The second mode is called Survey, and its purpose is to turn gathered WiFi data into interactive color-coded heatmaps.

But unlike the Mac Wireless Diagnostics tool, NetSpot lets you visualize selected networks in real-time using colorful graphs. When you activate it, NetSpot quickly collects detailed information about all available WiFi networks, including their channel and band settings, security, signal level, interference, noise, and so on. The first mode is called Discover, and it works a lot like the Mac Wireless Diagnostics tool. What makes NetSpot stand out from other WiFi analyzer apps listed in this article are its two distinct modes of operation. This easy-to-use WiFi analyzer for Mac can meet the needs of everyone from regular Mac users to IT professionals, and it works on any MacBook running Mac OS X 10.10+. If you desire something more sophisticated than the Mac Wireless Diagnostics tool, then NetSpot is an excellent choice. NetSpot (from $49 + free version available) If you choose to do the latter, you will see an interactive table that provides detailed information about each available WiFi network.īeing a fairly basic WiFi analyzer, the Mac Wireless Diagnostics tool doesn’t support any visualizations that would clearly show overlapping networks and other interference-causing problems, but the tool can at least automatically determine the best 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz channels for your area.Ģ. You can use the Mac Wireless Diagnostics tool to troubleshoot issues with your internet connection, and you can also tell it to scan all access points broadcasting in your area. You may not know it, but your Mac has an excellent built-in free WiFi analyzer tool that you can open just by pressing and holding the Option key when clicking the WiFi status icon in the menu bar to reveal the Open Wireless Diagnostics option. Here are the top 5 best options that deliver great results every time. There’s no shortage of WiFi analyzer apps for Mac-both free and paid-but choosing between them can take some time if you’re not familiar with them. The best WiFi analyzers for Mac can help you in these and other situations, and you don’t need any expert knowledge or skills to use them. Create a WiFi deployment plan: When deploying a new WiFi network, it’s recommended to survey the location and learn as much information about existing WiFi networks as possible.Determine a better location for your router: The location of your WiFi router has a major impact on signal strength, which is why it’s always a good idea to use a WiFi analyzer to discover all areas of signal weakness.Find rogue APs: Hidden and malicious access points not only cause signal interference, but they can also lure WiFi-enabled devices into connecting to them and steal sensitive information, so it’s paramount to actively scan for them.

Solve configuration issues: For your WiFi network to deliver the best performance achievable, you need to choose the least cluttered WiFi channel available, and the best WiFi analyzers can help you find it.

With a WiFi analyzer, you can discover these hidden sources and get rid of them.

Discover sources of interference: Everything from other WiFi networks to Bluetooth devices to large electronic appliances can emit signal-degrading interference.

There are many situations when it’s useful to collect detailed information about your and/or nearby WiFi networks using a WiFi analyzer app: Reasons Why You Might Need a WiFi Analyzer If your WiFi network is not delivering the desired speeds, then you need to use a WiFi analyzer app to get to the bottom of the issue and figure out a way to fix it. Just because WiFi networks are now ubiquitous doesn’t mean that all Mac users are satisfied with their performance.

Wifi analytics tool for mac