How to set up Edimax usb wifi for packet capture

Hi, using inSSIDer to optimize my WFH network ( :slightly_smiling_face:) :slightly_smiling_face:. Bought the recommended Edimax EW7833 USB wifi adapter but don’t know how to set it up for packet capture. Help please!

  • Dave

Hi Dave,

Excellent! The Edimax adapter should be plug and play, no outside drivers needed. Since you already have MetaGeek Plus via trial, the only other thing you will need to do is run inSSIDer as an administrator. To do this, you can right click on the inSSIDer application > Properties > Compatibility > Run this program as admin.

If that doesn’t help, can you send a screenshot of the application?

according to the mfg the 7833 was not on the win10 plug’n’play list, latest was the 7822. so i dragged out the external bluray drive and ran the installer from the CD. I think it worked OK, but I don’t know how to set the individual adapter settings to keep my built-in adapter as primary for the laptop’s connection and then put the Edi in “capture mode”. When I plug Eddy (that’s his name now) to the USB 3.0 port it seems like it wants to take over as the primary wifi connection; I’m assuming that’s not what I want it to do…

sorry for the noob questions. I’m not a pro, just know enough to be really dangerous

Hi Dave,

You won’t need the vendor drivers installed for the Edimax to work as a packet capture adapter in inSSIDer. inSSIDer will overwrite the correct drivers across it upon opening up as an admin. You may have to uninstall those vendor drivers if it doesn’t appear to be working correctly in inSSIDer.

You will see [packets] next to the Edimax adapter at the bottom of inSSIDer if it’s working correctly, like this:

Screen Shot 2020-04-16 at 3.46.12 PM

Let me know if this helps!

ok I’ll give it a try. Should I launch inSSIDer as admin first, before plugging Eddy in?

Should I launch inSSIDer as admin first, before plugging Eddy in?

I recommend plugging the adapter in first and then opening inSSIDer as an admin.

that did it, thanks!

Took me awhile but if you install it right you can actually use the device driver for the Edimax as a second Wifi adapter when its not being used by inssider… Advantage is that, its actually a really good wifi adapter …seems that inssider will unload the packet capture driver and revert to the regular driver IF its been installed before… Con is it can be tricky to update the regular USB driver and not switch to the packet driver… Still need to run the app as admin for it to work…

-J

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