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WiFi Signal Strength



 
 
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  #1  
Old May 13th 19, 05:39 PM posted to alt.windows7.general,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
FiWi
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Posts: 1
Default WiFi Signal Strength


What are different ways of seeing your home WiFi signal strength ?

I want to walk around and find hot and cold spots.

Some tool ?

Some app on a laptop ?

Some app on a cell phone ?

Is there a way that will update quickly so as to be able to walk it
around easily ?

Thank you in advance for your help.

  #2  
Old May 13th 19, 06:36 PM posted to alt.windows7.general,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
Paul in Houston TX[_2_]
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Posts: 999
Default WiFi Signal Strength

FiWi wrote:

What are different ways of seeing your home WiFi signal strength ?

I want to walk around and find hot and cold spots.

Some tool ?

Some app on a laptop ?

Some app on a cell phone ?

Is there a way that will update quickly so as to be able to walk it
around easily ?

Thank you in advance for your help.


I just use my cell phone or laptop for that.
Both have wifi signal strength bars.

  #3  
Old May 13th 19, 07:14 PM posted to alt.windows7.general,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
FiWi[_2_]
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Posts: 1
Default WiFi Signal Strength


Thanks for the reply.

Looking for signal strength NOT bars.

I need better resolution.


FiWi wrote:

What are different ways of seeing your home WiFi signal strength ?

I want to walk around and find hot and cold spots.

Some tool ?

Some app on a laptop ?

Some app on a cell phone ?

Is there a way that will update quickly so as to be able to walk it
around easily ?

Thank you in advance for your help.


  #4  
Old May 14th 19, 06:04 PM posted to alt.windows7.general,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
Micky
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Posts: 1,528
Default WiFi Signal Strength

In alt.windows7.general, on Mon, 13 May 2019 11:14:23 -0700, FiWi
wrote:


Thanks for the reply.

Looking for signal strength NOT bars.


What are the five bars closest to the Pentagon called?

The chief joints of Staff.

I need better resolution.


  #5  
Old May 13th 19, 08:38 PM posted to alt.windows7.general,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
s|b
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Posts: 1,496
Default WiFi Signal Strength

On Mon, 13 May 2019 09:39:19 -0700, FiWi wrote:

Some app on a cell phone ?


Try this one for Android:

WiFiAnalyzer (open-source)
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vrem.wifianalyzer&hl=en

(no ads)

--
s|b
  #6  
Old May 13th 19, 09:33 PM posted to alt.windows7.general,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
Char Jackson
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Posts: 10,449
Default WiFi Signal Strength

On Mon, 13 May 2019 21:38:36 +0200, "s|b" wrote:

On Mon, 13 May 2019 09:39:19 -0700, FiWi wrote:

Some app on a cell phone ?


Try this one for Android:

WiFiAnalyzer (open-source)
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vrem.wifianalyzer&hl=en

(no ads)


+1

That's what I use. One of its screens is a representation of an analog
needle that seems to update in near real time, with optional audible
feedback. You can pick which SSID you want to monitor.

The only thing that might not be intuitive about the app is that to
switch from 2.4GHz to 5GHz, and vice versa, you go to the screen where
all of the various parabolas are displayed, then tap on the upper left
corner of the display, where it says 5G or 2.4G. It's a toggle.

--

Char Jackson
  #7  
Old May 13th 19, 10:32 PM posted to alt.windows7.general,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
J. P. Gilliver (John)[_4_]
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Posts: 2,679
Default WiFi Signal Strength

In message , Char Jackson
writes:
On Mon, 13 May 2019 21:38:36 +0200, "s|b" wrote:

On Mon, 13 May 2019 09:39:19 -0700, FiWi wrote:

Some app on a cell phone ?


Try this one for Android:

WiFiAnalyzer (open-source)
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vrem.wifianalyzer&hl=en

(no ads)


+1


+1 here too.

That's what I use. One of its screens is a representation of an analog
needle that seems to update in near real time, with optional audible
feedback. You can pick which SSID you want to monitor.


I didn't know about the audio feedback! It may be useful to use the
screen that displays all SSIDs it can see (like this
B
A /\ C
/\/ \/\ [except they're rounded - I CBA to draw it like that]. It
labels the peaks with the SSID names), as absolute strength may be less
important than relative: if there's somewhere where one of your
neighbour's SSID is stronger than yours, that may be more important than
absolute strength. I think that's the default display, anyway.

The only thing that might not be intuitive about the app is that to
switch from 2.4GHz to 5GHz, and vice versa, you go to the screen where
all of the various parabolas are displayed, then tap on the upper left
corner of the display, where it says 5G or 2.4G. It's a toggle.

Ah, I didn't know that either! Thanks.

Though I've just tried it on my old DooGee, and it doesn't say 5G or
2.4G in the top left - I suspect it doesn't have 5 GHz.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

he was eventually struck off by the BMA in 1968 for not knowing his gluteus
maximus from his humerus.
  #8  
Old May 13th 19, 10:14 PM posted to alt.windows7.general,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
Paul[_32_]
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Posts: 11,873
Default WiFi Signal Strength

FiWi wrote:

What are different ways of seeing your home WiFi signal strength ?

I want to walk around and find hot and cold spots.

Some tool ?

Some app on a laptop ?

Some app on a cell phone ?

Is there a way that will update quickly so as to be able to walk it
around easily ?

Thank you in advance for your help.


There are likely copy-cats of this program.

https://www.techspot.com/downloads/6862-inssider4.html

http://www.inssider.com/index.html

inSSIDer 4 (the free one)
Pick the Best Channel y
Track signal strength y
Min/Max Datarate y

And "bars" is just quantized signal strength, good enough for
"it sucks in this room", "it's OK in that room". The number
would only mean something, if you knew the receiver sensitivity
of each receiving device. It's likely the receivers have AGC,
to reduce amplification if a Wifi signal is so strong that it
is overloading the receiver.

Receivers work on two things. They need an absolute level of
signal. At some point, too little signal will not trip any
threshold or be process-able. But "Noise" is the other factor,
signal to noise ratio. You could have "all bars lit up" for
signal strength, and still not extract any packets, if the
signal is overwhelmed by external noise (leaky microwave oven,
2.4GHz wireless telephone signal, *USB3 leaky cable*).

HTH,
Paul
  #9  
Old May 14th 19, 01:17 PM posted to alt.windows7.general,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
SC Tom[_3_]
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Posts: 4,089
Default WiFi Signal Strength



"Paul" wrote in message
...
FiWi wrote:

What are different ways of seeing your home WiFi signal strength ?

I want to walk around and find hot and cold spots.

Some tool ?

Some app on a laptop ?

Some app on a cell phone ?

Is there a way that will update quickly so as to be able to walk it
around easily ?

Thank you in advance for your help.


There are likely copy-cats of this program.

https://www.techspot.com/downloads/6862-inssider4.html

http://www.inssider.com/index.html

inSSIDer 4 (the free one)
Pick the Best Channel y
Track signal strength y
Min/Max Datarate y

And "bars" is just quantized signal strength, good enough for
"it sucks in this room", "it's OK in that room". The number
would only mean something, if you knew the receiver sensitivity
of each receiving device. It's likely the receivers have AGC,
to reduce amplification if a Wifi signal is so strong that it
is overloading the receiver.

Receivers work on two things. They need an absolute level of
signal. At some point, too little signal will not trip any
threshold or be process-able. But "Noise" is the other factor,
signal to noise ratio. You could have "all bars lit up" for
signal strength, and still not extract any packets, if the
signal is overwhelmed by external noise (leaky microwave oven,
2.4GHz wireless telephone signal, *USB3 leaky cable*).

HTH,
Paul


I believe v3.1.2.1 is the last free version:
https://www.techspot.com/downloads/5936-inssider.html

V4.2.4.1 tells me it's $19.95US for the home version.

Another tool that'll give most anyone more info than they'll ever need is
WifiInfoView from Nir Sofer (it also comes as part of the NirLauncher
Suite):
https://www.techspot.com/downloads/5476-wifiinfoview.html
It only works on Windows devices though.
--

SC Tom



  #10  
Old May 14th 19, 09:03 AM posted to alt.windows7.general,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
Fokke Nauta[_4_]
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Posts: 587
Default WiFi Signal Strength

On 13/05/2019 18:39, FiWi wrote:

What are different ways of seeing your home WiFi signal strength ?

I want to walk around and find hot and cold spots.

Some tool ?

Some app on a laptop ?

Some app on a cell phone ?

Is there a way that will update quickly so as to be able to walk it
around easily ?

Thank you in advance for your help.


inSSIDer is the best option, for Windows en Android.

Fokke
  #11  
Old May 14th 19, 12:36 PM posted to alt.windows7.general,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
J. P. Gilliver (John)[_4_]
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Posts: 2,679
Default WiFi Signal Strength

In message , Fokke Nauta
writes:
On 13/05/2019 18:39, FiWi wrote:
What are different ways of seeing your home WiFi signal strength ?
I want to walk around and find hot and cold spots.
Some tool ?
Some app on a laptop ?
Some app on a cell phone ?
Is there a way that will update quickly so as to be able to walk it
around easily ?
Thank you in advance for your help.


inSSIDer is the best option, for Windows en Android.

Fokke


For Windows, yes. If you want to walk about, a 'phone is better, and for
that Wifi Analyser (Android - don't know what for iOS) is probably the
best. (Both inSSIDer and Wifi Analyser are free.)
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Never raise your hand to your children. It leaves your mid-section unprotected
  #12  
Old May 14th 19, 07:11 PM posted to alt.windows7.general,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
s|b
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,496
Default WiFi Signal Strength

On Tue, 14 May 2019 10:03:01 +0200, Fokke Nauta wrote:

inSSIDer is the best option, for Windows en Android.


Nowhere to be found on Play Store. It should be this link:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.metageek.inSSIDer

But it's dead.

And I'm guessing it came/comes with ads.

--
s|b
  #13  
Old May 15th 19, 09:18 AM posted to alt.windows7.general,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
NY
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Posts: 586
Default WiFi Signal Strength

"s|b" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 14 May 2019 10:03:01 +0200, Fokke Nauta wrote:

inSSIDer is the best option, for Windows en Android.


Nowhere to be found on Play Store. It should be this link:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.metageek.inSSIDer

But it's dead.

And I'm guessing it came/comes with ads.


Yes I didn't find InSSIDer on Play Store when I looked recently. I certainly
downloaded and installed it from there at some time in the past, so it looks
as if the makers have removed it - maybe because they want to sell the later
version rather than give away the older version. I wonder if anyone has
saved the older installation file and put it on the internet somewhere.

But WifiAnalyser (by Keuwlsoft) is still available. That also gives details
of relative signal strengths of signals in range, and it plots a graph of
the strength versus time so you can see how the strength varies as you walk
around.

  #14  
Old May 15th 19, 07:11 PM posted to alt.windows7.general,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
s|b
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,496
Default WiFi Signal Strength

On Wed, 15 May 2019 09:18:59 +0100, NY wrote:

But WifiAnalyser (by Keuwlsoft) is still available. That also gives details
of relative signal strengths of signals in range, and it plots a graph of
the strength versus time so you can see how the strength varies as you walk
around.


Very similar to WiFiAnalyzer (open-source). One major difference though,
with WifiAnalyser you get free (unwanted) ads!

--
s|b
  #15  
Old May 16th 19, 07:34 PM posted to alt.windows7.general,microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
Fokke Nauta[_4_]
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Posts: 587
Default WiFi Signal Strength

On 14/05/2019 20:11, s|b wrote:
On Tue, 14 May 2019 10:03:01 +0200, Fokke Nauta wrote:

inSSIDer is the best option, for Windows en Android.


Nowhere to be found on Play Store. It should be this link:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.metageek.inSSIDer

But it's dead.

And I'm guessing it came/comes with ads.


I downloaded it years ago. Works fine. And no ads.
But good to know it's no longer there.

Fokke
 




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