RIVERBED AIRPCAP

Wireshark Integrated AirPcap Adapter for Microsoft Windows

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Wireshark integrated wireless traffic packet capture

Capture 802.11 WLAN packets for rapid, comprehensive analysis with your favorite packet-analysis software. Riverbed AirPcap is the only Microsoft Windows-based wireless packet capture device fully integrated with Wireshark and Riverbed SteelCentral Packet Analyzer. Choose among three affordable, easy-to-deploy versions of Riverbed AirPcap products: AirPcap Classic, AirPcap Tx, and AirPcap Nx.

AirPcap Key Features

Full integration with Wireshark and SteelCentral Packet Analyzer for complete WLAN traffic analysis, visualization, drill-down, and reporting
Monitor Multiple Channels Quickly and Conveniently with AirPcap and Wireshark
AirPcap 3-pack for Multi-Channel, Aggregated Analysis
Portable and Versatile
Easy to Setup and Easy to Use
Professional Performance

AirPcap adapter works with these popular packet analysis tools:

Wireshark to capture, filter, display, analyze, dissect, and save WLAN packets, including data and management frame
SteelCentral Packet Analyzer for channel scanning, analysis, charting, and reporting
Kismet for network discovery
Aircrack-ng or Cain and Able for WEP cracking
Your custom tools for full flexibility

“AirPcap gives us the power to observe network problems and come up with a solution rather than just blindly shooting in the dark. It also gives us the ability to measure whether or not changes made to the service have the desired effect.” –IT architect, educational institution

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Support Information

Riverbed provides a limited out-of-the-box warranty for a total of one year from the date of purchase for AirPcap USB adapters. In the event of a hardware failure, the unit may be shipped to Riverbed for repair or replacement.

The binary drivers shipped with AirPcap adapters can be found on the Riverbed support pages at https://support.riverbed.com/content/support/software/steelcentral-npm/airpcap.html. These can be freely downloaded as updates are released and installed on as many Windows-based systems as desired.

The binary drivers can be downloaded at Riverbed Support.

How It Works: Captures Wireless Taffic on a Single Channel

Each AirPcap adapter captures traffic on a single channel at a time; the channel setting for the AirPcap adapter can be changed using the AirPcap Control Panel, or from the “Advanced Wireless Settings” dialog in Wireshark or other tools. Depending on the model of your AirPcap adapter, it can be set to any valid 802.11a/b/g/n channel for packet capture.

Operate in completely passive mode

AirPcap adapters operate in a completely passive mode. This means that they capture the traffic on a channel without associating with an access point or interacting with any other wireless device. Unless you are transmitting with either AirPcap Tx , Ex or Nx, the adapters are not detectable by any other wireless station.

Can also work in monitor mode

The AirPcap adapters can work in Monitor Mode. In this mode, the AirPcap adapter will capture all of the frames that are transferred on a channel, not just frames that are addressed to it. This includes data frames, control frames and management frames.

Can be configured to decrypt WEP-encrypted frames

The AirPcap software can optionally be configured to decrypt WEP-encrypted frames. An arbitrary number of keys can be configured in the driver at the same time, so that the driver can decrypt the traffic of more than one access point at the same time. WPA and WPA2 support is handled by applications such as Wireshark and Aircrack-ng.

Use multiple AirPcap adapters for multi-channel aggregation

When more than one AirPcap adapter is plugged in, the AirPcap Control Panel will show one additional interface: the Multi-Channel Aggregator. The Multi-Channel Aggregator is a virtual capture interface that can be used from Wireshark or any other supported application. Using this capture interface, the application will receive the traffic from all installed USB AirPcap adapters as if it was coming from a single device.

The Multi-Channel Aggregator has its own FCS, Capture Type and FCS Filter settings. These settings, and not those of the physical adapter, will be used when capturing from the Aggregator. Note that it’s not possible to set the channel of the Multi-Channel Aggregator; instead, the channel drop-down box will show a list of aggregated channels. To change the channel of any individual adapter, select the Capture adapter from the Interface drop-down list and set the desired value in the channel drop-down box.

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FAQ

View this FAQ to learn more about how AirPcap works

See the FAQs

AirPcap Assets and Videos

Experience the power of SteelHead with SteelCentral.

Detect. Fix. Relax.

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Experience the power of SteelHead with SteelCentral.

Intuit Leverages Next-Generation Performance Monitoring With Riverbed and Big Switch

Application-aware Network Monitoring

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Avaya Partner Solution

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Avaya is a global provider of business collaboration and communications solutions, providing unified communications, contact centers, networking and related services to companies of all sizes.

Benefits and Features of AirPcap

The business case for AirPcap

SteelCentral is part of the most complete platform for location-independent computing to ensure flawless application performance and the best user experience. AirPcap solves eight critical WLAN security and troubleshooting problems:

WLAN security
WLAN packet-level analysis
WLAN channel bandwidth usage
WLAN transmission errors
Retransmission
Failed access point associations and authentications
Unencrypted applications
Low rate-transmission investigations

Riverbed AirPcap are Pcap adapters that offer an easy way to capture and analyze 802.11 wireless traffic, and include full integration with the popular Wireshark and Riverbed Cascade Pilot network analysis tools. Three AirPcap models are available:

AirPcap Classic gives you the power to capture and analyze low-level 802.11b/g wireless traffic, including control, management, and data frames on your Windows workstation or laptop. Per packet information is also available, such as power, hardware timestamps (in micro-seconds), and receive rate.
AirPcap Tx retains all of the functionality of AirPcap Classic and, additionally, supports packet injection.
AirPcap Nx is a dual-band solution supporting packet capture and injection for 802.11n, 802.11a/b/g legacy modes, and the 4.9 GHz US public safety channels. It features 2 x 2 MIMO with two internal antennas, plus two integrated MC-Card connectors for optional external antennas to enhance performance in the most demanding environments.

“AirPcap has enabled us to quickly track problems with our wireless network. This saved us significant cost which otherwise would have been spent on an external company.” – System administrator, Cultural Institution, Netherland. Source: TechValidate. TVID: B5B-FA3-EF3[SB3]

“AirPcap is invaluable for troubleshooting and testing new wireless products at the 802.11 level.” - Engineer, Medium Enterprise Telecommunications. Equipment company source: TechValidate. TVID: CB0-23F-2AC[SB2]

ROI: Majority of customers are able to troubleshoot their wireless networks at least 50% faster using AirPcap adapter

^{Source: TechValidate. TVID: D19-E9B-49A[SB1]}

Invaluable for troubleshooting and testing

“AirPcap is invaluable for troubleshooting and testing new wireless products at the 802.11 level.” - Engineer, Medium Enterprise Telecommunications Equipment Company

^{Source: TechValidate. TVID: CB0-23F-2AC[SB2]}

Faster Troubleshooting, Saves Money

“AirPcap has enabled us to quickly track problems with our wireless network. This saved us significant cost which otherwise would have been spent on an external company.” - System Administrator, Cultural Institution, Netherlands

Source: TechValidate. TVID: B5B-FA3-EF3[SB3]

Flexibility and Extensibility Illuminate Solution

Source: TechValidate. TVID: AA7-B6A-043[SB4]

Roku Inc solves wireless issues more than 90% faster using AirPcap adapter

Solves monitoring and testing wireless networks with speed and flexibility

Benefits from AirPcap Adapter through:

Flexibility when solving/troubleshooting 802.11 WLAN anomalies
Better portable WLAN analysis
Faster troubleshooting

AirPcap adapter is essential product validation tool

“We design Wi-Fi-equipped consumer products, and AirPcap helps us monitor critical firmware and wireless performance. There isn’t much other competition compared to AirPcap for us. It is considered an essential product validation tool.” - Dave Andrus, Senior RF Engineer, Roku Inc

Source: TechValidate. TVID: 692-DEA-464[SB1]

Conquest Security, Inc. monitors and tests wireless security with AirPcap

Achieves 70-90% faster troubleshooting wireless issues using AirPcap adapter

AirPcap Classic & AirPcap Nx used with Wireshark and SteelCentral™ Packet Analyzer software
Troubleshoots/identifies wireless issues 70-90% faster using AirPcap
Benefits by secure wireless networking and instant insight into security breaches

Source: TechValidate. TVID: 1D3-3D4-3BC[SB1]

Ikeriri Network Service identifies wireless issues 70-90% faster using AirPcap adapter

AirPcap is the best solution to capture and analyze wireless networks. Troubleshoots/identifies wireless issues 70-90% faster using AirPcap.

Leverages a wide range of analysis tools with AirPcap adapter. Uses AirPcap with the following tools depending on the issue being researched:

Wireshark to capture, filter, display, analyze, dissect, and save WLAN packets
SteelCentral™ Packet Analyzer for channel scanning, analysis, charting, and reporting
Kismet for network discovery
Aircrack-ng, Cain and Able for WEP cracking

Finds flexibility key benefit in using AirPcap adapter. Flexibility is at the core of many benefits:

Flexibility when solving/troubleshooting 802.11 WLAN anomalies
Extensibility through API use
Easy, less time consuming setup
Better portable WLAN analysis
Secure wireless networking and instant insight into security breaches

Source: TechValidate. TVID: 39B-111-2CD

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Customer Story: Pacific Dental Services

Riverbed SteelCentral paid for itself after first use by identifying a random network problem.

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How to Buy

Product Resources

eBook

Network Monitoring and Troubleshooting for Dummies

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Feature Brief

AirPcap Frequently Asked Questions

Learn More

Infographic

The Path to Network Performance Nirvana

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Data Sheet

Riverbed AirPcap Data Sheet

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Wireshark integrated wireless traffic packet capture

AirPcap Key Features

AirPcap adapter works with these popular packet analysis tools:

EBOOK

Network Monitoring and Troubleshooting for Dummies

Support Information

How It Works: Captures Wireless Taffic on a Single Channel

Operate in completely passive mode

Can also work in monitor mode

Can be configured to decrypt WEP-encrypted frames

Use multiple AirPcap adapters for multi-channel aggregation

FAQ

View this FAQ to learn more about how AirPcap works

AirPcap Assets and Videos

Detect. Fix. Relax.

Application-aware Network Monitoring

Avaya Partner Solution

Benefits and Features of AirPcap

ROI: Majority of customers are able to troubleshoot their wireless networks at least 50% faster using AirPcap adapter

Invaluable for troubleshooting and testing

Faster Troubleshooting, Saves Money

Flexibility and Extensibility Illuminate Solution

Roku Inc solves wireless issues more than 90% faster using AirPcap adapter

Benefits from AirPcap Adapter through:

AirPcap adapter is essential product validation tool

Conquest Security, Inc. monitors and tests wireless security with AirPcap

Achieves 70-90% faster troubleshooting wireless issues using AirPcap adapter

Ikeriri Network Service identifies wireless issues 70-90% faster using AirPcap adapter

Customer Story: Pacific Dental Services

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Product Resources

eBook

Network Monitoring and Troubleshooting for Dummies

Feature Brief

Infographic

Data Sheet

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