Is there any way to detect other wifi devices in the area as they poll for wifi networks?
We are in the process of developing a presence analytics platform, so signal strength from other devices would be especially beneficial.
Does photon provide for such capabilities at this time and if so, can anyone please steer us in the right direction?
Have you had a look at the docs (Reference - WiFi section)?
Hi Scruff… I’ve had a look but as I understand it those examples discuss scanning for other available wifi networks, not listening for other wifi devices (like iPhones) scanning for available wifi networks.
Perhaps there is a way to do this at a lower assembly or C level?
Maybe if you could explain how you might do what you want to do on a PC or laptop, we could figure out what you want.
Right now, it seems like you want to find out if your phone has joined the same network as your Photon. This is possible by port scanning every host or waiting for mDNS messages for some phones or other techniques, but the details matter a great deal. If you don’t own the network, the people that do own it might take port scanning as a serious security matter, for instance.
Hi bko,
Apologies let me rephrase:
We would like to scan the airwaves for wifi beacons from other wifi devices.
For example, my iPhone will actively seek wifi networks without my intervention. We can (with other devices) pick up my iPhone’s signal and know that my iPhone is in the building without actually serving any WiFi service or engaging with a connection.
So it is not about sniffing traffic content per se (security) but instead awareness of presence (privacy). The legalities of this are not in question in the venues that these solutions will be deployed.
Ideally, the photon would plug into a PC usb port for power and internet access for reporting purposes.