Analyze Your WiFi Coverage
The most important part of any endeavor is information. Before we start a long trip, we need to plan out the roads to use, where the rest stops will be, and places to sleep along the way.
Planning how to get the best WiFi coverage is a similar process. We need to understand just where our current WiFi network reaches, how strong it is in different areas, and where the weak points are. To do that, we need to use a WiFi analyzer. A WiFi analyzer works by taking a poll of each of the WiFi networks it can reach.
By transmitting data across the network, it measures how fast the network is, and checks the signal strength of the WiFi radio waves. A good WiFi analyzer does more than just check speed. It checks multiple networks, finds the frequency type of the WiFi radio signal, the strength of the signal, signal to noise ratio, and a host of other statistics.
Don’t let the word “statistics” scare you — a good WiFi analyzer can display that information in an easy to understand table format, or if it’s really good by showing off the information on a map.
This is why NetSpot works so well. It’s a WiFi analyzer that works with Windows, Mac OS X, and Android devices. NetSpot provides incredible information gathering tools with a simple interface that anyone can understand. For registered users, NetSpot can use the information to build heat maps.
By uploading picture of the building we’re scanning into NetSpot and taking samples of the WiFi in different locations, NetSpot shows how the signal strength looks across the entire location. This lets us know exactly what spots are strong, what are weak, and where we need to increase our coverage.
By using a tablet or cell phone, we can quickly move from place to place in our location and get readings on the WiFi network. With this information we can scan specific spots to get an exact measurement for where we want to know about the strength or weakness of our network, or make multiple readings over time to compare one to another.
