The best WiFi analyzer apps for your Mac in 2024

Why Do You Need a WiFi Analyzer App?

Whether it's for home or office use, a robust WiFi analyzer app is a game changer for anyone looking to optimize their WiFi network. Now, you may be wondering, what's the big deal with WiFi analysis? Well, it's simple — an efficient WiFi spectrum analyzer for Mac will help you select the most fitting WiFi network and the most effective WiFi channel for your router.

High-quality Mac WiFi analyzer tools have the possibility to create accurate WiFi signal strength heatmaps, where you'll be able to clearly see and analyze the areas with the strongest, not so strong, and the weakest signal and decide how you can mend the issues.

Let’s take a look at some situations when Mac WiFi analyzer tools come in handy:

• Finding the sweet spot for your router: It's all about location, location, location! A WiFi analyzer for Mac can help you determine the best position for your router to maximize its signal reach.
• Poor performance: No one likes a slow internet connection, especially when you're streaming your favorite show or on an important video call. Several factors could lead to slow loading websites, and WiFi analyzer tools can pinpoint the root of your performance issues.
• Unreliable connection: It's a WiFi jungle out there, with several networks potentially clashing and causing interference. Many WiFi reliability issues are due to signal interference from other networks in your area. Luckily, a good mac WiFi analyzer can tell you which frequencies and channels are the most crowded, so you can choose a less congested one for a smoother connection.
• Scouting for free WiFi: When you're out and about, finding a stable free WiFi can be a lifesaver. With a capable WiFi analyzer app, you can discover hidden networks and assess their security settings, ensuring you stay connected without compromising your security.

The best part is, there's a variety of WiFi analyzer apps available to suit your specific needs — from a basic free WiFi analyzer for Mac to more advanced ones, like NetSpot's WiFi Spectrum Analyzer, offering detailed insights. By understanding what is WiFi analysis, you can leverage these tools to ensure you're getting the best out of your network.

With the help of NetSpot one can filter out the issues with and improve network coverage, performance, signal level, interference, access points configuration, etc.

Additionally, NetSpot WiFi analyzer tool lets you evaluate WLAN interference and decide which wireless channels are better to be used by your access points. The professional and comprehensive report provides you with the most complete information on the network.

When setting up a new network or planning to extend/modify an existing one, NetSpot's Planning Mode is an invaluable tool. It allows you to simulate and plan your WiFi network's layout and coverage, helping you make informed decisions about access point placement.

Whether you're a novice or a pro, NetSpot's user-friendly interface makes WiFi analysis a breeze:

Inspector Mode

• Launch NetSpot. It opens in Inspector Mode (former Discover Mode) by default, perfect for a snapshot of nearby WiFi networks. If you were previously in Survey mode, you can switch back using the toolbar control.
• Wait a few seconds for the detailed data on existing WiFi networks around you to start populating.
• Browse the list of networks. The 'Last Seen' column even indicates when a network was last in range.

Survey Mode

• Open NetSpot and switch to Survey Mode by clicking the appropriate button in the top toolbar.
• Click the Create new… survey button and upload or create a floorplan of the area for analysis.
• Complete the site survey as instructed by NetSpot and analyze the resulting WiFi heatmaps.

Planning Mode

• Open NetSpot and switch to Planning Mode by clicking the appropriate button in the top toolbar.
• No equipment is needed except for your computer or laptop with NetSpot. You can estimate the number of access points the network will need for a smooth and even coverage.
• Factor in the building materials of your space, adding the thickness, absorption characteristics, as well as the materials used in the walls, windows, and doors.
• Select a router model you are planning to utilize from an extensive list in the app.
• Map out your space to create and analyze various visualizations for your future wireless coverage.
• The data you obtain during measurements can be conveniently exported for further analysis.

inSSIDer is a capable Mac WiFi analyzer that’s been serving its users since 2007. The tool combines advanced WiFi analysis capabilities with a modern user interface, delivering an attractive solution aimed at power users who want as much information as possible without spending hundreds of dollars on a professional tool.

The current version of inSSIDer for Mac, inSSIDer 5, is a Beta release. While it does not have all the capabilities of its Windows counterpart, it closely matches inSSIDer 5 for Windows without a paid subscription plan. The developers have expressed their intention to release a new version of inSSIDer in the future with better feature parity.

To use the Mac beta version of inSSIDer, you need to create a MetaGeek account (MetaGeek Plus subscriptions are not supported). The software can then help you pick the best channel, avoid interference, perform coverage checks, and more.

You can download this WiFi analyzer Mac free of charge and use it for up to 15 days, which should be enough to troubleshoot even the most serious WiFi issues you can encounter. AirRadar 7 uses GPS technology to place all available networks on a map so that you can easily locate sources of a strong signal.

This WiFi analyzer for Mac shines the most when used for large-scale surveillance projects. Simply place your MacBook on the passenger seat, launch AirRadar 7, and start surveying your neighborhood. The tool can speak new network names, so you’ll always know when a new network has been discovered.

Apple computers have a built-in free WiFi analyzer Mac users can easily use to troubleshoot issues with loading webpages, streaming music or video content, or sending or receiving email messages, just to give some examples.

This analyzer is called Wireless Diagnostics, and here’s how you can open it:

1. Press and hold the Option key.
2. Click the Wi-Fi status icon in the menu bar.
3. Choose Open Wireless Diagnostics.
4. Select Continue in the popup window.

Once Wireless Diagnostics is open on your Mac, you should be able to see all wireless networks available in your area and compare their settings and strength. Yes, the tool is pretty basic, but that makes it easy enough to use even for casual Mac users who know nothing about WiFi analysis.

A WiFi Analyzer for Every Skill Level

Wireless analysis is a complicated topic, with many confusing terms and abbreviations to make it more difficult for you to choose the right WiFi analyzer for your needs. Many people give up at the very start, thinking that WiFi analyzer software is best left to professionals, which couldn't be further from the truth.

While some WiFi analyzers are indeed designed for experts, others are user-friendly enough for home network owners. We recommend NetSpot as a cross-platform, versatile solution suitable for users of all skill levels.

NetSpot is a highly capable WiFi analyzer whose intuitive interface makes it completely painless to collect a wealth of useful data. The app can then turn this data into visualizations, graphs, and tables, helping you easily understand and optimize your wireless network. Best of all, NetSpot offers a free version that allows you to get started without any upfront costs, so you can experience its powerful capabilities firsthand.