Skip to main content
Airtool 2 can capture Wi-Fi traffic using the built-in Wi-Fi adapter, either on a single channel or across multiple channels. A single channel capture stays on one channel and captures all of its traffic. A multiple channel capture hops between several channels to get a broader view of the Wi-Fi environment, at the cost of missing some traffic on each channel while hopping.

​
Capture on a single channel

Single channel captures can be done by choosing Capture on from the Airtool 2 menu. When the adapter is associated to a network, Airtool 2 will disconnect the adapter, put it into monitor mode, and then start the capture using the channel and channel width currently in use by the Wi-Fi interface. To capture using a different channel or channel width, select the desired combination from Capture on Other 2.4 GHz, Capture on Other 5 GHz, or Capture on Other 6 GHz in the Airtool 2 menu.
Capturing on 6 GHz channels is available on Mac computers with Wi-Fi 6E support only.

​
Capture on multiple channels

Multiple, non-simultaneous, channel captures can be done by selecting Capture on All Channels and then choosing the desired band(s) from the Airtool 2 menu.
Multiple channel captures are not available on Mac computers with the Apple M1 chip.
When doing a multiple channel capture, Airtool 2 iterates (hops) over the list of selected channels using a dwell time of 250 ms. The dwell time is the amount of time Airtool 2 will listen on a channel before switching to the next channel. The channel dwell time can be changed by going to the Airtool 2 menu bar extra > Settings > Advanced. The minimum dwell time is 100 ms.
Because Airtool 2 is hopping between channels, not all traffic will be captured. Capturing on multiple channels is usually done to get a general overview of the Wi-Fi environment or to meet particular troubleshooting requirements.
For any option that includes the 5 GHz band, all channels (UNII-1, UNII-2A, UNII-2C, UNII-3, and UNII-4) are considered by default for a multiple channel capture. You can deselect a band by going to the Airtool 2 menu bar extra > Settings > Advanced. For any option that includes the 6 GHz band, all channels (UNII-5, UNII-6, UNII-7, and UNII-8) are considered by default for a multiple channel capture. You can deselect a band by going to the Airtool 2 menu bar extra > Settings > Advanced. When you choose 6 GHz (PSC only), only the Preferred Scanning Channels (PSC) in the selected UNII bands are used for capturing.
Multiple channel captures can only be done using 20 MHz channel width.
When the capture is done, Airtool 2 will automatically set the channel and channel width back to what it was set before the capture started.

​
See also