Scanning wifi networks channels. Using a Wi-Fi scanner to collect information about wireless networks

To work with large wireless networks, there are a sufficient number of good multifunctional software solutions on the market that allow for comprehensive testing of WiFi networks. However, you will often find it easier to use simpler, free tools to get a quick look at the airwaves during design, deployment, or troubleshooting. We present to your attention an overview of the most interesting free programs for diagnosing WiFi networks.

In this article, we'll introduce you to nine free software tools—most of them running on Windows operating systems, others on macOS or Android—that will give you basic information about existing WiFi signals in range: SSIDs, signal strength , channels used, MAC addresses and types of protection of a particular network. Some can detect hidden SSIDs, determine noise levels, or provide statistics about the successful and unsuccessful packets sent and received on your wireless connection. One of the solutions includes a WiFi password cracking toolkit, which will be extremely useful for finding vulnerabilities and security assessments when testing the hacking resistance of your wireless network.

Note also that most of the tools described below are free versions of commercial solutions distributed by the same vendor, but with reduced functionality.

The Acrylic WiFi Home wireless LAN scanner is a stripped-down version of the commercial solution from Tarlogic Security. Version 3.1, reviewed in this review article, attracts attention, primarily due to the detail of the wireless environment and advanced graphical capabilities for displaying collected information. The functionality of this solution includes: overview of found WiFi networks supporting 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac standards; detecting unauthorized access points and displaying connected clients; scanning and analysis of WiFi channels used by wireless networks at frequencies of 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz; plotting graphs of the received signal level and its power for WiFi access points.

WiFi scanner for Windows Acrylic WiFi Home will allow you to scan and view available wireless networks in real time, provide information about detected WiFi networks (SSID and BSSID), their type of protection and wireless devices currently connected to the network, and will also allow you to get a list of WiFi passwords (set by default by manufacturers) thanks to the built-in plugin system.

As a free product, Acrylic WiFi Home 3.1 has a simple but attractive graphical interface. A detailed list of SSIDs is located at the top of the application. Here, in particular, you can find: negative dBm values for the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI), supported 802.11 standard (including 802.11ac) by access points or WiFi routers, manufacturer name, model and MAC addresses network devices. The solution recognizes the bandwidth being used and displays all channels involved. It doesn't look for hidden SSIDs, but may show them if it detects network data indicating the presence of hidden networks. The application also has functionality for inventorying the operation of WiFi networks, allowing you to assign and save the names of detected SSIDs and / or clients (for the free version, this feature has quantitative restrictions on use).

At the bottom of the application screen, by default, visual rating information is displayed on the network characteristics of the selected SSID. There is also a graph of the signal level and power of all detected access points. When you switch to the advanced mode for displaying the status of wireless networks, you will receive two additional graphs - for the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands - which simultaneously display information about the channels in use, including those combined into one “wide” channel, and signal level data.

Exporting or saving captured data is extremely inconvenient, as the software company decided to cut down this functionality excessively in the free solution: you can copy at most one line of data to the clipboard and then paste the text into a word processing document or spreadsheet. There is also a function for publishing a screenshot on Twitter.

Overall, Acrylic WiFi Home is a good software WLAN scanner, especially considering that it doesn't cost anything. It collects all the basic information about your wireless space and clearly demonstrates the obtained data, both in text and graphical form, which is perfect for simple WiFi network diagnostic tasks. The main disadvantage of this solution can be considered big problems with data export, or rather, the virtual absence of such an opportunity due to the functionality in the free solution that was limited by the manufacturer itself.

AirScout Live (Android)

Greenlee's AirScout Live app turns your Android smartphone into a convenient and portable WiFi network analyzer. AirScout Live has seven operating modes, four of which are completely free to use without any restrictions for Android devices. The commercial version, unlike the free version, is compatible with most desktop computers (Windows) and mobile devices (Android and iOS). With the help of basic functionality, you can quickly, mobilely and, most importantly, solve problems related to insufficient WiFi signal levels in some places in your office or home for free.

AirScout live will show all the characteristics of access points detected within range: from signal strength and security protocols to equipment capabilities. It will allow you to determine the least loaded channel, measure the signal strength at each point of the WiFi network and identify places with insufficient signal strength. Helps identify sources of interference by analyzing channel usage parameters in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. Using the program, you can select the optimal location for access points to ensure the highest quality WiFi network coverage of your premises and configure it for maximum performance without purchasing additional equipment. Additionally, the AirScout app allows you to take pictures of your WiFi network and save them locally or upload them to the cloud.

AirScout Live is very easy to use and requires no additional training. The user interface looks attractive and intuitive. The first two menu items - “AP Graph” and “AP Table” - will provide you with visual and comprehensive information about all the characteristics of access points located in the visibility zone. Access point coverage graphs will visually demonstrate to you the dependence of the signal level of each of them and the congestion of channels in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. Extended information in tabular form about each access point (SSID, Mac address, equipment vendor, channel used, channel width, received signal level in dBm and security settings) is available in the second menu item.

The “Time Graph” item will allow you to see all the access points that your Android device has detected in the observed location, and their graph of signal level changes in dBm with a time reference. So, for example, if you are examining a network that consists of several access points, this information will help you understand what signal strength each of them will have at a given location, and how the client device will switch between them. In addition, selecting a specific access point highlights its signal strength, which helps visual perception of information.

The “Signal Strength” item will allow you to visually test the signal level for each access point over time. You can select a specific SSID and see the current, as well as the minimum and maximum signal level recorded by the device for this access point. The original interpretation of the results obtained in the form of a red-yellow-green speedometer will make it possible to clearly see whether a particular function will work in this particular place or not. For example, a stable signal level in the green zone will tell you that here you will not have problems with resource-intensive technologies such as voice over IP or streaming video in Full HD format. Being in the yellow zone will indicate that only web surfing is available. Well, the red zone will mean big problems with receiving a signal from this access point in a given location.

To use additional functions that are not available in the free version of the software without additional equipment (identifying the most common problems: suboptimal signal coverage or incorrect channel selection; identifying sources of interference, including from “non-WiFi” devices; optimizing WiFi network configurations adjacent to 802.15.4 networks; adjusting WiFi performance by comparing signal strength and usage parameters; Ookla speed test and much more) you will need an AirScout controller or a kit that includes a controller and remote clients.

AirScout Live is an excellent application that, above all, attracts with its portability. Agree, having a tool that will always be at hand is worth a lot. The free version of the product provides you with all the necessary information you may need to quickly analyze the health of small office or home WiFi networks and identify underlying performance problems. An intuitive interface and competent graphic design of the obtained measurement results not only leave a good impression, but also help speed up the work with the application.

Cain & Abel is a multi-purpose application for Windows operating systems for recovering and cracking passwords, which is also equipped with tools for intercepting and analyzing network traffic, including WiFi networks. Like its predecessor (Acrylic WiFi Home), Cain & Abel is a powerful network analyzer capable of capturing and processing most wireless network traffic.

Its graphical interface has a relatively ancient, simplified look. The toolbar (old style with icons at the top of the screen) is used to launch various utilities. Access to the main functional parts of the application is provided through window tabs.

Through the “Wireless” tab we get access to functional tools for analyzing the network traffic of WiFi networks. In addition to the usual information about SSIDs and various signal information, a list and detailed information about connected clients can also be found here. For access points and clients, Cain & Abel provides information about the number of packets detected: all packets, WEP Initialization Vector (WEP IV) and ARP requests. Any hidden SSIDs discovered from the captured packets will be displayed in the GUI. Most of the intercepted statuses and data can be exported to a simple text file.

Despite the enormous functional potential of this solution, shortcomings such as the lack of visual graphs, as well as the inability to recognize 802.11ac access points and determine wider channels, do not allow Cain & Abel to be called the best choice for monitoring and analyzing WiFi networks. This solution is worth paying attention to if your tasks go far beyond simple traffic analysis. With it, you can recover Windows passwords, perform attacks to obtain lost credentials, examine VoIP data on the network, analyze packet routing, and much more. This is a truly powerful toolkit for a system administrator with broad powers.

Ekahau HeatMapper is a mapping software tool for deploying small home-level wireless networks and determining the optimal location for access point installation. This is a simplified free version of professional solutions from Ekahau. This software product provides the same network information as a WiFi wireless network scanner, but also generates a WiFi heat map so you can visualize signal levels. For the purposes of this review, we will focus on version 1.1.4.

The software offers the ability to create a plan or layout of the site being studied, as well as design a wireless network topology using a grid for rough orientation.

The left side of the main UI screen displays a list of wireless networks and their details, sorted by signal, channel, SSID, MAC address, and security type. This list includes basic information, but does not contain signal strength in dBm or percentage. In addition, the application does not recognize networks that support the 802.11ac standard, identifying them as 802.11n.

Using Ekahau HeatMapper, as with other mapping tools, you plot your current location on a map while you walk around a building to generate a heat map of WiFi coverage. Ekahau HeatMapper will automatically calculate the location of access points and place them on the map. Once all the data has been collected, an interactive heat map of WiFi coverage will be generated. So, for example, when you hover the cursor over the access point icon, its coverage will be separately highlighted; and when you hover your cursor over a heatmap area, a tooltip window will appear for the received signal strength indicator with a negative dBm value for that point.

According to reviews, the Ekahau HeatMapper software solution is an overly simplified WiFi mapping scanner: the manufacturers removed almost all additional functionality from the free version, making this solution a truly home version. Additionally, the only option available for exporting or saving is to simply take a screenshot of the map.

However, the Ekahau HeatMapper solution can be used for small networks or to get a basic understanding of how more professional map-based tools work.

Homedale Software Utility is a relatively simple and portable (no installation required) wireless network scanner for Windows (currently version 1.75 available) and macOS (currently available version 1.03) operating systems with an optional command line interface. In addition to displaying basic information about wireless networks and signals, this utility also supports location determination using GPS and other positioning technologies.

This utility has a simple graphical interface that resembles more of a dialog box with several tabs than a full-fledged application. The first tab, Adapters, displays a list of all network adapters, along with their IP gateways and MAC addresses.

The Access Points tab contains a lot of important information. It doesn't list the 802.11 standard for each SSID, but you will find all supported data rates, as well as all channel numbers used by each SSID at a given time, including those with larger channel widths. It also doesn't list hidden networks, but does show other network data that indicates the presence of hidden SSIDs. Also a very useful feature is the ability to save notes for individual SSIDs, which can then be included in any data export.

In the Access Point Signal Graph tab, you will find the change in negative dBm values for the received signal strength metric over time for all selected SSIDs. The implementation of access to this functionality cannot be called very convenient and intuitive - the selection of wireless networks for monitoring and comparison is made by double-clicking on the desired SSID from the list of the previous “Access Points” tab.

The “Frequency of Use” tab illustrates in real time a graphical dependence of the frequencies used by each SSID (for convenience, divided into channels) and signal level values. Channel usage visualizations are displayed for the 2.4 GHz band and each subset of the 5 GHz band. The utility performs its task - visually demonstrates the occupancy of each channel - but it would be more convenient if we had the opportunity to have a single view of the 5 GHz frequency, instead of dividing it into four separate graphs.

In addition, Homedale offers excellent capabilities, as a free app, to export the collected data. Thus, it supports saving the network list in a table form in CSV format, logging the results of each scan (useful if you move while scanning), and also saving an image of each graph.

Despite its very simple graphical user interface, Homedale provides more advanced functionality than you might expect. In addition, I would like to note that, for a free program, the capabilities of recording and exporting data, as well as determining location, are quite impressive.

LizardSystems offers a free version of their WiFi Scanner software for non-commercial use that has the same features and functionality as their paid product. Currently version 3.4 of the solution is available. In addition to the WiFi scanner, this solution also offers excellent analytics and reporting functionality.

The application has a modern graphical interface, intuitive and easy to use. The Scanner tab provides a list of detected SSIDs. In addition to the standard detailed information, you will also find signal strength values in both negative dBm and percentage values. It even shows the number of clients that are connected to each SSID. Also, along with the 802.11 standards specification, the solution can detect and report multiple channels used by any SSID with a larger channel width.

You can use the list of visible SSIDs to filter input based on the following parameters: signal strength, supported 802.11 standard, security types, and used frequency bands. At the bottom of the Scanner tab are graphs that you can switch between. In addition to typical graphs showing signal strength and channels used, visualizations of data rates, channel load and number of clients are also available. The bottom of the screen displays information about the current connection. In the "Advanced Information" tab you will find various data about network activity, up to the number of unprocessed packets.

The Current Connection tab displays more detailed information about the current wireless connection. Here you will access and manage the list of wireless network profiles stored in Windows 10, which may be useful since this latest version of the Windows operating system no longer provides native access and management of this list. The Wireless Statistics tab provides graphs and statistics for various types of packets, both the physical (PHY) layer and the data link (MAC) layer, which will be useful for conducting advanced network analysis.

LizardSystems WiFi Scanner software solution offers advanced exporting and reporting capabilities. Basic functionality allows you to save a list of networks in a text file. Additionally, you can generate reports summarizing the types of networks found in the scan, with all SSID data logged, any comments you added, and snapshots of the graphs. These are pretty impressive features for a freely available WiFi scanner.

In summary, LizardSystems WiFi Scanner really impresses with its functionality, including output filtering and reporting capabilities, as well as advanced information about the data packets being transmitted. It can be an important part of your go-to toolkit for maintaining and testing WiFi networks, but keep in mind that the free license is only available for personal use.

NetSpot (Windows and macOS)

NetSpot is a software solution for researching, analyzing and improving WiFi networks. The commercial version uses mapping tools for thermal visualization of coverage areas, but this is not available in the free version for home use. However, this solution is offered for both Windows and macOS operating networks. In this review article, we will look at NetSpot Free version 2.8 - a free, significantly stripped-down version of the company's paid products for home and corporate use.

The NetSpot Discover tab is a WiFi scanner. Although the GUI is simple, it has a modern look and feel, with the network details of each SSID displayed in bold and clearly visible. Signal levels are shown in negative dBm values (current, minimum and maximum) as well as percentages. Hidden networks are not displayed in the free version, and the ability to export data is not supported (although there is such a button, it is not active).

When you click on the “Details” button at the bottom of the application window, combined graphs of signals and used channels for each WiFi range, generated for the SSID networks selected from the list, are shown. In addition, the signal information of each SSID is displayed in a table view so you can see the exact values received by the application during each scan.

Overall, the free version of NetSpot does a good job of detecting WiFi networks (although it does not support working with hidden networks). And yet, the free solution has very limited functionality, which is eloquently demonstrated by the broken links to a large number of additional features - the inaccessibility of visualizations, the inability to use a heat map, and the lack of export.

WirelessNetView (Windows)

WirelessNetView is a small utility from NirSoft that runs in the background and monitors the activity of wireless networks around you. It is offered free of charge for personal and commercial use. This is a fairly simple WiFi scanner, available in both portable and installable form. For the purposes of this article, version 1.75 is considered.

The WirelessNetView solution's graphical user interface is not very fancy - it's just a window with a list of wireless networks. For each detected network, the following information is available: SSID, signal quality at the current time, average signal quality over the entire observation period, detection counter, authentication algorithm, information encryption algorithm, MAC address, RSSI, channel frequency, channel number, etc. .

Thus, this utility provides signal level indicators in negative dBm values, as well as in percentage terms for the last received signal and the average for the entire observation time. But it would be even better if we also had access to the average values for the RSSI of a particular access point over the entire observation period. Another unique piece of available analytics that WirelessNetView offers is a measure of how often each SSID is detected, which can be useful in certain situations.

Double-clicking on any of the detected wireless networks will open a dialog box with all the information about a particular network, which can be very convenient, since your screen width is clearly not enough to view all the details in the main list. Right-clicking any network in the list allows you to save data for that specific wireless network or all detected networks to text or HTML files. The Options toolbar menu displays some options and additional functionality, such as filtering, MAC address format, and other display preferences.

Please note that this utility lacks a number of advanced features that we expect to see in modern WiFi scanners. First of all, we are talking about a graphical presentation of information, full support for the 802.11ac standard and, accordingly, recognition of all channels occupied by an access point that can use a larger channel width. However, WirelessNetView can still be useful for simple monitoring of wireless networks or small WiFi spaces, especially if you find some of the utility's unique functionality valuable.

Wireless Diagnostics (macOS)

Beginning with OS X Mountain Lion v10.8.4 and later operating systems, Apple provides a Wireless Diagnostics tool. It is more than just a WiFi scanner; it can help detect and fix WiFi connection problems. But the best thing is that it is a native toolkit included in the operating system. For this review, we'll look at the Wireless Diagnostics software solution included with macOS High Sierra (version 10.13).

To get started, press the Option key and then click the Airport/WiFi icon at the top of MacOS. You'll have more detailed information about your current WiFi connection, as well as access to the "Wireless Diagnostics" shortcut.

Opening Wireless Diagnostics will launch a wizard called "Assistant" that may ask for additional information such as the router's make and model, as well as its location. Tests will then be run to detect problems. Once verified, a summary of the results will be shown, and clicking the icon for each result will show expanded details and suggestions.

Although it's not entirely obvious, you also have more tools available to you than just the aforementioned wizard. While the wizard dialog is open, clicking the Window button at the top of the toolbar will provide access to additional utilities.

The Scan utility is a simple WiFi scanner that shows the usual data about detected wireless networks, as well as a brief description of network types and the best channels. One of its main advantages is that it shows noise levels in WiFi channels, which most of the Windows scanners presented in this article do not show. However, it would be more convenient if all channels that use specific SSIDs with a larger channel width were listed, rather than just showing the channel width and the center channel.

The Info utility shows the current network connection and detailed information about the signal characteristics. The “Logs” utility allows you to configure WiFi, EAPOL and Bluetooth diagnostic protocols. The Performance utility shows line graphs of signal and noise, signal quality and data transfer speed of the current connection. The Sniffer utility allows you to capture raw wireless packets, which can then be exported to a third-party packet sniffer.

In summary, the utilities included in the Wireless Diagnostics toolkit of the MacOS family of operating systems are truly impressive, especially when compared to the native wireless toolkit for Windows operating systems. You always have a WiFi scanner at your fingertips (which even shows you noise levels) and packet capture capabilities (with subsequent export options), and their troubleshooting "Assistant" seems really smart. However, to visualize WiFi channels, in our opinion, the channel usage graph is not enough.

Apple also offers an excellent tour and guide to using Wireless Diagnostics for more information.

conclusions

Each of the programs we reviewed for diagnosing WiFi networks has its own advantages and disadvantages. Moreover, all these solutions, judging by user reviews, are worthy of downloading and evaluating in action. The choice of the optimal program for each specific case will be different. So try it!

Search and scan mode

In search mode, within a few seconds you will receive the first data about surrounding wireless networks. And the longer NetSpot works in search mode, the more accurate and complete the data received will be.

Step 3

All found Wi-Fi networks are clearly visible

Search mode in NetSpot 2.x is a separate interactive list with information about all unhidden wireless networks. The list is updated depending on the interval you set, every 5-10-30 seconds. If a network disappears, you will still be able to see it for a while and determine how long ago it disappeared.

Step 4

Scan Wi-Fi networks

To stop scanning, simply click on the "Pause" button in the lower left part of the program window. The scan will be paused until you start it again. If too many found wireless networks are displayed, you can filter them by any parameter or simply exclude them from the general list.

Step 5

Multifunctional radio space scanning

In NetSpot Search Mode, you can configure a list to display the parameters of interest for the found networks; this list is configured by right-clicking on the table header. Typically, users are interested in signal strength, network name, network signal-to-noise ratio, BSSID, channel, mode, security, etc. You can also configure the order in which parameters are displayed: just press and hold the parameter of interest in the table header and move it left/right depending on its priority.

Step 6

Visualization and export

NetSpot provides the ability to visualize and export the received data. To visualize the data, click in the lower left part of the “Details” window, where you can see a graph built in real time and analyze the received data for the network of interest. To export the received data to CSV, click "Export" on the main toolbar.

One of the standard tips on what to do when there are problems with a wireless connection and low Wi-Fi speed is to change the router channel to one that is more free, since the presence of a large number of networks (yours and neighbors) on the same the same channels can lead to poor performance of these networks.

Finding free Wi-Fi channels is quite simple using special programs for analyzing wireless networks. Wi-Fi analysis apps are available for Android and programs for Windows or MacOS. This article will look at the first two options, which will most likely be sufficient. Once you have found a free channel, this may come in handy: .

Finding a free Wi-Fi channel using Android applications

I recommend this particular method of finding a free channel for a router, since most people now have Android phones (tablets will also do), and applications for Wi-Fi analysis on them are completely free and are in Russian (for Windows, these two factors are more difficult) .

Wifi Analyzer

The first and, at the same time, free and simplest application for analyzing Wi-Fi networks, allowing you to find free channels - Wifi Analyzer, available in the Play Store here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com .farproc.wifi.analyzer (be careful, there are many more applications under similar names, this one is fully working and has the best reviews).

After installing and launching the application, click on the eye icon at the top and select “Channel Graph”.

On the graph you will see a representation of your and neighboring networks (keep in mind that a network, say, on channel 6, also affects neighboring channels): their channels and power. At the top left of the graph you can switch the range (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz).

For example, in the screenshot above you can see that three networks are simultaneously located on one (6th) channel, and the freest channels will be channels 9-13 (here it is worth remembering that there are devices that do not see networks on channels after the 10th , and on the router, to be able to select these channels, you need to set the region to the Russian Federation). And the network on channel 3 is quite low-power (the router is probably located far away), i.e. if you choose channel 2-3 with communication, everything will probably be fine.

If you cannot choose the best channel yourself, look at the “channel ratings” (also by clicking on “Eye”). Channels with the most stars are the most preferred.

This is not the only Android application with the ability to view busy and free channels, but there are not many good ones. If you don't mind the English interface, you can also try Fritz App WLAN (available for free on the Play Store) - also a decent tool for analyzing Wi-Fi networks.

Looking for free Wi-Fi channels on a laptop or Windows computer

There are also programs for Windows 10-7 that allow you to analyze wireless networks and find a free Wi-Fi channel.

InSSIDer

The most popular of these programs is InSSIDer, but it is paid. However, by entering your data on the official website https://www.metageek.com/products/inssider/ you can get a trial key for the program for 7 days: this is quite enough to find a free channel. To obtain a trial license, click on the Download Trial button, enter the data and wait for the key to be sent to your email (it may take several minutes: I received it in about 15 minutes).

By launching InSSIDer, you will see a list of wireless networks in two bands, as well as a graph of their distribution by channel and power, similar to what can be seen in WiFi Analyzer.

If desired, you can change the ratio of panel sizes in the program to view in more detail information about available wireless networks and select a free channel for your network.

Acrylic Wi-Fi Home Free

Another similar program for Windows, available free of charge for home use, is Acrylic Wi-Fi Home Free, which can be downloaded from the official website https://www.acrylicwifi.com/ru/

In terms of searching for a free channel, it is very similar to other such programs, but if you want to see a graphical representation of Wi-Fi networks by channel and power, open the program settings menu and turn on Advanced Mode.

After this, you can switch views in the program, including displaying wireless networks with occupied channels for 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz.

As you can see, finding free Wi-Fi channels (if available) is quite simple. But if they are missing, then it might make sense to think about purchasing a router that supports the 5 GHz band, which is still more free.

One of the most interesting programs for analyzing wifi performance is considered to be “wifi analyzer” for Windows.

With its advent, the task of finding channels and problems with them has become much easier.

And today we will look at why such an analyzer is needed and how to use it.

wifi analyzer – what is it?

The analyzer is a program that allows you to scan available networks and analyze the availability of the Internet. Its main task is:

analyze channel distribution;
analyze the signal quality;
carry out interference analysis;
issue a report bypassing analysis tools such as Aircrack.

Similar ones work in a slightly different direction, although they know how to conduct analysis.

You can download the application for free using the play market.

Download

What is wifi analyzer used for?

There are a huge number of programs that offer work on analyzing the Wi-Fi signal. The difference between them is not fundamental.

Somewhere the interface changes a little, somewhere some additional function is present. But the results of everyone’s work are approximately the same - the same tables with conclusions.

Today we will look at a completely new application that can easily make working with wifi easier. It is used for computers and Android phones.

Let's say you installed a router to distribute Wi-Fi in your home. It does not always happen that the settings are carried out efficiently the first time and the signal is received perfectly.

What is this connected with? The neighbors also have Internet, they also have a router and there are several media that can be connected to it.

These are the reason for your troubles with the signal. Simply interference caused by such a device.

The real find is that routers can work not on one channel, but use several of them. This is what an analyzer is required for.

It will help you decide on the most suitable channel that will not respond to extraneous interference.

Advice!

If you have a router in your home, be sure to download a free one or purchase a paid analyzer. You shouldn’t hope that the interference will go away on its own, and you definitely shouldn’t be content with little. Even if, after using the application, you deleted it, for example, to save space. You still have to contact him anyway.

Wi-Fi analyzer - a miracle program

By spending just a few seconds of your time, the user can easily get all the existing information about the fullness of the network and the quality of the received signal.

After checking, the user will have access to two tabs. The first contains data on the quality of the wifi channel.

This window will help you easily decide which of them would be most appropriate to join.

The second tab presents information for each channel individually. With its help, you will receive information about how much the option you are interested in is loaded.

Both pages are presented in table form. All networks are marked with different colors.

To the left of it are written all the found connection options.

In the upper right corner there is a program settings icon.

Advantages of the application and reviews about it

All reviews that were found on the Internet about this application are only positive.

Some users who have installed it on their phone boast that they no longer need to run through the streets looking for free Wi-Fi.

Advantages:

The great advantage of this program is that in a passive state it takes up practically no space;
for it to detect a signal, even its weak manifestation is sufficient;
there is a sensor to determine its strength;

You can turn on the sound. The better the command, the louder its alert sound will sound;
the application is free and accessible to anyone;
provides advisory advice on solving problems that have arisen;
automatically detects the existence of illegal devices and the presence of network vulnerabilities.

Where can I download the program from?

The Wi-Fi analyzer is provided free of charge, and finding it on the Internet is not difficult.

1 For Android phones, it can be found on Google Play. This is the simplest option. It is very easy to do. Type a query like “download Wi-Fi analyzer program from Google Play” in the search bar and the required results will open to you. Follow the link provided by the system. In the application, next to the program we are interested in, there is only one “download” button. So it's impossible to make a mistake here. Click on it and wait for the results. After downloading, follow the system’s recommendations and install the application on your storage device without any problems.

2 On Windows 10, the official download source is the Microsoft website. It's free.

A feature or even a problem for this method is that for a successful result when downloading, you must have Windows at least version ten. If she is not like that, but the application is necessary. You'll have to make an update. If this is not done, downloading will simply be impossible.

Of course, you can install some alternative, for example, inSSIDer (which is paid), or Acrylic WiFi Professional. This is the user's choice.

When you run a network check on your computer, a message will be displayed that will tell you which one is the best option for the given area. It looks like this:

On the screen of an Android-based phone, the information is presented in approximately the same form.

The utility file analyzer is designed for installation on Windows tenth series release. If you have a different version of the software on your computer, tablet or laptop, installation will not be possible.

If you really need this application, you will need to update for Windows or use one of the program’s analogues.

Wifi Analyzer for Windows 10 on your computer looks like this.

– this is an indicator of the sensitivity of the receiver; This indicator displays the weakest signal level at which Wi-Fi operation is possible. For normal operation, the value of this section must be no less than 85 dBm. This indicator is quite enough for the device to work correctly.

– quality of the signal itself;

– network settings;

– mas – address of this network.

Below the scale there is a row of signs that indicate the signal level:

means that the supply is weak;
you chose not the best option among the channels;
the line used does not have access to the Internet;
The Internet is not secure.

A very convenient thing in some computers is the presence of a BSSID. Translated from English, this is a unique number that is assigned to a wireless Internet channel.

If such a function is present on your computer, it becomes possible to configure several access points at once.

One SSID can contain up to four BSSIDs.

What do you need to choose the best channel?

To make such settings, you need to go to the program tab called “Analyze”. Quality indicators of different types of channels will be displayed here.

The designations are deciphered as follows:

Wi-Fi performance of different users who live in the nearby range.
The force with which the apparatus of each of them works.
The channels themselves.

Based on the data in such a table, it is difficult to understand where the largest number of access points are located and to select the best option.

But this is not the most understandable option for ordinary people. It will be much more convenient if you enable the SSID parameter.

Then each line is signed with a specific name, which makes working with it easier.

The application is also very convenient because it not only carries out the analysis, but also displays the result in the form of a table with a rating of channels that are best suited for your device.

What to do if the signal quality has not improved after the settings?

If after all the parameters are set, and the supplied Internet still leaves much to be desired, you need to check the following points:

Try placing your router away from the wall. This will help remove the interference that comes from other people's devices. Moreover, these interruptions do not necessarily come from another router. They can be caused by any technique.
Move the device around the apartment until the best place with the highest quality signal and, accordingly, Wi-Fi speed is found.

Analyzer for Android

After downloading the program, there are no problems with it. To get started, just launch it. A check will begin for available network options and display the results on the screen.

This utility for a mobile phone is the most understandable and acceptable. Another advantage is that it requires virtually no free memory space.

After the analysis, information will appear on how actively this or that network is used in a given territory.

How often does the router operate? This entire history will be displayed in the “properties” and “channels” tabs.

If your settings are similar to the example, this means that the phone you are using is not blocked by any of the available networks. After all, they practically do not intersect with each other.

You can also find out information about how strong a particular signal is.

To do this, go to the “Properties” tab “Channels”. The performance rating will be displayed as stars.

Although such an application will not take up much space in the phone’s memory, after the test is completed, you can simply delete it and, if necessary, download it again. It does not take a lot of time.

On the phone version, there is also a tab with a speedometer, which is responsible for the signal frequency. This feature is very convenient.

To choose the best quality, the user needs to move around the area and pay attention to the arrow indicators.

When she is in her highest place, your search work is done.

Just like in the version for a personal computer, you can enable sound for this page.

Then, as the quality increases, the sound output from the device will also increase.

It is often necessary to quickly check the WiFi signal level in order to select the most free channel with good reception quality. A simple android application Wifi Analyzer is perfect for this task.

With its help, you can easily not only determine free channels, but also check the quality of Wi-Fi reception in different places in an apartment or cafe, or view signal changes over time. After launching, a graph will be visible in the main window of the program, which will display visible wireless networks, the reception level and the channels on which they operate. If they intersect on the graph, this will be clearly displayed.

You can also look at the “rating” of channels, similar to any star ratings, which clearly shows how appropriate it is to choose one or another of them at the moment. Another feature of the application is the analysis of Wi-Fi signal strength. First, you will need to select for which wireless network the test is being performed, and then look at the reception level, while nothing prevents you from moving around the area or checking for changes in the quality of reception depending on the location of the router.

It would also not be amiss to add that our interest in the WiFi network can be not only in passive analysis. Using your mobile phone, you can also try to guess the password for a wireless access point. For this you will need an application called WIBR.

WIBR is a unique application with which you can hack your neighbor’s Wi-Fi and use his Internet for free. This is not a joke, WIBR works on the principle of automatically selecting passwords (brute force) for Wi-Fi, and if the password is simple, then the probability of guessing the password is close to 100 percent.

Vibr supports hacking several Wi-Fi networks at once, and shows information on one screen; when you click on one of the networks, you can see detailed statistics on the progress of work: the number of passwords per minute, how many password options have already been checked and how many are left.

The application supports loading your own dictionaries; to do this, you need to download them (or write all the possible passwords in notepad yourself and save them in txt format), specify the path in the program itself. Especially for our users, we have added more than 10 dictionaries with the most common passwords.