CLI Usage¶

Gatenet provides a powerful, modular command-line interface (CLI) for diagnostics, service discovery, and network utilities. The CLI is designed for extensibility, colorized output, robust error handling, and highly configurable output and behavior via command-line arguments.

Overview¶

The CLI is available as the gatenet command after installation:

gatenet --help

This will display a colorized help message with all available commands and options, including global and command-specific arguments for output format, color, verbosity, and more.

Available Commands¶

iface: List network interfaces and their details. Supports –output-format, –color, –verbosity, and –default to select the default interface.
wifi: Scan for available WiFi networks (SSID, signal, security). Supports –output-format, –color, –verbosity, and –interface to select the WiFi adapter.
ping: Send ICMP echo requests to a host (sync/async). Supports –output-format, –color, –verbosity, and –count for number of pings.
trace: Perform a traceroute to a host. Supports –output-format, –color, –verbosity, and –max-hops for hop limit.
dns: Perform DNS lookups and reverse lookups. Supports –output-format, –color, –verbosity, and –server for custom DNS server.
ports: Scan TCP/UDP ports on a host. Supports –output-format, –color, –verbosity, and –ports for port selection.
hotspot: Create and manage Wi-Fi hotspots. Supports start, stop, status, devices, and password generation with comprehensive security and network configuration options.

Each command supports –help for detailed usage and options:

gatenet iface --help
gatenet wifi --help
gatenet ping --help
gatenet trace --help
gatenet dns --help
gatenet ports --help
gatenet hotspot --help

All commands support the following global arguments:

–output-format [table|plain|json]: Select output style (default: table)
–color [true|false]: Enable or disable colorized output (default: true)
–verbosity [0|1|debug|info]: Control verbosity level (default: 1)

Command-specific arguments:

iface: –default [iface_name] to show a specific interface first
wifi: –interface [adapter] to select WiFi adapter
ping: –count [N] to set number of pings
trace: –max-hops [N] to set hop limit
dns: –server [address] to use a custom DNS server
ports: –ports [list] to specify ports to scan
hotspot: –ssid [name], –password [pass], –security [type], –interface [adapter], –ip-range [range], –gateway [ip], –channel [num], –hidden, –length [N] for password generation

Example Usages¶

List network interfaces (table output, color):

gatenet iface --output-format table --color true

Scan WiFi networks (plain output, no color):

gatenet wifi --output-format plain --color false

Ping a host (JSON output, 4 pings):

gatenet ping 8.8.8.8 --count 4 --output-format json

Traceroute (max 20 hops):

gatenet trace google.com --max-hops 20

DNS lookup (custom DNS server):

gatenet dns google.com --server 1.1.1.1

Port scan (scan specific ports):

gatenet ports 127.0.0.1 --ports 22,80,443 --output-format plain

Hotspot Management¶

Generate a secure password for hotspot use:

gatenet hotspot generate-password --length 16 --output json

Check hotspot status:

gatenet hotspot status --output table

Start a Wi-Fi hotspot (requires root privileges):

gatenet hotspot start --ssid MyHotspot --password securepass123 --security wpa2

Stop the hotspot:

gatenet hotspot stop

List connected devices:

gatenet hotspot devices --output table

Advanced hotspot configuration:

gatenet hotspot start --ssid MyNetwork --password mypass123 --security wpa3 --interface wlan0 --ip-range 192.168.10.0/24 --gateway 192.168.10.1 --channel 11 --hidden

Features¶

Colorized, user-friendly output (using Rich)
Robust error handling and clear error messages
Configurable output formats: table, plain, JSON
Verbosity control for debug/info output
Modular command structure for easy extension
All commands use only internal gatenet modules
Command-specific options for advanced usage

Hotspot Management Features¶

The hotspot command provides comprehensive Wi-Fi access point management:

Actions Available: - start: Create and start a Wi-Fi hotspot - stop: Stop the running hotspot - status: Check current hotspot status - devices: List connected devices - generate-password: Generate secure passwords

Security Options: - WPA2/WPA3 encryption support - Open network option (not recommended) - Hidden SSID capability - Secure password generation with customizable length

Network Configuration: - Custom SSID names - Configurable IP ranges and gateways - Wi-Fi channel selection - Network interface selection - DHCP server management

Output Formats: - Rich table format with colorized output - JSON format for scripting and automation - Plain text for simple parsing

Requirements: - Root/administrator privileges for starting/stopping hotspots - Compatible network interface (typically wlan0 on Linux, varies on other platforms) - Platform-specific hotspot capabilities

Security Best Practices: - Always use WPA2 or WPA3 encryption - Generate strong passwords (12+ characters) - Avoid broadcasting hidden networks unnecessarily - Monitor connected devices regularly - Stop hotspots when not in use