Free Wifi Channel Analyzer Mac

  

WiFi is an incredibly useful communication protocol that is widely used. In fact, it’s the de facto standard used to create wireless networks in homes, businesses, public spaces etc.

WiFi Analyzer can help you to identify Wi-Fi problems, find the best channel or the best place for your router/access-point by turning your PC/laptop, tablet or mobile device into an analyzer for your wireless network. ↓ 09 – inSSIDer Windows & Mac. WiFi channel scanner and WiFi networks through channels in 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz. WEP, WPA or WPA2 security information. With Acrylic Wi-Fi Home you can view and scan the WiFi networks at your fingertips, get network security information, even on the new 802.11ac and 802.11ax networks. Acrylic Wi-Fi Home is a free WiFi scanner for windows. Your Mac's built-in wifi analyzer is great for identifying which channels are available to you, but going beyond that requires a lot of fiddling with settings most of us won't be comfortable with. Instead, we have two options you'll want to check out: NetSpot, and Wifi Explorer.

However, it’s not uncommon for signal strength to degrade due to a variety of factors, including distance from the access point, obstacles, competing WiFi signals, and appliances.

WiFi heat map software can create an accurate map of signal strength during a site survey, producing a graphical representation of hot, cold, and dead areas.

Many professionals responsible for installing and maintaining WiFi networks will find a lot of value to WiFi heat map software in order to implement an environment with the best wireless coverage and performance possible.

I have done my research and curated the top heat map tools in the market in the list below. Some of them are even free so they can benefit a person who wants something simple for smaller environments.

Keep in mind though that for a large scale enterprise site survey you will need professional gear (wifi hardware with specialized interface cards etc) so that you can get the best results.

Table of Contents

Ekahau HeatMapper

The Ekahau Heatmapper is a small package that only takes a single minute to install. Being free also makes it well worth a look for anyone who is having WiFi coverage issues.

It comes in two versions, the free HeatMapper one which is for home and SOHO use and also the Ekahau Pro version which is a commercial solution for Enterprise use.

Even though it only works on Windows, it can easily be installed on a laptop for best portability while moving around the area.

It will find all available access points in the area, and supports typical WiFi standards, including 802.11n and a/b/g.

After you install the tool on a Windows laptop and start the app, you will need to walk around in the house or office space (i.e site-surveying) so that the software will pick up all the available wireless signals and access points in the area.

After the site-survey (limited to 15 minutes of survey) you will get a heat-map with colors and signal strength numbers (in dBm) of the area. This will help you to adjust the location of access points or wifi routers, change channels for lowering interference etc.

As we mentioned above, if you need something more powerful for a commercial enterprise, it’s worth looking at the big brother of this software – Ekahau Pro. This includes many more analysis and troubleshooting features. You will need also to get some professional hardware gear for big scale surveys of large buildings.

Price

Wifi
  • HeatMapper: Free
  • Ekahau Pro: Between $4500 to $6000

NetSpot

One of the best things about NetSpot is that you get a professional level WiFi analysis tool for free, with the option to upgrade to the enterprise version for even more advanced capabilities.

It works on both Mac OS as well as on Windows (7,8,10), and provides a huge amount of information in a small package.

NetSpot will help you to work out where the hotspots and coldspots are, as well as the dead zones. It will help anyone to put together the optimum WiFi network for home, SOHO or larger environments.

When you fire up the free Netspot app, you will start getting information such as:

  • SSID and MAC address of the wifi routers.
  • A graphical map showing a history of the signal strength.
  • Current signal strength in dBm
  • Channel of signals, wireless band, width of frequency channel, protocol used etc
  • And much more

So, just like the previous tool in this list, you can just walk around in the area with your laptop and start surveying the facility to get a heat map of the wireless signals. This will help you re-arrange access points if needed or change channels for better coverage.

Price

Both free and paid versions are available.

The paid Enterprise version is priced at $499 for up to 10 users.

SolarWinds WiFi Heat Map

SolarWinds may not be free, but what it does is quite amazing. It quickly produces a WiFi heat map that will update in real time. This allows you to see any dead spots and their possible causes.

The other great thing about SolarWinds is that the maps it produces are attractive, intuitive, and very easy to understand. This makes it one of the easiest to understand WiFi heat mapping packages around.

It even discovers and maps all connected client devices within 3 meters. This can help in resolving problems with users that complain about their wifi reception. You can find out if the problem is their location or their client device.

By importing a background image of the office or room plan, you then drag and drop the wireless points on the map (routers, access points etc) to create the heat map.

It even supports creation of network diagrams using Microsoft Visio.

Price:

The wifi heat map functionality is offered under Solarwinds NPM (Network Performance Monitor) which is priced at $2,995 (starting price).

Acrylic WiFi Heat Maps

This is high level site mapping software that provides a bunch of great features, including geo-mapping extension through GPS, multiple parameter display, analysis of signal strength and quality in every location, export of CSV data for use in other tools, and multiple levels of reports that can be generated.

It’s not free but its licensing is simple. You can get a 1 month, 3 month, 1 year or perpetual license according to your needs and how often you want to use the tool.

Some of the features I like about this software is that you can calculate how many access points are needed, find out the best place to install the wifi access points or routers in the area etc.

This means that you must define the area map on the tool and then start placing the wifi end-points with their characteristics.

Price

  • 1 Month license: €129
  • 3 Month license: €325
  • 1 Year license: €879
  • Perpetual license: €2199

AirMagnet Survey Pro

Free

This product is designed in a fashion that even non-technical people can understand and use it easily.

AirMagnet Survey Pro can generate a WiFi heat map on a single walkthrough. It can also allow you to see optimal positioning of access points through a simulation. This allows you to compare different WiFi network configurations in real time to see how they will perform.

What this allows is for any company to see how an end user would experience the WiFi network. Doing this will highlight any hot spots, cold spots, and dead zones.

What I like about this software is that it helps the professional to calculate the ideal quantity, placement, and configuration of WiFi access points for a successful deployment.

The software can be installed on a laptop, notebook PC or tablet running Microsoft Windows versions 7,8,10 or Apple Macbook Pro.

The vendor recommends also various wireless adapters that are supported or you can even buy their Multi-Adapter Kit.

Price

Price range between $3500-$4500 (price may vary, you must contact the vendor).

VisiWave Site Survey

Visiwave Site Survey generates one of the most beautiful WiFi heat maps in this list. It will map every detail and visualizes the WiFi signal data in both two dimensional and three dimensional maps with color coding for intuitive interpretation.

Visiwave also features GPS integration and will generate reports for further study and analysis.

One feature that many people will find useful is the predictive survey function. Using this function, one can input walls and other obstacles and have Visiwave predict what the WiFi heat map will look like. This makes it easy to predict WiFi coverage even before an office is built.

What I like about this tool is that on its report generated from the software you can visualize also the data rate bandwidth or each point in the map.

Price

There are various pricing options available depending on the features and capabilities. Here are some options:

  • VisiWave Site Survey: $549
  • VisiWave Site Survey Pro (includes predictive surveys): $849
  • VisiWave Site Survey Combo (includes spectrum analyzer device): $1649

WiFi Heat Map – Network Analyzer and Signal Meter

If you would prefer a simpler approach with ultimate portability, then the WiFi heat map on the Google Play Store is a good candidate. Despite the fact that it has in-app purchases, it can be used for free.

By uploading a copy of your home’s floor plan, you can easily overlay a heat map of WiFi signal strength.

If you don’t have your floor plan available, the application has a built-in floor plan creator. It’s even possible to use GPS for outdoor areas and then upload to Google earth for an integrated WiFi map that anyone can access.

Price

Free

TamoGraph

Many WiFi heat map tools are quite complex, but Tamograph prioritizes both speed and user-friendly operation. It works with all of the common standards, including 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax.

Because Tamograph is so fast and easy to use, it cuts down the waiting time and the time spent on learning new tools.

The maps are very easy to understand and interpret and it even works with GPS for outdoor area heat mapping. It may not be free, but it’s much more affordable than other similar tools and is also easier to use.

In order to acquire the full capabilities of this tool, the vendor recommends getting the boxed version of Tamograph which includes a compatible 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac USB adapter and a 4 GB USB flash drive with installation software or the bundle option with the USB spectrum analyzer card.

Price

  • TamoGraph site survey standard: €909.00
  • TamoGraph site survey pro: €1269.00
  • TamoGraph super bundle: €1769.00

Aruba Airwave

Free Wifi Channel Analyzer Machine

Aruba Airwave offers a comprehensive and detailed look into all wired and wireless access points, including any mobile devices present.

This presents a map that is accurate down to the granular level and is ideal for IT professionals in the workplace and those onsite performing detailed site surveys.

Aruba Airwave also includes a comprehensive performance monitoring feature that can look at how applications are using WiFi and whether they pose a risk to mission critical business applications.

Free Wifi Channel Analyzer Mac

This tool offers multivendor support in addition to Aruba Networks such as Cisco, Juniper, Brocade, HP, Dell, Alcatel-Lucent etc.

Regarding deployment, the software either comes as standalone for installing on a VM or a pre-installed appliance.

Price

You need to contact the sales team of Aruba.

WiFi Analyzer Mobile App

WiFi Analyzer mobile is the ideal tool for those who just need a simple and attractive tool so that they can better understand their network. It may not feature all of the bells and whistles of higher end and professional applications, but it displays an attractive graph that allows anyone to see at a glance any WiFi congestion.

What WiFi analyzer does best is allow anyone to work out the best channel for their WiFi, taking into account interference from nearby networks as well as connection speeds and signal strength.

Obviously this is better suited for home use and for optimizing your home or small office WiFi coverage.

Free Wifi Channel Analyzer Mac Free

Mac

It runs on Android smartphone as app, which offers great mobility and an easy to understand interface.

Conclusion

WiFi is critical to most modern businesses these days, but it is not a foolproof protocol. Working out the best layout for a WiFi network has never been easier with so many tools available. Whether you are at home or in the workplace, these WiFi heat mapping tools can help you to get a better connection and a better optimization of your WLAN network.

Related Posts

Most of us use Wi-Fi every day and don’t give it a second thought until it goes wrong or becomes slow. When that happens, the options open to us are fairly basic. You can switch Wi-Fi on your device off then on again, or you can do the same with your Wi-Fi router or access point. And that’s about it. To get to the root of the problem and fix it properly, we need information about what’s going wrong and where. And that’s where Wi-Fi analyzers come in. These software tools scan your network and build a picture of signals and their strengths, allowing you to identify hotspots, and coldspots, signal interference, and more. Here, we’ll take a look at the best Wi-Fi analyzers available for Mac.

Wifi Analyzer For Mac

What is a Wi-Fi analyzer?

It’s a piece of software that can scan your Wi-Fi network. It identifies the access points within range and assesses the strength of the signal between your Mac and the access point. They identify dead spots in your home or office, where you just can’t get a Wi-Fi signal and also areas where there might be interference with a signal or where one access point has a stronger signal than another, causing your Mac to try and connect to that one rather than the one you want to connect to.

The best Wi-Fi network analyzers for Mac

1. Wifi Explorer

Wifi Explorer lists all the networks within range of your Mac and displays their SSID, MAC address, device manufacturer, signal strength and more. It also shows a graphical illustration of networks and allows you to see where signals overlap or networks conflict with each other. Each signal is given a rating depending on its signal/noise ratio. There’s also a column in the table where you can add your own notes. Wifi Explorer supports 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, and 20, 40, 60, and 80MHz frequencies. And it works with 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax networks.

2. NetSpot

Netspot’s unique selling point is its network survey tool. This allows you to upload a scale plan of your home or office (or draw one inside the app) and then create a heat map of Wi-Fi signals in different locations. When you’re done, you’ll have a color-coded map showing the strength of the signal, the signal-noise-ratio and the signal-to-interference ratio in each location on the plan.

Netspot also has a discovery mode that can identify all the networks within range of where your Mac is at that moment, even those with hidden SSIDs, and tell you the details of the signal from those networks to your Mac. The Home version allows you to see data on up to five networks and to group access points by SSID. There’s also a pro version which adds several more features and access to more networks. NetSpot supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax networks and 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequencies.

3. WiFi Speed Test tools

WiFi Speed Test tools allows you to test the speed of your broadband connection as well as gather details on Wi-Fi networks within range. There’s a menu bar item that allows you to view the most important details without opening the app. Within the app itself, you can see details of SSIDs and access points, including IP and MAC addresses and even the ISP to which they are connected. You can also filter according to SSID, channel, security, and other details. A graphical display shows which frequencies and channels are in use and where they overlap. And, of course, you can check signal strength, noise, and interference for each network. WiFi Speed Tools also supports macOS’ Dark Mode.

4. iStumbler

iStumbler claims to be the ‘leading wireless discovery tool for macOS’. We’re not sure about that, but it does have a couple of neat features, such as a 3D style map of wireless networks within range. As you would expect, it provides details for each SSID and access point, including signal strength, noise, security type, channel, and more. And there’s a neat channel map, too. Perhaps the best thing about iStumbler, though, is that it doesn’t just analyze Wi-Fi networks, it does the same for Bluetooth, too. It shows details of each connected Bluetooth device including its MAC address, device name and type, and signal strength. And there’s also a tool for analyzing Bonjour devices on the network.

5. WiFi Scanner

WiFI Scanner does the same job as the other tools here, though it’s most like Wifi Explorer. It supplies all the data you need to analyze wireless networks and identify hot and cold spots, as well as interference and channel overlap. You can also export data as a CSV or HTML file. Where WiFi Scanner comes into its own is in the way it allows you to choose icons and names for connected devices. That allows you to see much more clearly who and what is connected to your network at any one time.

Wifi Analyzer Os X

6. iAnalyzeWifi

Free Mac Wifi Scanner

iAnalyzeWifi is all about colorful graphs to make it easy to see what’s happening on your network, or any other network within range. It displays charts showing channels and signal strength, and each device on the network is represented in a different color. You can print out any of the reports or save them as a PDF. You won’t find some of the in-depth data and analysis that’s available in, for example, NetSpot, but if your main interest is signal strength and channel congestion, this may be all you need.

7. iWifi

Like WiFi Speed Test Tools, iWifi allows you to test the speed of your internet connection as well as analyze your local network. It’s dashboard-like display shows ping time, download speed and upload speed and, as well as providing numerical results, labels each as excellent, normal or poor. It also provides the usual information on Wi-Fi networks, access points and SSIDs, including signal strength, noise, and channel details. iWifi does one more thing too. It does a security check to tell you whether the network you're connected to is a phishing risk, or whether the router has security issues, or even if the public Wi-Fi network you think you’re connected to is fake.

Other ways to monitor Wi-Fi networks

If you don’t want to install a Wi-Fi analyzer, a native Mac app, CleanMyMac X can provide information about the speed of the Wi-Fi network you’re connected to.

So how to check your Wi-Fi speed using it?
Download a free edition of the app here (a link to the developer’s site)
Install the app and click on the small iMac icon in the Menu bar.

Just click the menu bar item, and, under Network, choose Test Speed. It will tell you the upload and download speed as well as what you can comfortably do at that speed.

Quite funny that the dropdown option tells me what I can do with that speed🙂.

CleanMyMac X’s Privacy module can also clear out the details of Wi-Fi networks you’ve connected to in the past but won’t need again. Did you know your Mac logs and stores the SSID of every Wi-Fi network it has connected to? In some circumstances, this could be a privacy risk, allowing others to see where you’ve been.

Finally, CleanMyMac X’s Maintenance module has a tool that makes it easy to flush the DNS cache on your Mac. When server IP addresses change, DNS databases become outdated and the cache may slow down your Mac when it tries to connect to websites. So clearing out the cache is a good way of resolving network performance problems.

Free Wifi Channel Scanner

There’s no shortage of really useful tools for analyzing Wi-Fi networks on your Mac and they provide a wealth of detailed information. But if you don’t need all the information you provide, and you just want to know the speed of your Wi-Fi network and internet connection, the free version of CleanMyMac X can tell you all that.