Private testing · The honest bits

Don’t live with hardship.
Report the bug.

If something crashes, gets in your way or makes you keep repeating a workaround, tell me. You don’t have to decide whether it’s a “real bug” before speaking up. A confusing label, a missing option and a workflow that fights you are useful feedback too.

Report a beta bug ↗Email Tom →

The beta board needs tester access. If you can’t sign in or the problem prevents you from getting that far, email me. Please don’t quietly live with something I might be able to fix.

The wireless adapter matters.

Your adapter, driver and operating system determine which wireless measurements AirWitness can see. Different hardware can produce different levels of detail. A missing measurement should stay missing, rather than turn into a convincing guess.

Check that you’re looking at the intended adapter and that its vendor driver is current. If a reading seems wrong, unexpectedly disappears or doesn’t match what you’re seeing, report it.

In builds that include Hardware profile…, you’ll find it in Wi-Fi Monitor and under Help. It shows the wireless model and available driver details alongside the OS/app version. You can review, copy or save it; Send profile is a separate choice. The profile has no account, license or installation ID. A submitted configuration helps us learn what people use; it does not automatically become verified compatibility.

A few Mac differences to know.

Network names missing? Check macOS Location permission. Local Network permission may also be needed for local probes and services.
Packet capture needs access. Use AirWitness’s capture-access setup when your build offers it. The one-time administrator approval is for capture permissions. Protocol analysis needs Wireshark’s tshark; ordinary capture is not a promise of monitor-mode radio capture.
Some Windows tools have no Mac equivalent yet. Windows event-log connection stories, MAC-address changes and Enterprise 802.1X profile setup are not implemented on Mac. Use macOS or your administrator to configure enterprise Wi-Fi.
Passphrases and updates differ. Windows-saved Wi-Fi passphrases don’t move to Mac. On the Mac, AirWitness saves them encrypted with a key kept in your login Keychain. It never shows a Keychain prompt: if the Keychain is locked, the passphrase simply isn’t saved. Mac updates are manual for now—download new builds from your beta dashboard.

The Apple Silicon Mac edition is still in private testing. Native testing on an M1 MacBook Air does not certify every Mac, adapter or workflow. The Mac setup notes keep the practical details together.

Captures and investigations have limits.

Capture tools need the right interface and permissions. A very short capture may not contain enough traffic to support a useful conclusion. Keep the original observations with the finding, and tell me when a result needs a better explanation.

Relay’s device and command support varies by plugin and equipment. If your kit is missing, a sanitized show tech and a detailed CLI guide give me something useful to work with. Legacy connection options also deserve an informed choice; Relay’s security indicators explain the connection you actually negotiated.

What makes a useful bug report?

What were you trying to do?
What did you expect, and what happened instead?
Which app version and operating system were you using?
Can you repeat it? A few steps, a sanitized screenshot or the relevant error can help.

For wireless trouble, a reviewed hardware profile can help. Don’t include passwords, tokens, customer information or unredacted network evidence. Project archives, Scratch Pad notes and exported reports are not encrypted; check what’s in them before sharing.

The beta feedback board is visible to approved participating testers and staff. Send sensitive support material directly to me instead. The privacy policy explains crash reports, optional hardware profiles and what the services keep.

Got an idea rather than a bug?