[Hackrf-dev] Finding the Interference with directional antenna?

Gavin Jacobs apriljunkbox at hotmail.com
Wed Dec 7 10:59:42 EST 2016


I suggest you start with INSSIDER. This software program runs on your windows laptop and you can see the relative signal strengths of any wireless networks in the area. The latest version is $20 for the personal edition, but if you search you can find a previous version that is totally free. I use it a lot here at our RV park (where every week we have RVs come and go with their wifi routers). That is usually enough information to find the channel with the least interference. If you are still experiencing troubles, then I would move on to a directional antenna as mentioned by others.

________________________________
From: HackRF-dev <hackrf-dev-bounces at greatscottgadgets.com> on behalf of Tamer Çelik <tamercelik at gmail.com>
Sent: December 7, 2016 8:27:15 AM
To: Scott Davis
Cc: HackRF-dev at greatscottgadgets.com
Subject: Re: [Hackrf-dev] Finding the Interference with directional antenna?

Hey Scott,
Which tool you are running?
I am not sure if another ap is interferencing or not.
It must be something else. Dect, headphones or anything running on 2.4Ghz band.
Thats the reaaon why id like to use HackRF.
I ran similar tools and i dont even have a wifi ap running same channel with me.
Thanks!


On Dec 7, 2016 18:03, "Scott Davis" <scottk5ta at gmail.com<mailto:scottk5ta at gmail.com>> wrote:
The HackRF is limited to a 20-MHz bandwidth, which is the approximate width of a single wi-fi channel.  The wi-fi radio in your computer might be a better sniffing tool, with some type of scanning/analysis software that can show the entire band at once.  With the HackRF, you would need to ”tune around” in frequency as well as spatial orientation to get an idea of the signals in your vicinity.

-Scott

Example:

https://www.amazon.com/photos/share/hDY7ElO2wAnlVQQ0pesLH70qvAf4xviDvpI2SFtLfpv


On Dec 7, 2016, at 5:51 AM, Tamer Çelik <tamercelik at gmail.com<mailto:tamercelik at gmail.com>> wrote:

Hello everyone,
Thanks for all the tips.
I was thinking getting this antenna: https://www.amazon.com/Super-Power-Supply-Directional-Wireless/dp/B016APUGB6/ref=sr_1_8?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1481113798&sr=1-8&keywords=wifi+directional
It's compact and perfect for 2.4 GHz band. Just need to get an RP-SMA to SMA converter adapter to use it with HackRF.

But i am still not sure where to look for interference.
Which software i should use and what should i look for?
I was thinking running SDRsharp with RX gain settings adjusted (low gain settings to pick any signal from 2.4GHz device when i physically close to it)
I have decided to use HackRF after i came across a wifi analyzer device called Chanalyzer http://www.metageek.com/products/wi-spy/ They provide a fancy software to determine possible intereference source and they are quite expensive, around $2000.
But i think i won't need any fancy software or look out for any specific waveform determine this interference, right?
Again, i have no idea what should i look for. (Noise? Waveform?)

Any ideas would be great.
Thanks!


On Wed, Dec 7, 2016 at 8:21 AM, Scott Davis <scottk5ta at gmail.com<mailto:scottk5ta at gmail.com>> wrote:
There are many, many commercial directional antennas available for the 2.4 GHz band.  Dish Network operates in the Ku-band, around 12 GHz, so their dishes are a bit small for 2.4, but it sounds like fun to play with one…it’s a lot easier to use a smaller, lightweight yagi.  They come in all sizes.  Here’s one example:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008Z4I7WQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

-Scott


On Dec 6, 2016, at 8:41 PM, Chuck McManis <chuck.mcmanis at gmail.com<mailto:chuck.mcmanis at gmail.com>> wrote:

In the US there is a company called Dish Network (satellite TV) they
use a small dish antenna to talk to the satellites, it also makes a
great starting point for a directional WiFi antenna. Remove the LNB
that is normally in the antenna and tape a WiFi chip antenna at the
focal point. You can then point quite accurately at various WiFi
sources.

<http://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?&id=OIP.M2844c9d84173dc5d1b923fed7c9edf64o0&w=300&h=300&c=0&pid=1.9&rs=0&p=0&r=0>
is a picture of one of these antennas.

--Chuck

On Tue, Dec 6, 2016 at 5:20 PM, Tamer Çelik <tamercelik at gmail.com<mailto:tamercelik at gmail.com>> wrote:
Hello,
I am having a strange interference issue on my 2.4GHz WiFi network while
5GHz band works perfect.
This might be coming from one of my neighbours.
Just wanted to ask if its possible to use a "directional" antenna with
HackRF and explore the area for possible source of interference?
I am pretty sure on that something jamming 2.4GHz for random intervals.
Any suggestions?
Thanks!

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