macOS / Windows / Android / iOS
NetSpot 4.x runs on MacBooks with macOS 11 (Big Sur), 12 (Monterey), 13 (Ventura), 14 (Sonoma), and 15 (Sequoia) with WiFi. The Windows version of NetSpot is compatible with any laptop with Windows 7/8/10 or Windows 11 on board.
Note: in order to use NetSpot on computers with older macOS versions (earlier than 10.14.4), you’ll need to install the Swift 5 runtime support libraries from Apple’s official website.
WiFi Inspector and Survey Mode require enabling Location Services in order for NetSpot to properly collect data for analysis. WiFi Planning Mode doesn’t require Location Services enabled.
On macOS NetSpot is compatible with standard 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax wireless network adapters that support the AirPort interface. On Windows computers NetSpot supports both external and internal wireless network adapters.
Make sure that your laptop wireless card supports the wireless modes and channels you are planning to scan.
How to check your WiFi card type
To check your WiFi card type on macOS do the following:
- Press and hold down the Option (⌥) key.
- Click on the Apple menu, then select System Information.
- Select WiFi under Network.
- If you have a wireless card installed on your computer, you’ll see it here.
- Click on your card name to see its details.
To see if you have a wireless network card and find out more about it on a Windows laptop perform the following:
- In the Start menu type in “Device Manager”.
- Look for “Network Adapters” in the list that opens.
- You’ll see your WiFi card under Network Adapters if you have one installed in your computer.
- Double-click the card name to see its properties.
Download NetSpot on your computer
The latest version of NetSpot for macOS
NetSpot 3.2 (for Mac OS X 10.12 – 10.15)
NetSpot 2.16 (for Mac OS X 10.10 – 10.11)
NetSpot 2.6 (for Mac OS X 10.6.8 – 10.9.5)
The latest version of NetSpot for Windows
NetSpot 3.2 for Windows
NetSpot 2.16 for Windows
Note: You can use a desktop Mac to run the program, but you need to be able to move it without shutting it down to complete the area scan. Theoretically, you could put your desktop Mac and monitor on a media cart and hook them up to a portable power pack (or a very long extension cord) but there is, of course, the risk of accident when moving expensive equipment around.
A great alternative to performing a WiFi site survey on a laptop is using NetSpot for Android
This app features Inspector, Survey and Planning modes, just like the desktop version. With just your device at hand, you can survey the wireless coverage of your office, apartment, or a huge warehouse, save the project data with useful notes and create thorough and informative heatmaps in your desktop NetSpot when ready. You can generate some of the most popular heatmaps directly on your Android device (available in NetSpot Plus). Requires Android 8.0+.
NetSpot for iOS is also available! It requires iOS or iPadOS 15.5 or newer.
Currently it offers Survey mode*, Device Discovery, Internet speed test and Ping test. With just your device at hand, you can measure the download and upload speeds, and create WiFi heatmaps based on the gathered data. You can also use a separate Ping tab to check whether certain hosts and websites are available or to check the stability of your connection. Device Discovery allows you to collect a broad range of information about the devices currently connected to your wireless network.
*The Survey Mode in NetSpot for iOS differs from its desktop and Android counterparts. Please make sure to read through the App Store description carefully.
FAQ: If I buy a new MacBook for WiFi site surveys with NetSpot, would it help if I got the maximum available configuration (maximum RAM and higher CPU speed)?
Higher CPU speed will positively influence the speed of the visualizations compilation, so you will see coverage heatmaps generated faster. The more RAM in the computer running NetSpot, the larger the maps you will be able to load without any performance slowdowns. However, we have tested NetSpot even on older MacBooks (from 2008), and it works fine — just a bit slower.