WiFi Channel Scanners for iOS (iPhone, iPad)

What Is the Best Wireless Channel to Use?

Determining the best wireless channel to use is not too challenging, but it does require a basic understanding of how WiFi networks operate. Traditionally, consumer routers have broadcast on two main bands: the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band. The 2.4 GHz band is older and more congested, but it has a wider range. On the other hand, the 5 GHz band is less crowded and can deliver faster speeds, but its signal doesn't travel as far.

In North America, the 2.4 GHz band extends from 2,401 MHz to 2,483 MHz, and it's divided into 11 channels, each spaced 5 MHz apart from one another. Because each channel is 20 MHz wide, adjacent channels overlap, which can lead to signal interference.

As a result, it's typically recommended to use channels 1, 6, and 11, as these are the only non-overlapping channels in the band. The 5 GHz band is divided into 24 non-overlapping channels, each with a bandwidth of 20 MHz, giving you more options for avoiding interference.

In 2020, the WiFi spectrum was expanded to include the 6 GHz band, also known as WiFi 6E. This band offers an additional 1,200 MHz of spectrum and 59 non-overlapping 20 MHz channels, drastically reducing the chances of interference and congestion.

But which of these three channels is the best one? The answer is simple: the one that’s used the last, and that’s something any iPhone WiFi channel scanner can tell you. Once you know what the least used channel is, the only thing remaining is to learn how to change your WiFi channel.

Just because Network Analyzer doesn’t have nearly as inviting user interface as NetSpot shouldn’t automatically disqualify it from your consideration. This free WiFi channel scanner app for iPhone and iPad offers a lot of essential functionality in a compact package, making it a great addition to your iOS app collection.

You can use it to detect network devices, see their IP addresses, perform round trip delay tests, and, of course, gather as much information about your WiFi network as you would ever need. Less experienced users may be somewhat overwhelmed by the high information density, but that’s exactly what professional network administrators, who are the target audience of Network Analyzer, ask for.

If you would like to unlock even more features than the free version of Network Analyzer has to offer, then you can purchase Network Analyzer Pro for $3.99.

The Pro version can test both download and upload speed, scan the most common ports or user-specified port ranges, perform DNS lookups, and more.

This free-to-use app (and it's ad-free too, mind you) empowers you to optimize your home or office network with its intuitive user interface and reliable features.

WiFiman detects and connects to all available WiFi network devices in a flash. This is made possible by using a mix of Bonjour, SNMP, NetBIOS, and Ubiquiti discovery protocols that scan the network subnet for available devices, providing you with a complete overview.

Ever thought of measuring your network's download and upload speed? WiFiman comes with a built-in speed test feature, enabling you to conduct tests, store results, and compare network performance over time.

The biggest downside is that it can't map signal strength without an external device called WiFiMan Wizard. Despite this, Ubiquiti WiFiman still holds its own as a powerful wifi channel analyzer app for iPhone and iPad.

As you can see learning how to find best WiFi channel with NetSpot is easy, but you need the WiPry 2500x by Oscium spectrum analyzer to use all features NetSpot has to offer.

It’s worth noting that NetSpot is also widely considered to be the best WiFi channel scanner for Android, Mac WiFi channel scanner, and WiFi channel scanner Windows.