airodump-ng
Capture 802.11 frames and WPA handshakes.
KaliParrotmedium
pkg: aircrack-ng
airodump-ng captures raw 802.11 packets, lists nearby APs/clients and records handshakes needed for cracking.
Syntax
airodump-ng [--bssid x --channel n -w out] {mon-iface}
Example
airodump-ng --bssid AA:BB:CC:DD:EE:FF -c 6 -w cap wlan0mon
Captures traffic for one AP on channel 6, saving to cap-*.cap for handshake collection.
Options & flags
What each switch does. Toggle them in the builder below to assemble a command.
Command builder
Tick options (and fill any values) to build a ready-to-copy command.
airodump-ng IFACE
Usage examples
airodump-ng wlan0mon
Survey all nearby APs and clients.
airodump-ng --bssid AA:BB:CC:DD:EE:FF -c 6 -w cap wlan0mon
Capture handshakes for one AP on channel 6.
Advantages
- Live AP/client discovery
- Targeted handshake capture
- Feeds aircrack-ng/hashcat
Disadvantages
- Passive capture can be slow
- Needs monitor mode
- Channel hopping misses frames
Tags
#wifi#capture
Official docs: airodump-ng ↗
Related commands
Frequently asked questions
What is airodump-ng used for?
airodump-ng captures raw 802.11 packets, lists nearby APs/clients and records handshakes needed for cracking.
What is an example airodump-ng command?
A common example is: airodump-ng --bssid AA:BB:CC:DD:EE:FF -c 6 -w cap wlan0mon — Captures traffic for one AP on channel 6, saving to cap-*.cap for handshake collection.
Is airodump-ng part of Kali Linux?
Yes. airodump-ng ships with Kali Linux (and Parrot OS). If missing, install it with: sudo apt install aircrack-ng.
What category of security tool is airodump-ng?
airodump-ng is a Wireless Attacks tool with a medium-risk profile when run against a live target.
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