Best WiFi analyzer app for Windows
Get yourself an efficient WiFi analyzer for Windows and create a perfect wireless environment where you will feel comfortable in any chosen spot.
WiFi signals tend to behave in mysterious ways. You’ve probably seen how quickly the signal indicator on your smartphone or laptop can go from full to empty — all it takes is a few steps in the wrong direction. And just like many of us these days, you are probably carrying a mental WiFi signal map of your home with you on which you rely to avoid weak spots.
Perhaps you’ve even moved the couch so that you could enjoy fast download and upload speeds in your living room. What if we told you that you could avoid this madness with the help of a WiFi analyzer app for Windows? You can, and we’ve prepared a list of top 5 best WiFi analyzer Windows apps for your convenience.
Why Do You Need a Wifi Analyzer App?
The signal coming from your home WiFi router is influenced by interference, obstructions, the router’s performance, and several other factors, which affect its range. Even though your router is advertised to have a certain range, you can’t expect the range to be the same in every direction.
This presents a problem: How can you know where’s the best place to install your router if the signal distribution isn’t even? The answer is simple: You use a WiFi analyzer tool such as NetSpot.
What Can a Windows Wifi Analyzer Do?
NetSpot, and other WiFi analyzer apps detect all available WiFi networks in your area, providing you with detailed information about each of them. You can see which channels the networks operate on, how strong their signals are, which WiFi encryption methods they use, and so on.
What’s more, some of the most capable Windows WiFi analyzer apps even let you create accurate WiFi signal strength heat maps, which indicate areas of weak WiFi signal strength, helping you determine the best place for your WiFi router.
Tip: Moreover, many of these capabilities are not limited to Windows applications. In our guide to WiFi Analyzer iOS apps, we highlight several WiFi analyzer apps for iOS that offer similar features, making it possible to conduct comprehensive WiFi analysis using your iPhone or iPad.
Best WiFi Analyzer Windows Apps
We firmly believe that the best WiFi analyzer Windows app should be easy to use, come with all the features you need to optimize the performance of your WiFi, satisfy the needs of enterprise customers, and be actively developed by a team of experienced developers dedicated to creating the best WiFi analyzer tool possible.
- NetSpot — is the best professional Windows WiFi analyzer.
- InSSIDer — is an established WiFi analyzer tool for the Windows operating system.
- WiFi Analyzer — is an easy-to-use free WiFi analyzer Windows app.
- Vistumber — stands out from other WiFi analyzer software tools thanks to its support for GPS and live Google Earth tracking.
- Wireshark — is a free and open source packet analyzer that enables you to perform deep traffic inspection.
NetSpot
NetSpot is the only professional Windows WiFi analyzer that can be recommended to complete beginners and professional network administrators alike. Its modern user interface is inviting, self-explanatory, and beautiful. But vanity certainly isn’t a sin NetSpot is guilty of. Beneath its polished facade lie advanced WiFi analysis features and three fantastic WiFi scanning modes: Inspector, Survey and Planning.
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Inspector mode
Lets you take quick snapshots of all WiFi networks in your area.
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Survey Mode
Makes it easy to create detailed WiFi strength heat maps.
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Planning mode
Enables you to simulate and plan your WiFi network's layout and coverage.
NetSpot 3 can even revolutionize your WiFi network planning with its predictive WiFi planning feature. This cutting-edge capability allows you to design an entirely new WiFi network, with just a computer or notebook armed with NetSpot 3. It takes the guesswork out of determining the number of access points needed for seamless coverage, turning the often complex task of network design into a streamlined and efficient process.
But that's not all. NetSpot also excels at ensuring the security of your WiFi network. It can help pinpoint and eliminate rogue access points, detect unauthorized workstations, and manage cross-channel interference. With NetSpot, you're not just planning and analyzing your WiFi network; you're also safeguarding it.
Whether you're setting up a personal network at home or managing a large corporate network, NetSpot's suite of advanced features, intuitive interface, and user-friendly design make it an indispensable tool in today's connected world.
NETSPOT LETS YOU BUILD A HEATMAP OF YOUR WIRELESS NETWORK SO YOU CAN FIND OUT WHERE YOUR WI-FI SIGNAL IS STRONG AND THE AREAS WHERE IT'S WEAK.
MATT ELLIOTT • CNET
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Easy to use
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Powerful features
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WiFi strength heat maps
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Great for both beginners and pros
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Affordable
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None
- Summary recommendation: Get NetSpot
InSSIDer
Known as one of the best WiFi analyzer windows tools, inSSIDer has been making waves in the industry since 2007, offering a capable solution for visualizing your WiFi environment.
With inSSIDer, you can uncover essential information about your WiFi access points, such as the channel, signal strength, channel width, WiFi generation, maximum data rate, and security. This WiFi analyzer app for Windows can even reveal how neighboring WiFi networks impact your connectivity.
After conducting an in-depth investigation of your WiFi, inSSIDer breaks down the results in plain English. It highlights what's working, what needs a little tweaking, and what requires immediate attention for faster and more efficient WiFi, making it easy to take action and improve your WifI performance.
Pros and Cons
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Established product
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Accuracy and reliability
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Professional features
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MetaGeek account is required to use the software
WiFi Analyzer
WiFi Analyzer stands out as a free WiFi analyzer for Windows that offers a smooth, ad-free user experience. You can conveniently download it straight from the Microsoft Store. At its core, it is a tool designed with home users in mind, providing them with an intuitive and user-friendly interface that makes it easy to see WiFi channel distribution.
Extra features can be unlocked via in-app purchases, and they include live tile support, beeper for signal strength, filters, the ability to change signal strength borders, and more.
Being a native Windows app, WiFi Analyzer works runs great not just on traditional x86 and x64 PCs but also on modern Arm machines. Unfortunately, the last version was released in 2020, and it's not clear if another update will ever be released.
Pros and Cons
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Great for beginners
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Free
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Available from Microsoft Store
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Not for pros
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Limited features
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Hasn't been updated in some time
Vistumber
Vistumber stands apart from many other WiFi analyzers thanks to its support for GPS and live Google Earth tracking. When Vistumber finds a WiFi network, it plots it on a map, showing its exact location as well as other information, such as encryption, strength, name, and so on.
It’s intended for wardriving, the act of searching for WiFi wireless networks by a person in a moving vehicle, using a laptop or smartphone. Of course, you can also use to identify WiFi network in your home or neighborhood. Unfortunately, the outdated user interface makes the application quite difficult to use.
Pros and Cons
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Google Earth integration
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GPS support
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Outdated user interface
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Developers don't keep the changelog updated
Wireshark
Wireshark is a free and open source packet analyzer intended for troubleshooting and analysis of a variety of different communications protocols, including WiFi. Its main strengths are the scope of its features and thriving open source community.
But unless you’re a seasoned IT expert, don’t expect to know how to use it to analyze your home WiFi right out of the box; there are entire training courses dedicated to helping pros use Wireshark.
Pros and Cons
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Comprehensive features
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Thriving, open source community
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Support for plugins
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Very difficult to use
Conclusion
No matter if you are a professional setting up a wireless network or just building your private home network, NetSpot is an amazing tool that provides advanced WiFi analysis for every level of user.
NetSpot will not only be useful at the beginning, but will also step in any time you feel that something is off with your connection. The app provides extensive reports and helps troubleshoot and fix any possible issues you might experience.
Best WiFi Analyzer Windows Apps FAQs
To put it simple, you need a WiFi analyzer app (e.g. NetSpot) to make your WiFi network connection perfect. Or as close to perfection as it gets. You want to be able to walk into every corner of your apartment, house, or office building and never experience any issues with WiFi. A high-quality WiFi analyzer tool will help you find the best spot for your router and access points so you can obtain a wireless coverage your network deserves.
Read more: What is WiFi analyzer and how to perform a WiFi analysis using one.
WiFi analyzer apps are able to detect all surrounding WiFi networks and list the various details for these networks. Use NetSpot Windows WiFi analyzer to get an accurate WiFi signal strength heat map, where you can see the areas of weak WiFi signal. With the visual heatmapping you'll be able to place your router in the most beneficial spot.
The best WiFi analyzer Windows app should be user-friendly, offer a selection of useful features, be versatile enough for home and professional use, and offer great tech support and consistent updates. Here are our top choices:
- NetSpot — an excellent freemium WiFi analyzer for both home users and professionals.
- InSSIDer — a well-known good-quality WiFi analyzer for Windows OS.
- Wifi Analyzer — a native Windows WiFi analyzer that can be used for free.
- Vistumber — an interesting analyzer with support for GPS and live Google Earth tracking.
- Wireshark — a free open-source network protocol analyzer app aimed at experts.
Looking for a WiFi analyzer app for other operating systems? Check out our picks of the best Android WiFi analyzer apps.
Choose the best WiFi analyzer app for iPhone. Using a MacBook? Find a WiFi analyzer mac app that fits your requirements.
NetSpot creates detailed WiFi strength heat maps and is the only professional Windows WiFi analyzer that will suit both the professional network administrators as well as the beginners. NetSpot boasts a self-explanatory and neat user interface. It has received multiple rave reviews from tech websites as well as its direct users all thanks to its simplicity combined with an inspiring functionality.
While Windows 10 does not have a built-in WiFi analyzer, there are several third-party applications available that can perform WiFi analysis. These apps can be downloaded and installed on your Windows 10 device to help you understand your WiFi environment, identify problems, and optimize network performance.
NetSpot is a freemium WiFi analyzer, so it can be used for free but some features are available only in the premium version. The good news is that the free version of NetSpot provides users with the essential tools needed to scan and assess WiFi networks, offering a broad range of capabilities such as network discovery and basic analysis of WiFi signal strength.
NetSpot is widely recognized as one of the best free WiFi analyzers for Windows. Its free version offers an array of basic tools that help users detect and analyze WiFi networks, making it ideal for home users. You might also consider InSSIDer from MetaGeek or the WiFi Analyzer app available from the Microsoft Store.