If your target password is likely less than the max supported by an optimized kernel, adding "-O" to your command line will be significantly faster. This max value varies from hashtype to hashtype - check the output for the "Maximum password length supported by kernel" value when you run with or without -O.
If the system is non-interactive and you can use all resources for cracking, '-w 4' will also increase speed.
Use hashcat's mask and/or incremental syntax to be as precise with hashcat as you were with crunch. For example, if you need lengths 5 through 7 inclusive of all digits, lower, upper, and special:
hashcat --increment --increment-min 5 --increment-max 7 ?a?a?a?a?a?a?a
This will make hashcat run through the following three masks, in order:
?a?a?a?a?a (five)
?a?a?a?a?a?a (six)
?a?a?a?a?a?a?a (seven)
If the system is non-interactive and you can use all resources for cracking, '-w 4' will also increase speed.
Use hashcat's mask and/or incremental syntax to be as precise with hashcat as you were with crunch. For example, if you need lengths 5 through 7 inclusive of all digits, lower, upper, and special:
hashcat --increment --increment-min 5 --increment-max 7 ?a?a?a?a?a?a?a
This will make hashcat run through the following three masks, in order:
?a?a?a?a?a (five)
?a?a?a?a?a?a (six)
?a?a?a?a?a?a?a (seven)
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