Macs encounter Wi-Fi problems now and then. Although it is a common issue, it can ruin your day and create bottlenecks in your workflow. The simplest tasks may take hours to finish, such as sharing files with your team or downloading files. One such problem is MacBook WiFi no hardware installed, and this error happens when the Mac device cannot connect to the Wi-Fi network. But rebooting your system will resolve the issue. If it doesn’t, you can reset your network settings.
Another major problem impacting workflow is the speed of the Internet connection. To always be a step ahead, you can use Wi-Fi analyzers for your Mac. These apps provide detailed information on network settings, including Wi-Fi encryption methods, signal strength, and more. The popular Wi-Fi analyzers for Mac are given below.
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Mac Wireless Diagnostics Tool
All Macs come with an in-built free Wi-Fi analyzer tool that can be opened by pressing the Option key when clicking the Wi-Fi status icon. This reveals the Open Wireless Diagnostics option.
The tool is used for troubleshooting problems with the Internet connection, and it also reveals all the access points in the area. If you use the tool to scan the access points, you will see an interactive table, and here, you’ll find all the details of the available Wi-fi networks.
The tool is fairly basic and doesn’t support any visualizations showing overlapping networks or interference-causing problems. But you can use this tool to determine the best 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz channels in your area.
WiFi Explorer
WiFi Explorer is an aesthetically pleasing Wi-Fi analyzer application. It is created to help regular users get full insight into their Wi-Fi networks. The tool’s features shine the most when you use it to identify channel conflicts and other configuration problems that cause Wi-Fi to perform poorly.
The tool’s latest version supports Wi-Fi 6 networks. Hence, it works flawlessly with new wireless routers. It also works with touch-bar equipped Macs, so you can perform actions with a simple tap.
The app is available on the Mac App Store. Or you can directly purchase it from the app’s official website.
NetSpot
NetSpot is a well-known Wi-Fi analyzer tool, and its USP is the network survey tool. The tool allows users to upload a scale plan of their office or home and create a heat map of the Wi-Fi signals in various locations. Once you are done, you will see a color-coded map showing the signal’s strength, the signal-to-interference ratio, and the signal-to-noise ratio in each of the locations.
The app has a discovery mode that helps users identify all the networks within their Mac’s range. Even if the networks have hidden SSIDs, the app is capable of showing all the details of the signal. If you use the Home version, you can see data from up to 5 networks and group access points by SSID.
You can upgrade to the pro version, which unlocks several more features and lets you access more networks.
iStumbler
iStumbler has been around since 2002, and it is one of the most widely used apps. The recent version was released in 2017, but the application works fine with even the latest MacBooks. Whether you are running macOS Monterey or Ventura, you can use this tool and solve your Wi-Fi problems. The app has a barebone user interface that hides the fact that the app is one of the most popular tools you can use.
The app is powerful and popularly used because it offers detailed information about nearby Wi-Fi networks and also Bluetooth devices. You can even see their locations. When this app is combined with WyPry 5x spectrum analyzer, the application works as a spectrum analyzer. It displays real-time 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz spectrum analysis in a waterfall view.
You can use this app if you don’t mind that the application hasn’t been updated in a while.
iAnalyzeWifi
iAnalyzeWiFi is an application showcasing colorful graphs. It makes it easy to see precisely what is happening on your network. You will also get information about the other networks within your range.
The app displays charts showing signal strength and channels and each device on the network. All the information is presented in a different color, so it is comprehensible. The details can be printed out and saved as PDFs.
Although NetSpot offers a more comprehensive analysis and data on Wi-Fi networks, iAnalyzeWiFi works fine if you only want to know channel congestion and signal strength.
The Bottom Line
Use these Wi-Fi analyzers for Mac, and you’ll always be a step ahead of Wi-Fi issues. These tools will help in knowing the signal strength of the networks available in your area and if there are issues relating to network congestion.
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