giskismet

giskismet [-h] [-o output.kml] [-n] [-b] [-B] [-w] [-W] [-s] [-S] [-m max] [-M min] [-z scale] [-Z height] [input.netxml]

-h, --help
    Display help and exit

-i file, --in file
    Input netxml file (default: stdin)

-o file, --out file
    Output KML file (default: giskismet.kml)

-n, --no-fixed
    Exclude fixed-location access points

-b, --beacons-only
    Show only beaconing SSIDs

-B, --bridges
    Include network bridges

-w, --wires
    Include wired device graphs

-W, --gps
    Include GPS track

-s, --strength
    Show signal strength history

-S, --ssid
    Color networks by SSID

-m pixels, --max-height pixels
    Maximum extrusion height in pixels

-M pixels, --min-height pixels
    Minimum extrusion height in pixels

-z factor, --z-scale factor
    Z-axis scale multiplier

-Z meters, --z-fixed meters
    Fixed Z height in meters

giskismet is a utility from the Kismet wireless network detection suite that converts Kismet's netxml dump files into KML format for visualization in Google Earth or compatible viewers. It renders wireless networks, access points, clients, signal strengths, and GPS tracks in 3D, enabling spatial analysis of Wi-Fi deployments.

Kismet captures produce log files via the kismet_dump log type, which giskismet processes to plot fixed-location APs, ad-hoc networks, signal history as extruded polygons, and optional elements like wired bridges or GPS paths. Users enable logging in Kismet with logtypes=netxml, then run giskismet on the resulting files.

Ideal for wardriving analysis, site surveys, or forensic review, it supports coloring by SSID, height scaling for signal visualization, and filtering (e.g., beacons only). Output KML files open directly in Google Earth, providing interactive 3D fly-throughs of network topology.

Requires Kismet netxml dumps; large files may produce huge KMLs slow in viewers.
Deprecated in modern Kismet; use kismetdb_visualize or web UI instead.
GPS data essential for accurate 3D positioning.

giskismet -o networks.kml -s -W dump-YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS.netxml
Generates KML with signal strength and GPS track.

Enable in kismet.conf: logtypes=netxml. Run Kismet, then process logs with giskismet.

Developed as part of Kismet ~2006 by Dragorn (Robin Tapp) for pre-Google Earth alternatives. Integrated into Kismet releases until v2019+, when XML logging phased out for new kismetdb format. Maintained in legacy branches.

kismet(8), kismet_dump(8), kisdb-visualize(8)