Member Avatar for eagle89

hello every1..
I was really sicked of trying to scan for hosts on my wireless network but the only ip that appears is the router ip address... i used ettercap on linux ubuntu and used cain on windowsXP but even this didn't work... any ideas?!!

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Dani AI

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The behavior described by (only the router’s IP visible while tools like Cain/Ettercap and Ettercap fail to list other hosts) is usually caused by two non-malicious, easily checked conditions: the access point is isolating wireless clients from each other, or the wireless interface/driver in its current mode does not expose peer traffic. ’s question about “promiscuous mode” is relevant—promiscuous (wired) and monitor (wireless) modes are different. Important caution: intercepting other users’ credentials or traffic without explicit authorization is illegal; the advice below is for legitimate administration or troubleshooting of owned/authorized networks only.

Practical, non-invasive checks that resolve most cases:

  • Log into the router/AP admin page and look for settings named "AP/Client Isolation", "Guest network", "Wireless isolation" or any VLAN/guest options; disabling those will allow clients to see each other. Also check the DHCP lease/client table there—every associated device and its IP/MAC will appear even if Windows discovery does not.
  • Compare wired vs wireless behavior: plug a machine into the LAN and scan the subnet (or view the router’s client list). If wired sees hosts but wireless does not, the AP is almost certainly isolating clients.
  • On Windows endpoints, verify the adapter has a correct IP on the same subnet, that file/printer sharing and the Microsoft Network client are present, and that local firewalls aren’t blocking NetBIOS/SMB broadcasts.

Quick read-only commands (Windows) to gather facts:

ipconfig /all
arp -a

If those checks still show only the router and the goal is legitimate network management, consult the AP/router vendor documentation or firmware for client-isolation settings and DHCP/guest options. For packet-level auditing or capture (advanced), follow vendor guidance and obtain written authorization before proceeding.

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Member Avatar for gerbil

Why are you trying to hack your own network? If you have set 128bit encryption I wish Cain lotsa luck. Simply plug in with a LAN cable, then via the router GUI either...
- un-hide the access point, let all your wireless equipment discover it, then re-hide it. And maybe check the authenticated stations list to see if your wireless was hacked while you were doing it.
- else enter somewhere the MACs you wish to have access.

Edited by gerbil because: n/a
Member Avatar for eagle89

Gerbil,

I'm not [trying] to hack my 128bit key... i've already did, anyway am using Cain to sniff passwords over the network not for cracking the web key... and so far didn't work
that is because the hosts on the network are hidden (or as i think every host has its own workgroup [alone in workgroup])... same thing when using ettercap..!!

Member Avatar for gerbil

Ah, ok, you are in.... I have to ask, does your network card support promiscuous mode?

Member Avatar for eagle89

well am not sure what does promiscuous mode means but i thing its about injecting data packets and ARP poisoning...(am I right?? if yes that means my adapter supports promiscuous mode)) anyway I have Alfa 802.11 wifi adapter/interface, rtl8187 driver..

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