Program for monitoring Wi-Fi networks. Using the Wi-Fi Scanner to Gather Information About Wireless Networks

For Windows, there are dozens, but such as WiFi SiStr unique in its kind. This is an extremely simple application that will allow you, as a user, to find out the signal strength of any Wi-Fi point. Of course, if it is within the range of the sensor.

Interestingly, the strength of the wireless signal is shown digitally on the screen. After you click downloadWiFi SiStr and install the program, a small panel will appear on the desktop. You can place it anywhere on the screen: at the bottom, at the top, or even in the middle. It will show the digital and graphic values ​​of the signal level.

It often happens that the user cannot access the site for unknown reasons - especially if you are connected via Wi-Fi. There is another situation: the client for messaging periodically interrupts the connection - you have to constantly reconnect. To solve this problem, just look at the signal status bar and make sure that it is quite enough for a stable and fast Internet. If you have the WiFi SiStr program, then doing this is quite simple.

WiFi SiStr Features:

• Flexible in setting. Despite the panel's simple interface, you can even customize it. It is enough to right-click on the status bar - and you will see a menu with settings.
• Comfortable. You can monitor the signal level directly on the desktop of your PC or laptop.
• It does not consume a lot of system resources, it is not just small - it has a miniature size.
• For WiFi SiStr to work correctly, you need .NETFramework version 1.1 and higher.
• At startup, it always minimizes to tray and does not interfere with the work at the computer at all.

wifi scanner - special program, which will determine the networks available in this moment to connect. But in addition to such network scanning, the analyzer allows you to determine the most convenient location for the router. A Wi-Fi analyzer is a reliable assistant that can fix existing problems and provide a good radio signal.

Wi-Fi analyzers are designed to determine the fastest and most reliable way to connect to the Internet. Through the use of analyzers, a stable and fast signal can be achieved. They provide the ability to scan Wi-Fi channels.

The principle of operation of the scanner wifi networks

Wi-Fi analyzers are programs that are installed on devices. In general, the main task of the scanner is to analyze channels and show summary information to the user to select the optimal connection channel.

A channel is a communication path over which a signal is transmitted. Several networks “feed” from one channel, so they are often overloaded, which causes failures.

Note! The most successful frequencies for a router are 2.4 and 5 GHz, with 5 GHz appearing quite recently.

To avoid interference, you need to switch to a less loaded channel. In total, there are 13 such paths on the territory of our country, 12 of them accept many operating systems.

Important! In Russia, 13 channels are allowed, in the US - 11, so Apple may not catch the remaining two channels. You will have to reconfigure the router to work with all available channels.

Analyzer options

The scanner does the following:

• determines interference, but not from household microwave ovens, namely channels;
• search for available networks;
• chooses a place where the signal is not affected by interference;
• shows traffic packets;
• works with mac addresses.

Important! Interference often occurs in apartment buildings due to "congestion" different networks when signals overlap, causing signal dropout. To solve the problem, it is enough to change the parameter pro in the analyzer. automatic selection channel.

Many analyzers have other advantages:

• often they are free;
• identify and fix problems;
• exclude illegal networks;
• find hidden SSIDs.

Important! Probably, many users at least once met with the fact that the list of available networks has Wi-Fi without protection, that is, you can connect to it without a password or pin code. Actually this is a trick of scammers. If a user connects to this Wi-Fi, then hackers will gain access to personal data, which is especially dangerous for holders bank cards. With this technique, scammers reset user accounts.

Analyzers

There are many such utilities that scan networks, let's consider which ones are suitable for a particular operating system.

For Windows

The notorious "Windows" suits many programs.

Network analysis example with inSSIDer 4

This utility determines the type of protection (encryption protocols WEP, WPA, WPA2), SSID, signal strength, speed, channels.

You can download it online from the developer's website or from the Microsoft website, but you will first need to install the package NET Framework. Installation is performed with a regular reboot of the computer.

You can download the program in the following ways:

• go to the link https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=48130 - this is a link to install the NET Framework package above 2.0, which will automatically install innSSIDer when downloaded;
• download from the link https://www.metageek.com/support/downloads/ - installation from the official website of the developer.

Important! You can download the analyzer only if you have network adapter. Please note that the NET Framework package is not suitable for Windows 10, so the first installation method is not suitable for this OS.

wifi search and scan mode

The title is displayed at the top of the window. network board. You can start viewing and scanning using the start/stop button. A menu with network statistics will appear.

WiFi network scanning

A graph with network frequencies and their overlays will appear in the program window.

Also displayed:

• SSID - the usual name of the network, for example, "My Windows + router";
• Channels - the most important parameter, the very channels due to which the signal often goes astray;
• RSSI - signal level;

Note! A good signal has the smallest magnitude.

• Max Rate - the highest speed;
• Security - protection type (WPA, WPA2);
• signal change map over time.

If the menu items interfere, you need to uncheck the boxes next to unnecessary items in the View item.

Note! If necessary, you can filter networks by known parameters (ssid, channel) in order to quickly find your own.

Search for free channels in Wi-Fi networks

Scanning wifi channels is quite simple.

In order to connect to desired channel, you need to go to the direct settings - find the "Wireless Settings" panel. Then enter the IP address 192.168.0.1 or another (can be found on the router). In the window that opens, select the appropriate item, for example, channels and install desired number. Then select the "Save and Reload" option.

WiFi Analyzer

Universal utility for all "Windows" - 7, 8, 10. Visualizes intersecting networks, has all the functions of other programs, performs full network monitoring.

Acrylic WiFi Home

This is a modification of the famous Tarlogic Security. It has all the features of other utilities, but additionally allows you to detect hidden SSIDs, provides factory passwords from Wi-Fi for all found routers. The minus of the utility is in data export, it is very limited.

Cain & Abel

A rather curious program that stores many passwords of neighboring routers and passwords of the user himself.

Note! WirelessNetView, Ekahau HeatMapper, LizardSystems are also known, the main feature of which can be safely called the compilation of heat maps.

For Android

Google took care of users by creating the Android OS, with which many analyzers are compatible.

WiFi Analyzer and Surveyor

A popular Wi-Fi network scanner in Russian. The utility is completely free, it does not have a paid version. The principle of operation of the application is based on measuring the radio signal with an additional tap on the smartphone screen. You need to follow the instructions in the app.

You can upload an apartment / office plan to the application. Then it will create a "heat map" of the room.

WiFi Visualizer

Similar to the previous analyzer. Also finds networks, makes a map.

The app has a Chart of Signal Strenght feature. It allows you to identify the dependence of the signal level on time.

iPhone

The iPhone, as you know, has its own operating system- iOS, working only with ARM architecture.

NetSpot

Free professional app. The utility scans networks every 10, 30 and 60 seconds. Works in several modes - Survey (makes a map of the room), Discover (shows networks).

Also suitable for Windows 7, 8, 10.

Important! According to the developer, this utility is used by Google, Motorola and other corporations.

ISSH

This scanner is suitable for iPhone and iPad. Pretty easy to use.

IP Scanner

Has an intuitive interface. Excludes the ability to connect to an unwanted router using the " White list". Available for free only for six devices.

WiFi Analyzer

Shows the capabilities of the channels, which of them are the most beneficial for speed. Calculates their rating.

INetTools

This application has an interesting option - it saves a list of all used servers.

Important! In addition to the legal AppStore, you can download from the Cydia service, but in this case, the phone must go through a special “jailbreak” procedure. This is a rather risky method, the user is responsible for the consequences himself.

The speed of modern Wi-Fi leaves much to be desired, but the problem can be solved thanks to Wi-Fi analyzers. With their help, the user can use the network almost uninterrupted, saving his time for more important things.

Hidden network scanners.

The vast majority of routers today come to the user with a good set of settings in the field of protection, such as:

• WPA encryption;
• MAC address filtering;
• Possibility to work at reduced power of the signal transmitted to clients;
• Ability to disable DHCP and use a static IP address;
• Ability to hide the wireless AP name (SSID).

All these settings reduce the chances of a hacker not only to break into wireless access, but also to find the point itself. They lower it, but they cannot prevent it. In the next article Computer76, we will talk about the last of the settings I have indicated - SSID.

Anyone who has dealt with configuring a router knows that the network name is an option that is open by default. Beginners give it a name, thinking only about how to make their point unique among others. Pros - hide the name of the network to hell.

Why does the network name appear in the settings as open setting? Yes, everything is simple - I found a network among the others, entered the password - and on the Internet. After a “two or three problems” with the network, the user begins to realize that a neighbor who has become adept at Kali Linux can just as easily do it with his network. A network with a broadcast name is minus one serious obstacle for a hacker.

Hide the name of the network and end the matter? No matter how.

You no longer need to be a hacking guru to find a hidden network. The software market presents a sufficient number of utilities and programs that will do a good job with your hidden network. The list of detected networks, of course, will depend on the selected modem model. Further. These programs will not be able to “hook out” the name of unnamed SSID networks. Some of the programs show an empty field instead of a name, some define the network as Non-Broadcasted.

In order to feel the difference, I suggest you first use the built-in windows tool search. Open command console and type:

As you can see, although the team exists, you won’t get much profit with its help. Let's move on to third-party utilities.

The simplest and, perhaps, the most popular of them - WirelessNetView. If you are doing security testing, then in the Options menu the ability to select scanning using a specific modem card will definitely come in handy. There is a feed sound signal upon discovery of a new AP. It does not require installation.

The nameless network is immediately visible: it is ... without a name. Plus you can cancel more active work built-in or connected translator. If you found out with WirelessNetView open network, you can connect to it directly from the options menu. No, of course, social networks and online payments.

Hidden network scanners

The following program has more beautiful decoration. Utility inSSIDer allows you to scan at two frequencies simultaneously or separately for each. Other filters are available. But most importantly, hidden networks are displayed accurately. The program works for everyone Windows versions.

Hidden network scanners

Next program NetSurveyor at startup, it will also prompt you to select a wifi receiver and immediately begin continuous scanning for nearby networks. A very informative window, however, does not differ in functionality from previous programs:

Hidden network scanners

Compared to other programs of its kind, this Xirrus WiFi Inspector- weighs the most - for 20 MB. It will require installation. The interface is colorful, but all the information and settings are in one tab ... An animated radar is shown in part of the program window, which shows the nearest access points.

The article deals with free software(PO) under Microsoft management Windows, which allows you to perform a preliminary analysis of the radio coverage of the territory for the presence of third-party equipment operating in the 2.4/5 GHz Wi-Fi band. Comparison made technical features the software in question.

Introduction

AT wireless networks the communication channel between the transmitter and the receiver is open, which greatly complicates the analysis of radio signal propagation in the territory of the network being designed. And even more annoying is that neighboring wireless equipment through this "open" channel can have a negative impact on your network. Therefore, radio survey of the territory plays a very important role in the design of a Wi-Fi network. Some experts claim that a radio survey is a completely unnecessary stage, referring to the fact that surrounding networks are also constantly appearing, developing, modernizing, transferring, etc. But you must admit, it’s better to know in advance that a giant network of points lives near you access to a neighboring office, and take appropriate measures (for example, move to other non-overlapping frequency channels), than later encounter radio wave interference problems and, as a result, the low bandwidth of your "open" communication channel.

To date, there is a sufficient amount of software that allows you to assess the level of the ambient electromagnetic background in the 2.4/5 GHz bands. This article discusses programs running under OS Windows.

1.Acrylic WiFi

Acrylic Wi-Fi is the newest free network scanner that displays available wireless networks, their specifications(protocol, channel, maximum speed, etc.) as well as information about their protection level. The program even includes a list wifi passwords, which are used by default access points.

Acrylic has a paid professional version with advanced features to detect wireless security issues. Also in this version, the program performs a radio survey of the territory and offers to select the optimal channels in the network to ensure the most correct operation. The appearance of the program is shown in Figure 1:

Figure 1 - Appearance of the Acrylic Wi-Fi program

AT free version its capabilities remain rather scarce, limited by the output of the information shown in the screenshot above (Figure 1), namely: the transmitted access point - SSID; her MAC address; RSSI - signal level; Chan - number of the channel used for transmission; 802.11x - Wi-Fi transmission standard; Max Speed ​​- maximum speed; WEP/WPA/PWA2 - Encryption type. An excellent feature is that the program shows on which access points WPS 1.0 / 2.0 is enabled, because it is no secret to anyone that this WPS 1.0 has long been a kind of "back door" for any network. It also displays related information about the manufacturer (Vendor) and the type of network in which the access point operates (Type), or in other words: does it have Internet access, or does it make no sense to break it (just kidding). For more pathos, a graph is displayed showing changes in the signal level from various access points over time (lower right in Figure 1).

In general, the listed set of functions is limited to the paid version acrylic wifi. Pretty meager, given that long before this program, software appeared that could do more.

It’s hard to find fault with the professional version of the program, they stuffed quite a lot of useful functions there, for example, the program itself will indicate access points that negatively affect your network. Acrylic allows you to generate reports on the status of Wi-Fi networks with detailed characteristics of access points and send them to the communicator or administrator's computer.

Resume on acrylic wifi: when working with this program, I got the feeling that it was made entirely on the Kali Linux platform, with the only difference being that the graphical shell was added to work from under Windows. The paid version is complemented by the fact that it allows you to generate reports in HTML format and helps the user make decisions about network settings without going into technical nuances. Thus, I would rate the free version of the program at three points on a five-point scale, it can be classified as software for "beginners", the paid version of the program deserves a slightly higher rating of three plus (due to report generation). However, overall, the program remains weak in its technical capabilities. In addition, it contains a bunch of distracting links leading to the developer's website and profiles on google+, Facebook, twitter, etc. Which in general gives the impression not of a technical application, but of a program for entertainment, when, having nothing to do, I decided to "monitor" neighboring Wi-Fi access points.

2. WiFi Scanner

This software can show detailed information about 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac networks near you, as well as access point parameters and signal strength. The program also has a paid and free version, unlike the previous software, they do not differ in functionality. After installing the program, you can use it for 30 days, after which you need to register it - free of charge for personal use or buy - in case commercial use software. The appearance of the program is shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2 - Appearance WiFi programs Scanner

As in the previous software, information about available networks is displayed in the main column, but the information is more extended. The presence of additional columns: Achievable rate - the actually achievable data transfer rate, Channel Width - the channel width used, Spatial stream - spatial streams (here we are talking about MIMO technology), Channel Utilization - how busy the data transfer channel is, and more extended information about the security protocols used , and specifically - the type of encryption: CCMP / TKIP / WEP / or a combination of them.

In the free version of this program, all the functions listed in the professional version of Acrylic Wi-Fi are available. In particular: Figure 3 shows a graph of the signal strength from available Wi-Fi networks. Very convenient and intuitive.

Figure 3

Figure 4 provides extended information about one of the surrounding networks. In this case, this network with the same name Rostelecom.

Figure 4

Resume on WiFi Scanner: In my opinion, the design of this program is quite "light" in terms of the perception of the displayed information, and the location of all buttons and tabs is intuitive. This program is an excellent solution for private use, and for commercial use, the prices are reasonable. The program deserves an excellent rating.

3. Homedale

Belongs to the class of "weak". From a technical point of view, the program has glitches and shortcomings, but it works on latest versions Windows. The program is easy to use, but it only allows you to evaluate the signal level coming from the access point, and some information already listed in the previous software products. The program does not see hardware manufacturers and does not always determine the model of the access point whose network it has detected. Moreover, the signal strength from the access point is also not always able to determine. The appearance of the main program window is shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5

The program does not provide filters in any way, therefore, for example, on the power distribution graph of available access points by channels, it is impossible to remove connections that are “uninteresting” for us, so it simply shows such uninformative stuffing (Figure 6):

Figure 6

Given the incomplete performance of this program, it is assessed, to put it mildly, "unsatisfactorily." The program is rather weak compared to other similar free software distributed throughout the Internet.

4. Outdated monitoring software

Add to list outdated programs there are those that either do not support the "modern" Wi-Fi standards - IEEE 802.11n / ac, or no longer work under Windows 7/8/8.1/10. Yes and appearance of these programs is quite depressing, which is not pleasing to the eye.

Network Stumbler is a lightweight wireless network monitoring tool for Windows. Its development stopped at the support of 802.11 a / b / g standards, that is, it monitors the network only in the 2.4 range, excluding five gigahertz. The software works on Microsoft systems Windows up to and including XP.

WirelessNetView was once a great tool for monitoring Wi-Fi networks, but is now somewhat outdated.

Wireless Network Watcher - originally created to detect and analyze Wi-Fi networks. I once used it myself, the utility scanned local networks, including wireless. The program displays a list of all devices currently connected to the scanned network. The device information output table contains such information as: IP, MAC address, device name and adapter manufacturer. The list can be exported to HTML. On the issue of analyzing Wi-Fi networks, her attitude is rather mediocre, because in order to get information about a Wi-Fi network, you need to connect to it. In this review, she got in fact simply because of her specific name.

Instead of a conclusion

The Acrylic Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Scanner programs listed above belong to the class of those free programs, which keep up with the times and are able to monitor access points operating on the relatively recent IEEE 802.11ac. In addition to the programs considered, there are also no less famous ones that were not included in this review, among which inSSIDer is a completely and completely paid software recently. In addition, online a large number of programs running Os Android, Mac Os and Linux. But that's another story.

Wi-fi analyzer is just a necessary tool when sometimes in Everyday life, when using WiFi networks, the most stable access point, which shows the best coverage, does not give the most stable Internet. To easily identify wi-fi hotspots access giving a stable Internet, without any interference - you need a wi-fi analyzer, which will be discussed in this article.

What is wifi analyzer

wifi analyzer- a program or device that scans, analyzes the network; as if Captain Evidence tells us. The goals and implementation of such an analysis can be very different from finding a cleaner channel to Aircrack-ng methods, which is highly desirable to consider when looking for a wifi scanner. Nevertheless, speaking of an analyzer, they mean a tool for building a coverage map, analyzing channel distribution, analyzing interference and signal strength, excluding traffic analysis tools like Wireshark, Aircrack, tcpdump, they are still a slightly different direction, although they can also be used in interference analysis if ask.

To put it simply, a wifi analyzer is a program to see why Wi-Fi is not “driving”.

This class of tools is needed to observe the mutual influence of radio devices in the centimeter range, which is any equipment that can wi-fi, or speaking plain language in order to see in real time not only who is to blame, but also what to do, to restore a stable connection in the sense of where and how to bring down, yeah, a kind of tractor of Peter the pig.

Wi-fi analysis is a common and necessary task when setting up, diagnosing, restoring and hacking a network. Naturally, depending on the task, the aspects of analysis are different, if during setup and diagnostics the physical properties of the channel (frequency, field influence, channel occupancy) are more interesting, then when hacking, more attention is paid to logic (protection, encryption, etc.).

The task is so important that for devices like Ubiquiti NanoStation, the release of the possibility of such an analysis is not a feature, but a necessity.

Yes, and endure on your favorite tablet, tearing one megabit, when you can take a couple of steps around the room to five stripes ... in order to know where to step, analysis is needed.
The stability of the connection depends on many factors that are difficult to calculate: the relative position of the devices, the influence of close frequencies, and even the state of the surface. All this is almost impossible to calculate, but you can see it in real time and choose the frequency and position in which there is a minimum of negative influence. Since its speed depends on the stability of the connection.

Programs wifi analyzers

There are countless software implementations of analyzers. Both well-known software writers and specialized offices were noted here, some of which, in general, are iron manufacturers, such as the Ubiquiti mentioned above with their AirView. All programs differ slightly in interface and visualization method, they do about the same thing and even the same way.

Some differences are dictated by the purpose of the crawl, for example, TamoGraph Site Survey is focused on placement WiFi devices by area; InSSIDer - to analyze the connection of available networks in allowed ranges; and AirView exists to make life easier for the Ubiquiti tuner in range and beyond. Nevertheless, the most well-known of the entire family is the Wi-Fi analyzer, presented by utilities for Android and Windows devices, because “I'm an android, I need the Internet and an outlet.” The program allows you to find a place where no one and nothing interferes, it is simply mastered and used, while it is sufficient for home use.

An example of wi-fi network analysis

Any Analysis is meaningless without a goal. It's such an abstract thought. The purpose of the first example will be to restore the width of the channel between Vasya and Petya. The channel is tuned on Ubiquiti equipment, has only two antennas for simplicity. Finding a drop in speed, Vasya goes to 192.168.1.20 and sees there, say, “transmit ccq 50%”. Swearing at the slow connection, Vasya downloads JAWA and finally he presses the big blue Launch AirView button. From this moment, the analysis actually begins, which, by the way, needs to be allowed to work for 10 minutes to accumulate statistics.

Most analyzers display information in the form of graphs, there are many of them, but usually they duplicate each other to one degree or another. Vasya has three of them - short-term (power) displays changes in the last minutes of work, long-term (power) displays the scale from the moment the scan was started, and long-term (energy).

Having recalculated the peaks on the “Waveform View” graph (a long-term graph of power changes), Vasya not only sees that some device has appeared nearby in frequency, but also, by the depth of the blue color, finds out which frequencies the channel can be changed to.
The second task for the example will be the task of finding a wider channel for the android. We launch the Wi-Fi analyzer, look at the channel rating for the point on the “channel rating” tab, and get the numbers of free channels. Somehow the example didn't work. Take, for example, the task of finding a more powerful point signal. We launch the Wi-Fi analyzer, turn on the meter and see how the readings change when we walk around the room, by the way, if we link the device data to coordinates in the process, we will get a coverage map.

wifi analyzer for android

A portable device used in a difficult radio environment must have the means to analyze the surrounding lawlessness, it is simply a must. By typing Wifi analyzer, we get a list of positions for 10, similar functionality and implementation, well, I said - a place for bread.

Having chosen a program that is convenient for you personally, sometimes you don’t understand how you lived before installing it. Assess the network, find the optimal location, and due to the size of the wifi wave, the connection depends on the position and orientation of the device. Yes, in the end, the choice of a connection point from among the possible ones is also an analysis hardwired into the phone's carrier.

WiFi Analyzer for Windows

All thoughts about a portable device are valid, only in the store the choice is smaller, the prices are higher, although there is a Wi-Fi analyzer and it is even also free. On the Internet, there is InSSIDer and many, many others. The TamoGraph Site Survey mentioned above is also from this sandbox.

Having Wi-Fi on board, you should also have its analyzer. Aksakals say that even removing him for the sake of free space, you still have to install it again and again.

Do not pin your hopes, this is just a utility for “look with your eyes”, by seeing and correcting the channel frequency, the position of the device and the antenna, you can have a more stable contact at a higher torrent speed, especially if you move the welder away from the antenna.

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