802.11 "monitor mode" issues

[Adams, Kevin]

In the man pages of "ifconfig" it states that "monitor"...
"Put the interface in monitor mode. No packets are transmitted,
and received packets are discarded after bpf(4) processing."
 
Now, using
    ifconfig ath0 monitor up
 
does not seem to be doing that.
 
By using
    ifconfig ath0 debug monitor up
 
I get the following (presented in abbreviated form)
--------------------------------
ath0: begin active scan
ath0: sending probe_req to ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff on channel xx (this repeats for
all channels)
 
    during this you get an occasional
ath0: received probe_resp from xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx  rssi xx
    and
ath0: received beacon from xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx rssi xx
 
ath0:    macaddr                    bssid                chan    rssi
rate    flag    wep    essid
  - yy:yy:yy:yy:yy:yy     yy:yy:yy:yy:yy:yy            y        y        y
y       y       y
  + xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx     xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx            x        x        x
x       x       x
 
ath0: sending auth to xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx on channel xx
ath0: receiving auth from xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx rssi xx
ath0: sending assoc_req to xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx on channel x
ath0: received assoc_resp from xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx on channel x
ath0: associated with xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx ssid "x" channel x start xx
---------------------------------
 
Why does it do this, in "monitor mode".  Knowing the above man page
description.
 
Once it associates, it stays there.  No scanning is done.  Am I missing
something?
 
Thanks,

Kevin Scott Adams
Technology Architect
Technology
Compuware Corporation
One Campus Martius
Detroit, MI.  48226 
Direct:              (313) 227-7784
Cellular:             (248) 521-8203
2-Way Pager:     (877) 688-1913
                        8776881913 at archwireless.net
Email:               thekev at compuware.com <mailto:thekev at compuware.com> 

 



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