The invention relates to a running status monitoring method for a wireless sensor network. A root node, a complex functional node and a common functional node perform wireless ad hoc communication by adopting the same wireless communication system, a monitoring node does not participate in networking on the laying site of the wireless sensor network, wireless communication information sent by other wireless node is monitored at each frequency point or frequency band, query information is sent to a wireless sensor network node, current network topology or network status information is acquired, the reasonability of network construction is analyzed, and a basis is provided for test and planning of the wireless sensor network. By adopting the method, the current network environment can be acquired when equipment is laid, and the situation of some specific equipment in the network can be mastered.