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Wifi Analyzer is an application for analyzing WiFi signal in Android. WiFi Analyzer - a useful application for WiFi on Android Program for the signal level of a wifi antenna

Today I’ll tell you about a very convenient and useful, but for some reason not yet well-known program for Android. Standard search and selection interface wireless network In Android you can’t call it super informative. It is minimalistic and does not provide complete information about available WiFi points. Of course, maybe this icon with three signal levels is enough for someone, but there is a more convenient tool.


The main feature of WiFi Analyzer is a detailed display of the characteristics of each available WiFi points. It shows the exact signal level and channels on which this point operates.

Speaking of channels. Those who often have to set up wireless routers, or want to get the maximum signal quality from their router, will certainly appreciate the ability to assess everyone’s current employment situation in a second WiFi channel, and install the least downloaded ones for your device.

This application will also help in choosing the optimal location of the router in the office, apartment, and many other places. We leave our android where required best quality signal, move the router, watch the signal quality change in the application, move the router. Repeat several times until you get the best result. If necessary, you can view signal level statistics from each available point.

For those who have not yet believed in its usefulness, I will give an example: through the standard Android interface you found 3 WiFi points with a signal level of 1 out of 3. Which one should you choose? With this program you can quickly assess the stability of even a low signal and select the most stable one.

Users who live in multi-story buildings are surrounded by many Wi-Fi networks, the number of which in individual examples can reach several dozen. Another thing is that the signal level of both accessible and inaccessible Wi-Fi networks can differ significantly. And how to check wifi level signal?

Today we will look at this interesting program to scan Wi-Fi networks like Wi-Fi Alanyzer. You can download the wifi analyzer application for Android for free from the Play Market.

As you can see, charts immediately open on the main screen. It's all around the Wi-Fi network, and in the middle is my Room3 network (marked in red). The graph shows the dBm signal strength as a function of channel. The channels are needed so that Wi-Fi networks can be located on them. And the more networks there are on one channel, the more clogged it will be and the lower the speed, inconvenience, freezes, and the Internet will disappear. So you should try to install your Wi-Fi so that it does not interfere with other networks. Therefore, you can sit on channel 10,11 or 12. In principle, the Room3 network is now on channel 4 and does not overlap with others. Channel 14 is in the very bottom right corner and is not used. Its use is prohibited by law, since the channel is allocated for military purposes. Changing the channel number is done by configuring the router and will be shown in the next article.

The scale on the left is the signal strength. It is constantly changing as various interferences arise.

A decibel (dB) is a logarithmic unit of measurement for the ratio of something. Often used to measure power.

But there is another value.

Decibel power (dBm) – signal level in decibels. A standard of 1 mW is selected as the zero level and the power is measured relative to it.

According to standard local networks IEEE 802.11 and standard mobile networks GSM-900 and GSM-1800 use a specific unit called the received level indicator RSSI signal(received signal strength indicator). This indicator is measured by a special receiver in units of dBm. At the same time, in most devices based on operating system Android uses the ASU indicator. Below is a table of the correspondence between these two indicators, as well as an assessment of the level of the received signal.

WiFi level android signal on my Room3 network -40 dBm. At the same time, I am near the Wi-Fi router at the time of measurement. Levels of other Wi-Fi networks do not exceed -80 dBm, but you can still connect to them. You can strengthen the Wi-Fi signal in your apartment special device WI-FI Repeater.

Let's see what other graphs are available in the WiFi Analyzer program. To do this, click on the button with the image of an eye.

The first point is our channel chart, where we can see the strength of the channel and the name of the channels. And also how they overlap with each other. The second point is the time schedule. It shows all the networks divided by color. This shows the dependence of the signal level of a particular network on time. And so the signal strength changes over time.

Next comes the channel rating. Here advice is given on which channel is better to sit on, which channels are more busy, and so on. As you can see, I have an exclamation mark, since the current channel is 6+2, and they advise me to channels 6+10, 7+11, 8+12. This tab also shows the name of the router and its MAC address. If you click on the top, a list of all nearby routers and their MAC addresses will appear.

The next tab is a list of APs (Access Point). Shows a list of all networks, open or encrypted with a password. You can view the encryption type (WPA, WPA2), signal strength in dBm, connection speed, IP address, equipment manufacturer, channel and frequency.

And the very last tab is the signal meter. Here the strength of the Wi-Fi signal is shown in the form of a scale and arrow. Green indicates ideal levels, yellow indicates acceptable levels, and gray indicates low levels. If you turn on the sound, the smartphone will start to “beep” and the closer to the maximum, the more it “beeps”.

Let's take a look at the settings:

  1. Automatic scanning – updating information in real time. If the checkbox is unchecked, the signal level will be scanned in manual mode when you click the “Update” button
  2. Scanning interval – the smaller you set, the faster the signal level data will be updated. The more, the longer the pause will be between updates.
  3. Channel settings – allows you to select all available channels
  4. Immersive mode – if you check this box, the application interface will change
  5. Always on – prevents automatic shutdown screen
  6. Indicator open networks– an asterisk will be displayed for those networks where Wi-Fi is not encrypted
  7. Filling the channel graph – there will be transparent filling
  8. Colors – allows you to select a color to represent networks
  9. Merge duplicate APs – Merges APs that have the same BSSID, SSID, channel and security
  10. Group Mode for List - Shows APs with the same SSID and security as groups in the AP list
  11. Show full encryption level - show (WPA2-PSK-TKIP, etc.) instead of WAP2
  12. Ebabke alias – for Wi-Fi testing

Thus, armed wifi program analyzer for android, you can easily check the wifi signal level in your apartment. To find out the speed Wi-Fi connections I advise you to read the article

Chip's opinion: Google promises a simple solution for maximizing WLAN coverage in every home. With the help of the Google WiFi system, the Internet giant can really seriously improve Hardware. The system is very easy to set up and offers high performance even in the most remote corners of the apartment.

You can get a Google WiFi system with one, two or three “units” - the number depends on the size of your home. In the case of the kit we tested, we are talking about two Google WiFi “units”, which together should provide full coverage WLAN signal for apartments up to 100 square meters.

Compact and productive

Dressed in white plastic clothes Google system WiFi thanks to quad-core processor and 512 MB random access memory has quite a lot of power. At the same time, four antennas are built into Google WiFi - two for the 2.4- and two for the 5-GHz band. According to the manufacturer, the system is capable of operating simultaneously in two bands and thus achieving, in theory, a maximum data transfer rate of up to 1200 Mbit/s.

Using Beamforming technology, the transmitter power can be further increased. In addition, two gigabit ports can be used for LAN or WAN connections. Google WiFi uses WPA2-PSK as an encryption method - this is a modern standard.

Google WiFi: expands depending on the size of the apartment

Everything through the app

Setting up a WLAN system from Google is done exclusively through an application (Google WiFi), which is installed on a smartphone or tablet. Moreover, all user setup actions are accompanied by a really good assistant. Even without his prompts, you must first connect one of the Google WiFi “units” to an electrical outlet and your Internet connection (your existing modem-router or modem) - Google WiFi will not be available through the integrated modem.

Next, you should launch the setup app on your smartphone, which is equipped with an assistant. Via Bluetooth, the app will find your Google WiFi "primary unit". Then use your camera to scan the QR code located on the back of Google WiFi and the WLAN connection should be established.

Now you give your network a name, then set a password to connect to it - and you're done! Adding a second “unit” is just as simple: plug it into a power outlet, keep your smartphone nearby with Bluetooth turned on for a while, scan the QR code - and you’re done!


In some ways more, in others less: the Google WiFi app won’t really share a lot of information

You can't do much

Really large quantity The application does not offer configuration options. You can prioritize requests from specific users, create a guest network, add new Google WiFi devices, test your Internet connection speed, and take advantage of a couple more features.

Moreover, it is the connection tests that show “inhomogeneous” results: if a pure Internet connection speed test (measured using the LAN port of the primary “unit”) gives the result in “real” numbers, then the quality of communication between individual “units” of the system is assessed by the application only with school grades .

Everything is displayed clearly, intuitively and graphically designed accordingly. But all this is not for those users who configure networks at a professional level! In particular, it would be futile to search for the ability to manually install WLAN channels or change other settings on the network.

The best WLAN network everywhere!

In everyday use, you really won’t notice when your device “changes” one Google WiFi “unit” to another - in this sense, the network turns out to be absolutely homogeneous. So in our test apartment we were not able to detect a single “bottleneck” place, which were previously found in one corner or another - the system imperceptibly and constantly connects you to the right one this moment time Google device WiFi.

Now everywhere the signal level is really very good, which is noted not only by subjective sensations, but also by measurement results Google apps WiFi. Perhaps automatic channel selection works very well here.

Alternative: More Power - Netgear ORBI AC3000 (RBK50-100PES)

Netgear, too, with its WLAN system, which costs about 27,000 rubles, promises the best WLAN coverage in all corners of your apartment or home. Based on the results of our practical test, we can confirm that it works really well. At the same time, setting up the Orbi system is also very simple.

As a result, we obtain the communication range formula:
Using all of the above data, you can calculate the range of the wi-fi signal. Practical part Important digression: At first it was planned to obtain a figure in decibels that corresponds to attenuation when a signal passes through obstacles. But this idea failed, because... It was not possible to establish the reason why the transmitter, with a fixed bitrate, for example 54mbit, switches to a lower bitrate (48mbit) when it goes beyond the boundary of the zone at which this speed can be achieved. Therefore, it was decided to obtain the result in meters. To conduct practical experiments, the following equipment was taken: wi-fi router ASUS WL500G Premium version 1 Transmitter power - 18dbm Antenna power - 5dbm netbook hp compaq mini 311 Antenna power - 5dbm UPS Let's calculate the signal range in the ideal case: 13 was chosen as the operating frequency channel f=2484 MHz, speed 54MBps at which sensitivity -66dbm. Let's find the total gain of the system: Y=18dbm + 5dbm + 4dbm + 66dbm - 1dbm - 1dbm = 95dbm FSL = Y - SOM = 95 - 10 = 85 D= 10^(85/20 -33/20 - lg2472) = 10^- 2.05 = 0.165 kilometers In theory, it turned out that the approximate range wifi signal in our case it will be equal to 165 meters. Let's check these calculations in practice. The following territory was chosen as a research site:

The router was connected to the UPS and fixed at the starting point. Along the road, every 25 meters a person stopped and took measurements using a laptop. Here is the result of the measurements:

Measurement number Bitrate, mbps Signal, dB Noise, dB Distance, m
1 54 30 78 25
2 54 45 82 50
3 36 55 88 75
4 24 58 83 100
5 18 63 73 125
6 18 72 81 150
7 1 81 57 200
As can be seen from the table, the transmitter and receiver stopped supporting the speed of 54mbps in the range of 50 and 75 meters, and more specifically, the transition to a different speed was noted at a distance of 55 meters. Considering the fact that our antenna is circular, the resulting distance is the range of action, and the diameter of action, that is, the range, is 110 meters. The discrepancy between theory and practice is explained by the fact that not all parameters were taken into account, but in our case this is normal and not critical. Thus, we can say that our router provides a speed of 54 mbps at a distance of 110 meters. It should also be noted that at a distance of more than 200 meters the signal continues to be received, but the data transfer rate is 1mbps. At this speed, information cannot be transmitted normally. Based on this fact, let's try to see the effect of reinforced concrete on the wi-fi signal: To see how such a barrier affects, it was decided to use the following building:

Our router was installed on the first floor of the building. Thus, it turned out that we were measuring the signal from a “reinforced concrete box”. Here are the measurement results:
Measurement number Bitrate, mbps Signal, dbm Noise, dbm Distance, m
1 54 56 87 4
2 36 53 84 25
3 2 53 84 50
4 1 82 58 100
In this case, the speed of 54 megabits was no longer supported at a distance of 20 meters. Thus, the range of the wi-fi signal at this speed is 40 meters. Note: It is also worth paying attention to the fact that the thickness of such a wall is 10 centimeters. A brick room of this kind transmits a signal at a distance of 50 meters. Unfortunately, the thickness of the brick wall could not be recorded. Conclusions: Under these conditions, is it possible to formulate a universal guide to choosing a location for installing an access point? Most likely not, but we will try to name some basic principles that summarize the accumulated experience. 1. Place access points and wireless network subscribers so that the number of obstacles between them is minimal. You should especially strive to reduce the number of walls and ceilings: each obstacle reduces the maximum radius of the coverage area by 1–45 m. 2. Pay attention to the angle between access points (network subscribers) and extended obstacles. A wall 0.5 m thick at an angle of 45° for a radio wave is equivalent to a wall with a thickness of 1 m. But if the radiation arrives at it at an angle of a few degrees, its equivalent thickness will be an order of magnitude higher! Note that not all programs for planning indoor radio networks take this nuance into account. The most preferable and predictable option is when the signal is sent at right angles to the ceilings or walls. 3. Building materials affect signal transmission in different ways: entirely metal doors or aluminum cladding have a negative effect. Also try to ensure that there are no reinforced concrete obstacles between network subscribers. 4. Despite the high inertia of the signal strength monitoring software, do not neglect its help and position the antenna for the best reception. 5. Be creative with the placement of many remote antenna adapters included in the kit: if you “magnetize” them to the case in the wrong place, you can lose up to 25% of the communication range. 6. Move away from wireless network subscribers, at least 1–2 meters, electrical appliances that generate radio interference: monitors, electric motors, be especially careful with microwave ovens And cordless phones 2.4 GHz range. For typical housing, providing the required coverage is usually not a problem. But if you find an unreliable connection within an apartment, try starting your experiments by placing the access point in the middle of a conditional line connecting the most remote rooms where a wireless network is needed. If these measures are not enough, then you should consider the option of using indoor omnidirectional and directional antennas with increased gain. For hangars, warehouses, halls, large office premises with low-absorbing partitions, often quite effective means of simplifying the organization of WLAN are “ceiling” access points, shaped like large tablets, which use antennas with a special radiation pattern.

Today there is a router in almost every home. But such an abundance Wi-Fi routers could not but affect the quality of the signal.

Very often networks overlap one another and interruptions in the Internet signal occur. And this despite the fact that he is strong and nothing visible should interfere with him.

The reason may just be the overlap of several access points on one channel. For apartment buildings this problem is especially relevant. Only the user should distinguish between problems with the signal and the router. This is how a smartphone on the Android platform completely freezes at the stage of downloading torrent files. Here the reason is different.

Wi-Fi breaks can occur as follows:

  1. A tablet or smartphone behaves as it wants - when it connects normally to the network signal, when it doesn’t connect at all;
  2. A sharp drop in download speed without good reason (and low speed is also observed on internal resources);
  3. Communication is lost in a certain place in the apartment, where there are no barriers.

The reason for all these troubles is precisely the use of the same communication channel by many points wireless routers. Subsequently, congestion of this channel leads to low speed and connection interruptions.

Solving a problem quickly means changing the channel. Most users don’t even know how to analyze this situation and how to change the “Auto” setting on their router.

How to change the communication channel to different types routers can be read at this link.

Help you analyze the status of your wireless network free programs, which can be downloaded without problems on the Internet for:

  • smartphones with different platforms;
  • laptops and PCs.

There are thirteen channels in total for signal transmission in Russia. So, of these 13, the first, sixth and eleventh channels do not intersect. But not all countries use 13; in the USA, for example, only 12 are allowed. For different versions The operating system has its own characteristics regarding the use of certain channels.

So Windows 10 does not see channel 13, and in the router settings it is impossible to change the region to Europe in order to correct access to this channel.

Version 7 of the OS also does not see channels larger than 12. Therefore, when choosing another unloaded channel, this must be taken into account.

This is exactly what analyzer programs are needed to identify free channels, configure the router on them and work calmly.

If the user has a problem connecting to any channel or the signal lags due to channel congestion, then you can ask the technical support of the official Windows website for answers to your questions.

The most convenient and simple programs that analyze the occupancy of communication channels are the following:

  1. inSSIDer 4 - download;
  2. Free Wi-Fi Scanner - download;

These programs will help you learn other useful information about networks. You can recognize the type of security and signal speed. Convenient graphs help you analyze the signal. The figure below shows how different users overlap on the channels and which access point has the highest frequency signal.

An example of network analysis using InnSider

When downloading the program from the official website, the user should pay attention to the terms of use. Very often today they offer only demo versions of programs with a period of use of no more than a month. after that you need to buy the program.

As can be seen from the picture, after analysis it is clearly seen that the most crowded channel is 6. That is, you should disconnect from it and select free 2, 3, or 4, or any other except the first and eleventh, which are also already occupied.

Network analyzer for Android

Most convenient for smartphone on the Android platform, use the Wi-Fi Analyzer program. No problems searching or downloading. The user logs in via his phone Google service Play and through the search finds this application and downloads it. When the smartphone is turned on, you can download the application via a PC.

After installation, you can go into the program and analyze communication channels. It will be immediately visible at what frequency the router operates and on what channel. All this will be indicated on the available charts. Just select channels and properties in the settings.

That is, in the illustrative example there is no need to change anything, because the signal does not intersect with almost anyone. In the same program, you can select the “channels” tab in the properties and see which channel has the highest and best signal. The rating is indicated by stars.

The example shows that the best signal without interference is on channels 12, 13 and 14. The program installs quickly and erases quickly. Therefore, users should not be afraid that the application will take up a lot of memory on the device.

There's another one convenient tab in the same application, which will show the signal frequency. With such a pointer, you can move around the apartment and choose exactly the place where the signal will be the strongest.

How to change automatic channel selection on a D-Link router?

Routers on the market today great amount. But according to statistics, the most frequently purchased model is the D-Link model. How can I disable auto channel selection on it?

To do this, type in the Internet address bar address 192.168.0.1. In the window that opens, type admin in both the login and password. Unless the user himself changed them. The standard login and password are always written on the back cover of the router box.

A window appears, in which you select “advanced settings”, and then the basic ones, as in the figure above. After selecting the basic properties of the wireless network, you should find the “channel” line in the window that appears and select the one in it free channel, which was shown by any program for analyzing communication channels.

After this, the connection may be interrupted briefly and restarted again. If this does not happen, you need to check the router settings again and if there is a dialog box in the upper right corner asking you to save changes, you need to click and save it. After this, the data transfer and download speed should increase.

With the help of such simple manipulations, any user today can correct minor errors in the wireless network in their apartment without calling a technician or paying for their services.

So, how to choose this very high-speed and high-frequency wireless communication channel?

  1. Launch the analyzer program;
  2. Determine a free channel;
  3. Find a place in the apartment with the most high frequency reception
  4. Check non-overlapping channels (1,6,11 - if they are free) at this frequency, for example, reception speed and jumps;
  5. Install the selected free channel with a high reception frequency - reconfigure the router, accept the changes.

Thus, fixing problems with lost signal and lost speed turned out to be very simple, you just need to strictly follow the above steps.