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Commands  / Wireless Attacks  / airmon-ng

airmon-ng

Enable monitor mode on wireless interfaces.

KaliParrotlow

pkg: aircrack-ng

airmon-ng puts a wireless card into monitor mode (and kills interfering processes) so you can capture 802.11 traffic.

Syntax

airmon-ng start {iface}

Example

sudo airmon-ng start wlan0

Switches wlan0 into monitor mode (e.g. wlan0mon) for capturing.

Options & flags

What each switch does. Toggle them in the builder below to assemble a command.

startEnable monitor mode on an interface.
stopDisable monitor mode.
check killKill processes that interfere with monitor mode.
(iface) <wlan0>Wireless interface.

Command builder

Tick options (and fill any values) to build a ready-to-copy command.

airmon-ng

Usage examples

airmon-ng start wlan0

Put wlan0 into monitor mode.

airmon-ng check kill

Stop interfering processes first.

Advantages
  • Prerequisite for all Wi-Fi attacks
  • Auto-handles conflicting processes
  • Simple one-liner
Disadvantages
  • Needs a compatible adapter
  • Drops normal connectivity
  • Requires root
Tags
#wifi#monitor-mode

Official docs: airmon-ng ↗

Related commands

airodump-ng

Capture 802.11 frames and WPA handshakes.

Frequently asked questions

What is airmon-ng used for?
airmon-ng puts a wireless card into monitor mode (and kills interfering processes) so you can capture 802.11 traffic.
What is an example airmon-ng command?
A common example is: sudo airmon-ng start wlan0 — Switches wlan0 into monitor mode (e.g. wlan0mon) for capturing.
Is airmon-ng part of Kali Linux?
Yes. airmon-ng ships with Kali Linux (and Parrot OS). If missing, install it with: sudo apt install aircrack-ng.
What category of security tool is airmon-ng?
airmon-ng is a Wireless Attacks tool with a low-risk profile when run against a live target.

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