Arduini WIFI Detector

Projects Networking, Protocols, and Devices
1

Really simple question,

What kind of sensor / Hardware module would i need to detect wireless networks? I just need the arduino to detect the wifi, grab the SSID / MAC ADDRESS and the GPS position (using a GPS module) and log it on the DataLogger module.

Then, whenever i want, i can map it all on google maps and thats pretty much it =)

2

I suspect you'd still need a full WiFi shield (or wifi-integrated arduino clone). I listed the few I'm aware of at the link below, but I don't know which if any would support the functionality you're looking for. Might require some research into what each of their associated libraries support, and/or the capabilities of the modules themselves. Or maybe someone who knows more than me will come along and provide you with a good answer :slight_smile:

http://forums.adafruit.com/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=21648#p113484

3

i was looking at this one SparkFun WiFly GSX Breakout - WRL-10050 - SparkFun Electronics (WiFLy from sparkfun), seems to do much more than what i need so im assuming it will be easy to detect and log wifi without connecting to them.
Its a bit expensive but im willing to give the bucks for the project =)

However maybe someone knows a cheaper and easier way to detect and log wifi =)

4

Hopefully you will hear back from someone who knows better, but if it were me, I'd do the research on software support and/or hardware capability before ordering. Yes, they likely all do more than you need; question is, do they give you the access to the low-level functionality you need...

5

Found this REALLY cheap wifi detector keychain http://www.amazon.co.uk/Locator-Wireless-Network-Detector-Flashlight/dp/B004IJD8BC/ref=pd_ecc_rvi_cart_2
Ill probably hack it in such a way that i can see the led's easily. This will give me a quick way to see if there are any wifi near at all (if it works at all, im not very optimistic :wink: )

However, still would like to grab SSID at least (if possible the mac address, since there can be alot of SSID with the same name).

Sparkfuns WiFly is still my last bet, but it is expensive and hard to program.