Get an app that fixes WiFi
WiFi is something we all take advantage of, day to day, which makes it frustrating when your WiFi signal isn't reliable. Like so much technology we use often, we expect WiFi to just work!
But it doesn’t always “just work,” and finding the answers for why your WiFi is failing or not as performant can be confusing. Not to worry – we’ve got you covered. Here we’ll discuss the best Mac WiFi analyzer apps, why you should have a WiFi analyzer for Mac, and what a great analyzer can do for you.
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- Here we are overviewing 5 best WiFi analyzer apps highlighting their pros and cons: NetSpot – WiFi analyzer app for macOS offers the most visual and convenient heat maps and more. WiFi Scanner – WiFi analyzer app for Mac that also detects access points and clients in ad-hoc mode in case the SSID is broadcasted.
What is WiFi Analyzer?
Here’s a scenario we’ve all run into often: our Mac or iPhone says it has a WiFi signal, but you can’t get online. There’s a WiFi available, and your device is accessing it, but nothing is happening.
Sometimes it’s your internet service provider; the company you get internet access through may be experiencing difficulties or disruptions, which can affect you. More often, it’s your WiFi signal that’s having issues. Something about the signal getting from the router in your home or via public WiFi is causing your signal to become unreliable, which can render you unproductive.
A WiFi analyzer helps you diagnose what the issue really is without toggling your computer or router off. While the ‘turn it off and on’ ethos often works, it’s not always indicative of what’s going on. With a proper wifi analyzer Mac computers can stay online via the strongest signal available.
Reasons why you might need to use WiFi Analyzer App
You may be wondering why you need a Mac OS WiFi analyzer. Finding the best wifi analyzer Mac computers can use will help you stay online, discover why your internet signal is poor, and how to fix it quickly.
Here are a few reasons to get a WiFi analyzer for your Mac:
- Your home WiFi has dead spots. As you use your Mac around the home, you notice videos don’t stream clearly in some spots, or web pages don’t load as quickly.
- Your Mac says you have a WiFi connection, but nothing is happening. We’ve all been there: your Mac says you’re connected to the internet, and your router indicates everything is fine – but pages won’t load and email isn’t coming through.
- You have multiple WiFi signals available. Sometimes there are multiple signals available to you, but knowing which is best can be a guessing game. With a WiFi scanner Mac devices can analyze signal strength and reliability with ease. When your device knows WiFi signal strength Mac lets you switch signals easily; and a WiFi scanner tells you in real time if something changes with an internet connection.
Best WiFi Analyzers for macOS
Okay, now that you know why you want a WiFi analyzer for your Mac – which are the best?
There’s no single solution. Everyone’s needs are unique, and finding the right WiFi analyzer may take a bit of trial and error – but don’t worry, we’ve got some great advice for you. Here are some excellent services and apps for analyzing and troubleshooting your Mac’s WiFi connectivity.
Mac Wireless Diagnostics Tool
Your Mac has a built-in wireless diagnostics tool that does a serviceable job of monitoring your WiFi signal. It’s a bit hidden, though, so carefully follow the instructions below to use it:
- Hold down the option key on your Mac keyboard, and select the WiFi icon in your Mac’s menu bar (Note: You can also press command+space and enter “wireless diagnostics” into Siri Spotlight Search to open your Mac’s wireless diagnostics tool.)
- Select “Open Wireless Diagnostics” from the menu
- In the ensuing popup window, select “Continue”
Your Mac will analyze your WiFi signal strength, and discover if it is working properly. If it isn’t working as your Mac feels it should, it will produce a report of all the things wrong with it at the time the tool was run, and create a summary of topics you should read up on (like “best practices”) or items that may fix your signal.
As you can imagine, this is limiting. Not only does the report only examine a snippet of time, it takes a long while to produce a report, which doesn’t give you a real time look at how your WiFi signal is performing. By the time your Mac is done creating a report on why the WiFi signal is poor, that same signal could have improved!
There are some impressive apps that do a much better job of analyzing, troubleshooting, and diagnosing your Mac’s WiFi in real-time.
NetSpot
When you’re analyzing a WiFi signal, chances are you’re met with a lot of data that’s difficult to make sense of. NetSpot has all of that data, too, but has one of the best visual representations of your Mac’s WiFi signal strength we’ve ever seen.
NetSpot’s main menu shows you a network’s name, channel, band, and other items like it’s signal to noise ratio. These are all really handy bits of data when you know what you’re looking for, but sometimes a visual aide is better.
Selecting a WiFi signal and selecting ‘details’ on the bottom left of the NetSpot window brings up a real time visual representation of that signal’s strength. You can also select multiple WiFi signals to compare them side by side on this evolving graphic; a great option for those with multiple signals or channels available in their home!
Another excellent feature of NetSpot is its ability to map your home, and discover dead spots for WiFi coverage. Rather than assuming why your signal strength is diminished in an area, NetSpot lets you know exactly where it’s not as great throughout your home!
WiFi Explorer
Where NetSpot has unique windows for visual graphics and data, WiFi Explorer keeps it all in one window so you don’t have to navigate. It uses familiar side bar options for discovering more about a signal, or navigating the app – but it’s main information window is where all the data is displayed.
You will see all of the data you’re looking for, like channel, signal strength, bands, and even the maximum speeds the band is capable of. Selecting a new WiFi signal automatically triggers the visual graphics at the bottom of the window to display that signal’s data in a morphing graph. You can even select bars on the center graph to change the view in the signal-strength app on the left side; a great option for those with mesh networks who are experiencing poor signal performance when they shouldn't be.
iStumbler
iStumbler is another great app for discovering which WiFi networks are available to you, and getting detailed information on their signal strength, including the signal to noise ratio for each signal. The app also has a great map view that shows you where routers are placed, providing a holistic view of how WiFi in your area is laid out, and where you may find the best signal.
WiFi Scanner
Another native Mac app, WiFi Scanner is much like WiFi Explorer in that it provides a single window that displays all the information about available WiFi signals in your area. It also has graphs to view when you’re more interested in visual aides, and allows you to toggle the information seen on-screen to suit your needs.
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Monitor your Network connections
Sometimes you don’t need a ton of info, but you need to know why your WiFi is underperforming quickly. That’s where iStat Menus steps in. It lives in your menu bar, and provides quick-glance access to information like CPU performance, battery health, and yes – network performance.
iStat Menus has drop-down menus that provide high-level information about your WiFi signal, and hovering over items can surface even more sub-menus with additional data. Though it lives in your menu bar, iStat Menus can actually give some pretty granular detail on how your WiFi is performing. The menu bar icons show you upload and download speeds, too.
Conclusion
WiFi shouldn’t be a mystery. We tend to think of it as a thing that should ‘just work’ but it often doesn’t. Simple fixes like unplugging the modem and router for a short time may work, but they’re not indicative of what the problems are.
Instead, find a WiFi analyzer app that suits your needs, and offers the features you want. So often, simply switching to a better WiFi signal is the fix you need.
The apps mentioned here today – WiFi Explorer, iStat Menus, and NetSpot – are all available for free as part of a seven day trial of Setapp, an amazing suite of productivity apps for your Mac. In addition to these three apps, you’ll get immediate access to nearly 200 other native Mac apps, and retaining unlimited access to the full Setapp suite after your trial period is just $9.99 per month, so why wait? Give Setapp a try!
Meantime, prepare for all the awesome things you can do with Setapp.
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After getting done with the list of Wifi Analyzer for mobile phones, it is the time to look for Wifi analyzer windows. In this very section, I am going to talk about the best wifi scanning and analyzing tools available for windows as well as Macs too.
10 Best Wifi Analyzer Windows or MAC
For the platforms like Mac and Windows, users should use reliable and trusted Wifi Analyzer that can provide better and improved analyzing results. Keeping that in mind, I am mentioning the best Wifi analyzer for Windows which I am sure you would feel useful content. Do not forget to check your system compatibility before deciding to install.
1. Wifi Commander
Website:https://wificommander.com
One of the most advanced and highly reliable option under this list of Wifi analyzer windows is Wifi Commander. This is the best wifi analyzer which scans the entire space around you for all the Wifi networks available within your reach.
Wifi Commander displays the channel distribution in the form of 3D analysis which gives an opportunity to go for detailed study of the networks. The real-time analysis helps you to find the best network results in just no time.
However, a little heartbreak for the users is that you cannot download it for free from the Windows Store as it costs $3.99 as a one-time fee but I think it is quite affordable. Apart from the scanning and analyzing process, Wifi Commander also filters and sort the networks on the basis of multiple aspects.
Another interesting thing about this app is that it is extremely light weight like 4-5 MB and hence it does not affect the rest of the performance of your system. And the best features are no-ads, less used channels display, multiple wifi adapter support and many more in the row.
Compatible with:
2. Wifi Analyzer and Scanner
Website:https://www.microsoft.com/en-in/store/p/wifi-analyzer-and-scanner/
This is the same android wifi analyzing app which people uses a lot to increase their smartphone’s network connectivity and analysis. Now, it is the time to use the same app for your Windows platform too. Being an excellent Wifi Analyzer Windows, you get so many advantages with this app.
Interestingly, and much to your amazement, Wifi Analyzer and Scanner is a free to use app which means you get to use amazing features for absolutely nothing.
Trusted by over 1 million users around the world, this app has great features to offer the users. Some of them are determination of best Wifi sources in your area, history graph for various channels, complete information about each wifi channel, signal strength analysis etc.
There is a pro version of this app too but it is for the Android platform only. Talking about the compatibility of wifi analyzer Windows 10 then the beta version works effectively with it and you can use the usual one for Windows 8. This app offers less features than most of others but still I think it is quite an appropriate pick under this category.
Compatible with:
3. InSSIDer Office
Website:https://www.metageek.com/products/inssider/
InSSIDer Office is a type of premium service available for the list of wifi analyzer windows. From sorting out the wifi issues to stabilizing your network to enjoy the best speed possible, InSSIDer can do it all for you. However, there is only one catch that it is not free to use.
There are various plans for this program which are available with different features and available on a range of $149, $249 and $649.
You should know that InSSIDer is suitable for commercial and office use only so if you want to use it for more professional purpose then it is perfect for you. Talking about the features of this program then there are plenty of them.
Its features are faulty network configuration, reduces wifi interference from neighboring connections, determines wifi coverage area, Wi-Spy technology to view wireless interference, best channel determination according to your need, auto-optimization and many more.
As you upgrade with the plan, you get better and more advanced features served to you. This is a perfect tool which must be purchased for office uses.
Compatible with:
4. NetSpot
Website:https://www.netspotapp.com/
NetSpot is quite like InSSIDer in terms of working and nature because it is also used for more professional use than naïve. Although it is less official than the former one and hence available for much lower prices than the one I listed above.
However, thankfully apart from being a perfect Wifi analyzer for windows it is also a great Mac wifi analyzer too which is available for free.
If you want then you can upgrade anytime you want with plans like Home for $49, Pro for $149 and Enterprise for $499 as a one-time fee. Now, it is the time to focus on the features and services provided by this analyzer app. These are real-time wifi networks detection and configuration, coverage graphs with heatmap technology, customizable reports etc.
Now, coming on to the technical features provided by this Wifi analyzer windows then these are performance, capacity and Aps configuration, determination of least occupied network, historical data, in-depth network surveys and scanning and many more others. You are going to get even better features when you upgrade to paid plans.
Compatible with:
5. Vistumbler
Website:https://www.vistumbler.net/
Vistumbler is an open source wifi analyzer windows in this list. Released in 2015, it supports Windows Vista, 7 and 8. Unfortunately, Windows 10 users would have to get disappointed here. Now, the most basic work of this wifi analyzer is to gather information about all the access points around you through Windows Native Wifi API.
You must have not known about it but Vistumbler uses great technology and uses Google Earth Tracking in real time to determine the complete information about a network and all the nearby connections.
In fact, it also uses voice mode too where it speaks about the signal strength of each network so you can which one to choose amongst all. By utilizing the GPS connectivity, it is just a matter of some seconds for Vistumbler to determine all the networks and access points around a person.
However, to make most of this program, you should disconnect from every network to make the interface clean for it. Apart from it, other general features of this software are multiple language support, graphical representation, determine networks and list them in an increasing strength manner etc.
Compatible with:
6. Wifi Scanner
Website:http://wifiscanner.com/wifiscanner.html
Apart from supporting Windows platform, Wifi Scanner works as an excellent wifi analyzer Mac too. This is a product by developer AccessAgility which works with a simple interface platform to let users use it in the best and simplest way possible.
Apart from the free version you can buy it for $14.99 too which has upgraded features and better wifi analyzing services for professional use. I think it is quite an affordable pricing considering its comparison to other wifi analyzers.
The simple process used by Wifi Scanner is to scan all the access points around you and view their signal strength and other aspects. Now, after a detailed comparative analysis, they suggest the best network to you keeping in mind your location too.
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Apart from Wifi scanner is a great aid in troubleshooting problems determination and resolving too. Other features of this Wifi analyzer windows are filtering options, 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz graphs, signal interference, speed test and signal performance, save and import the scanning sessions for historical data and many more.
Compatible with:
7. Wifi Analyzer
Website:https://www.acrylicwifi.com/
Developed by Matt Hafner, Wifi Analyzer is a free to use service for determining the best networks in your area and the issues arising in between. Use it on PC or Windows based phone, it works efficiently on both the platform.
Apart from the free version, Wifi Analyzer also offers in-app purchase too charging $2 only for providing some high-end features.
People usually uses this wifi analyzer windows for determining the issues related to connectivity and authenticity of a network. Other uses are to find the best wifi channel amongst all, converts your PC into a wifi analyzer to give full-fledged access.
Pro features of this app are real-time report, filtering, lock screen rotation, change signal strength borders, signal strength notification etc. Other simple features involve best network recommendations, detailed information of a network including IP address, speed testing, theme customization etc.
Compatible with:
8. Wifi Monitor
Website:https://www.microsoft.com/en-in/store/
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Unfortunately, Wifi Monitor is not a free to use windows app and you would have to buy it for mere $2 before downloading it. From wifi hotspots to LAN to other types of wifi channels, this wifi analyzer for Windows determines them all for its users and brings them down in the form of a detailed report.
Apart from working on the other networks and their information, Wifi Monitor keeps a check on your settings too so that you can get the best of your device.
One thing which you will absolutely love about Wifi Monitor is that it is absolutely ads free which means no annoying flashes every now and then. You can speed test your network and others too, a complete wifi info provides you the authenticity confirmation too.
This wifi Analyzer windows is something which is the desired product for every user wanting a perfect analyzing program for their network connections. Other features of Wifi Monitor are network information and channel usage for best possible wifi channel for you, graphical representation, direct connection to a wifi within the app and many more.
Compatible with:
9. Wi-Fi Tool
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Website:http://wifi-tool.com/
Wifi Tool comes under the highly rated wifi analyzing tool for the Windows platform. It is compatible to Windows 10 only and makes one of the best option considering the current trend and technology. It has two versions free and the other one that costs $2.49 only as a one-time fee.
When compared to the other options of wifi analyzer windows in this list, you are going to realize that Wifi Tool is a much powerful program than the former one.
Some of the highlights about this analyzing software/program are modern interface and attractive UX design, 2D as well as 3D visuals, signal monitor with real-time updates, complete signal history of all the past scans, traffic statistics and many more.
I really loved that Wi-Fi Tool is quite impressive in terms of its approach towards modern day wifi analyzing process and how they have amazingly organized everything together.
Compatible with:
10. Wireshark
Website:https://www.wireshark.org/
The last Windows wifi analyzer in this list is Wireshark. Despite being a highly upgraded app than most options, it is a completely free to use platform. You can download it for both 64 bit and 32 bit Windows platform too.
This is a highly used protocol/network analyzer for windows as well as Mac. Many times we are not able to figure out the issues regarding connectivity but Wireshark can determine in a nick of time.
Running successfully since 1998, Wireshark has come a long way with updates carried out timely. Other defining features of this wifi analyzer windows are real-time information display and offline analysis, amazing display filters, VoIP analysis, multiple data capture formats support etc.
If you are still feeling skeptical about the use of Wireshark then you can watch the tutorial videos on its official website to know more about its features and services.
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Conclusion
Over the time, a lot of options has evolved to maintain secured and reliable connections to your network. Be it router setting or determining the best network connections around you, these Wifi analyzer windows do it all for their users.
I made sure to mention free wifi analyzer too so that users have the option to save some bucks here. If you want then you can upgrade to the paid plans later on. Apart from it, please go through the entire description of the features and services so that you can make sure that it is the desired product for you.