WiFi Channel Scanner for iOS (iPhone, iPad)

What Is the Best Wireless Channel to Use?

Determining the best wireless channel to use isn’t too challenging, but it does require a basic understanding of how WiFi networks operate. Most consumer routers traditionally operate on two main bands: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. The 2.4 GHz band is older and more congested, but it has a wider range. On the other hand, the 5 GHz band is less crowded and can deliver faster speeds, but its signal doesn't travel as far.

In North America, the 2.4 GHz band extends from 2,401 MHz to 2,483 MHz, and it's divided into 11 channels, each spaced 5 MHz apart from one another. Because each channel is 20 MHz wide, adjacent channels overlap, which can lead to signal interference.

As a result, it's typically recommended to use channels 1, 6, and 11, as these are the only non-overlapping channels in the band. The 5 GHz band is divided into 24 non-overlapping channels, each with a bandwidth of 20 MHz, giving you more options for avoiding interference.

In 2020, the Wi-Fi spectrum was expanded to include the 6 GHz band, also known as WiFi 6E. This band offers an additional 1,200 MHz of spectrum and 59 non-overlapping 20 MHz channels, drastically reducing the chances of interference and congestion.

The newest advancement in WiFi technology is IEEE 802.11be, known as WiFi 7, operates in the 2.4, 5, and 6 GHz frequency bands, offering Extremely High Throughput (EHT) and catering to both indoor and outdoor WLAN operations.

But which wireless channel is the best one? The answer is simple: the one that’s used the last, and that’s something any iPhone WiFi channel scanner can tell you. Once you know what the least used channel is, the only thing remaining is to learn how to change your WiFi channel.

If the AirPort Utility doesn’t offer what you’re looking for in an iPhone WiFi channel scanner, then you should explore other ways how to find best WiFi channel. For example, NetSpot is widely considered to be the best WiFi channel scanner for Android, Mac WiFi channel scanner, and WiFi channel scanner Windows, and these versions of the popular iOS app are capable of displaying information about all available WiFi networks.

The heatmapping feature creates color-coded maps to intuitively identify areas with strong or weak WiFi signals. You simply need to connect to the network you want to analyze, upload or create a map of your area, and then take measurements — NetSpot will take care of the rest.

The WiFi speed test feature allows you to consistently monitor your network's performance. Tap Start when in the Speed test tab, and NetSpot will automatically connect to the nearest server to perform a speed test. Move around your space, while running tests in different spots to gauge how location changes impact your WiFi's download speed, upload speed, and latency.

You can also use a separate ping test tab to check your network latency and the connection stability.

NetSpot for iOS is not the only app we develop! Check out NetSpot for desktop (macOS and Windows) — read more about it in the next section of this article.

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Just because Network Analyzer doesn’t have nearly as inviting user interface as NetSpot shouldn’t automatically disqualify it from your consideration. This free WiFi channel scanner app for iPhone and iPad offers a lot of essential functionality in a compact package, making it a great addition to your iOS app collection.

You can use it to detect network devices, see their IP addresses, perform round trip delay tests, and, of course, gather as much information about your WiFi network as you would ever need. Less experienced users may be somewhat overwhelmed by the high information density, but that’s exactly what professional network administrators, who are the target audience of Network Analyzer, ask for.

If you would like to unlock even more features than the free version of Network Analyzer has to offer, then you can purchase Network Analyzer Pro for $3.99.

The Pro version can test both download and upload speed, scan the most common ports or user-specified port ranges, perform DNS lookups, and more.

Don’t let the Matrix-inspired user interface of this WiFi tool for iPad and iPhone fool you into thinking that it’s some kind of hacking tool meant to crack WiFi passwords and steal sensitive information because that couldn’t be further from the truth.

In reality, Scany describes itself as the Swiss army knife of WiFi channel scanners, and this description is fitting. You can use it to detect all network devices (including hidden ones), find network path bottlenecks, scan predefined and custom ports, look up IP address information, and more.

Scany costs $5.99, and there’s no free version available. The app runs on iOS 10.0 or later, and it has been translated into English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Russian, and Spanish.

Conclusion

Selecting the right WiFi channel is important for enjoying a fast and stable internet connection. Whether it's the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, or the newer 6 GHz bands, knowing which channel is least congested can significantly improve your network's performance.

For iOS users, Apple’s AirPort Utility makes it easy to analyze WiFi channels without any third-party hardware required. For more in-depth analysis and WiFI optimization, the desktop version of NetSpot brings to the table three different modes for detailed surveys and network planning, making it a solid alternative to WiFi apps for iOS.