tips

Wifi Analyzer for Android finds the best Wi-Fi connection at home and on the go

Christine Ottoni • February 6, 2018

Get Wifi Analyzer for the best connection

Wherever you are, Wifi Analyzer for Android helps you find the best Wi-Fi connection.

Wifi Analyzer is also great if you’re troubleshooting a chronically slow Wi-Fi connection at home. If you live in a densely populated area like an apartment building, there’s a chance all those different Wi-Fi networks, in all those different units, end up on the same channels and compete for the same airspace. Wifi Analyzer can suggest the least densely populated Wi-Fi channel so you can get your router out of the fray.

Wi-Fi signals are broadcast on high frequencies, 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, for fast speeds. Your modem or router broadcasts these waves and they get picked up by your devices, like your laptop, smartphone and Smart TV.

If your router is using the same broadcast channel as other devices nearby, all that wireless communication can get a little confused. This might manifest as a slow or flaky Wi-Fi connection.

Whether you’re on the go or at home, Wifi Analyzer can help you get the most out of your Wi-Fi connection. Grab it for free in the Google Play Store to get started.

Finding free Wi-Fi

Wifi Analyzer’s main view is a graph. On the bottom, you’ll see channels and on the side, you’ll see signal strength.

Wifi Analyzer shows what networks around you are occupying different channels and how strong they are relative to your position.

Strength is important, but so is channel overlap. The less overlap the network is in, the better connection you’ll get on it.

Troubleshooting your own Wi-Fi

Remember above, when we talked about how Wi-Fi is transmitted on 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz? These two bands are different.

The 5 GHz band has 23 channels and tends to have less overcrowding. The 2.4 GHz (802.11b/g/n) band has 11 channels and shares the frequency with not just other Wi-Fi devices but some cordless phones, baby monitors, garage door openers and more. 2.4 GHz is crowded. 5 GHz (802.11n and ac) by contrast doesn’t suffer from the same overcrowding and offers faster wireless speeds. The band available to you and the number of channels depends on the router you’re using.

At home, have a look on Wifi Analyzer’s graph and you’ll see access points around you. Take note if you’re overlapping with any other access points and pay attention to what channels they’re on. Co-channel interference can cause slowdowns because the more that’s happening in a particular channel (narrow frequency band), the more confusing it gets for all devices in that band.

You can increase your signal strength by moving your access point to a channel with no overlapping networks. On 5 GHz Wi-Fi, there are more channel options and therefore, less overlap.

How you change your network will depend on your wireless router. Just Google your router model and “How to change Wi-Fi channel.”

Looking for more tips and tricks?

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