it's not open source are enough to stop me from using this badly conceived program.

Really? I just uninstalled inSSIDer, unplugged my ethernet cable, disarmed my wireless client, and reinstalled inSSIDer without any complaints. No problem with the reinstall..... oops, I accidentally installed an old version. Plug ethernet back in, download the latest, unplug ethernet, reinstall, and yes, it works.

InSSIDer and the other Metageek programs all require .NET to run. I have not very nice things to say about how .NET is installed by Microsoft, overlapping versions, broken update installs, and the total lack of MS supplied diagnostics and repair utilities. Little wonder that the author has chosen to check for .NET presence and function.

It's also epidemic for installers to notify the author that a copy is being installed so that they can track usage. See the privacy notice for what they do with this information. Just about every software package does this.

If these things bother you, and your require open source software, I suggest you immediately abandon Windoze and try one of the Linux mutations. There's even a version of inSSIDer for Linux:

Also, the author has a support forum at:

which includes inSSIDer. If you believe that you have a valid grievance, perhaps posting it to the forum might get the authors attention.

Not a problem. You do whatever you think is correct. However, I would appreciate it if you would cease the nym shifting. I'm not impressed.

Jeff Liebermann wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

As usual, Jeff-the only one with real answers.

My purpose in using the internet is to exchange information, not to provide a means to profile and track, so I guess I will keep "shit(f)ting" nyms.

But I do appreciate your good clarification. If you did not post here, I probably would not even visit this rather lame group. Ok, I will try to keep the same "nym" for the duration of the thread. Have a nice day, my friend :-).

And your right I don't like .NET or MS either which is why I have not installed it so far. Nor do I like MS garbage/bad practices and will be going to nix, but my time is short and their IS a learning curve.