Getting Started with Wardriving — Hardware, Software, and Field Tips

Wardriving is one of the oldest and most active hobbies in the wireless research community. The concept is simple: move through an area while scanning for Wi-Fi networks, log what you find with GPS coordinates, and submit that data to a mapping platform. It's legal when done passively — you're not connecting to any networks, just detecting their existence.

What you need to start

Hardware

At minimum you need:

• A Wi-Fi scanning device (phone, laptop, or dedicated hardware)
• A GPS source for location tagging
• Storage for the logs

Dedicated wardriving hardware like the SigBin Labs BW20-07s WarDriver handles all three in a single compact device — onboard Wi-Fi scanning, GPS module, and SD card storage. No laptop or phone required.

Software

If you're using a phone:

• WiGLE WiFi Wardriving (Android) — free, uploads directly to WiGLE
• WiFi Analyzer apps for quick scans

If you're using dedicated hardware like the BW20-07s, the device logs directly to an SD card in a compatible format for WiGLE and wdgwars submission.

WiGLE — the wardriving database

WiGLE (Wireless Geographic Logging Engine) is the largest public database of observed wireless networks. After a wardrive session, you upload your log file to wigle.net and your observations are added to the global map.

Your stats are tracked — total networks found, rank, and coverage area. Many wardrivers compete to top the leaderboards.

wdgwars — wardriving competitions

wdgwars is a wardriving competition platform where participants compete to find the most unique networks in a given period. Your BW20-07s log files are compatible with wdgwars submission format.

Competitions typically run weekly or monthly. Your score is based on unique network discoveries — the more ground you cover, the better your chances.

Field tips for beginners

• Drive slowly through residential areas — more time scanning = more networks logged
• Vary your routes — hitting the same street twice won't add new networks
• Mount your hardware on the dashboard for clear GPS signal
• Let the device run continuously — even idle streets contribute unique BSSIDs
• Upload frequently — wdgwars competitions reward early submission

Is wardriving legal?

Passive scanning — detecting and logging networks without connecting to them — is legal in most countries including the US, UK, and Philippines. You are not accessing any network. You are observing radio signals that broadcast publicly.

Always check local laws before wardriving. SigBin Labs hardware is intended for lawful, authorized research use only.