30th Dec 2022
WiFi Analyzer ****is a great open source app for troubleshooting your WiFi signal strength in realtime. It allows for:
- Viewing the signal strength of all nearby access points in realtime. This makes it possible to walk around your house and identify deadzones and problem areas as you go.
- Seeing the channels that are in use around you, including the ones that are most congested. A neat feature is that it recommends the channels with the least congestion you can switch your WiFi to for better performance.
- Seeing whether the 2.4GHz or 5GHz band is better, based on how crowded they are around you.
Tips from when I last did this:
- Anything above -70dBm is a solid signal strength. Remember with negative numbers, ones that “appear” smaller are better.
- Start close to the router to see the best signal you can get, and slowly walk away.
- On Android, temporarily disable WiFi scan throttling when doing the test to increase the frequency of updates in the app (allows the app to provide more realtime updates).
- Combine this with a speed test for a good picture of your WiFi’s overall health. Start with a speed test on the router itself if possible, or from a wired device. Then do the WiFi speed tests and compare.
Further reading: