WiFi-enabled devices broadcast a vast amount of data without being associated to any access points. To study and analyze this data, a generic passive WiFi tracking system called Probr was developed. Probr manages various types of WiFi capturing devices, collects captured WiFi traces, processes collected WiFi traces, and visualizes WiFi activities via its Web interface. Probr supports several on-line analysis use cases and is extensible with respect to custom storage solutions to fit further use cases. Thus, Probr is the first system of that kind known, enabling full device administration and provided completely as Open Source. A case study conducted demonstrates the capabilities of Probr for use cases such as room utilization estimation, indoor device localization, tracking a person’s presence between multiple Probr-equipped locations, and analysis of device vendor preferences.
This paper was presented at the 41st IEEE Conference on Local Computer Networks (LCN).