Best Apps for WiFi Troubleshooting

What Are the Most Common WiFi Connectivity Issues?

There are certain WiFi issues that everyone who regularly connects to the Internet wirelessly will inevitably experience sooner or later.

Slow Connection

Paying for a fast Internet connection and not being able to reach the advertised download and upload speeds is no fun. Often, this can be a result of network congestion, outdated router firmware, improper WiFi channel selection, or interference from neighboring networks.

While it's understandable that your Internet provider may occasionally have issues on their end, those should be solved promptly. Consider using WiFi speed test tools to verify actual performance and compare it with your ISP’s advertised speeds. However, if you feel sluggish, you’ll definitely appreciate our comprehensive guide on how to make your WiFi faster.

Poor Coverage and Dead Spots

Most modern homes are full of electronic devices that connect wirelessly to the Internet as well as devices that emit strong electromagnetic interference. When you add hardwood furniture to the mix, and maybe even a brick wall or two, it becomes nearly impossible to have full bars with most wireless routers.

To eliminate wireless connection problems caused by poor coverage, you need a WiFi troubleshooting app that can visualize how strong the signal is in every place in your home. In most cases following the simple recommendations on how to extend WiFi range should provide you with a solid fix.

Random Connection Drops

Do you sometimes struggle to download very large files because the download process suddenly stops, interrupted by a random connection drop? Provided that you have a strong WiFi signal to begin with, this is something that shouldn’t happen at all.

One very common cause of random connection drops is the use of a crowded WiFi channel. In the United States, WiFi routers are allowed to transmit on 11 channels, three of which don’t overlap with other channels (1, 6, 11).

Selecting the right WiFi channel can significantly improve the stability of your wireless Internet connection, and it can also allow you to enjoy your maximum download and upload speed.

The good news is that you can easily fix all common WiFi connection problems by yourself.

All you need is the right combination of WiFi troubleshooting apps and practical steps.

While you can’t expect any Wi-Fi troubleshooting app to fix your Wi-Fi issues for you, you can expect it to provide you with all the information you need to accurately identify the source of the issues so you know exactly what to do to fix them. In addition, be sure to perform essential tasks like router firmware updates, checking for interference, and verifying security settings.

For quick WiFi network analysis, NetSpot offers its Inspector Mode, which allows you to take a quick snapshot of all nearby WiFi networks, including hidden SSIDs. You can see each network’s signal strength, security type, channel, frequency band (2.4, 5 or 6 GHz), and more in a convenient, informative table.

Additionally, there's a handy Channel Overlap graph that visually displays how WiFi networks overlap, helping you quickly select the best channel to avoid interference.

Even though the Inspector Mode alone provides enough information to help you fix most WiFi issues, NetSpot also offers Survey Mode for deeper troubleshooting. This mode allows you to create visual WiFi signal coverage maps (WiFi heatmaps), displaying signal strength and highlighting dead zones.

With over 20 detailed heatmap visualizations, you can quickly pinpoint problem areas and optimize router placement for stable WiFi coverage.

Professional network administrators and regular home users alike swear by the Survey Mode as it allows them to cover large areas with a strong and stable WiFi signal.

You can download NetSpot for free from the official website and try it to see if you like it. If you then decide that you would like to keep using it even in the future, you can choose from three different editions: Home, Pro, and Enterprise.

Wireshark is a widely-used network protocol analyzer, known for its powerful packet-sniffing capabilities. With Wireshark, you can analyze the traffic on your wireless network at the deepest level by capturing data streams as they flow across the network, decoding the packet’s raw data, and displaying the values of various fields in the packet.

As you can probably imagine, Wireshark is overkill for most home users. It can also be challenging to master, and there are dedicated training courses and certifications designed specifically to help professionals fully leverage its powerful features. However, it’s the standard across many commercial and non-profit enterprises, government agencies, and educational institutions.

If you would like to learn more about WiFi networks and perhaps even get a job as a network administrator, learning how to use Wireshark could open doors to many opportunities. But if you just want to fix common WiFi issues by yourself, NetSpot is a much better choice.

Conclusion

Improving your wireless network doesn't have to be complicated — especially when you have the right tools at your fingertips. From WiFi analyzer apps for Windows and macOS to advanced network diagnostic tools and router optimization techniques, you now have everything you need to take control of your connection.

Whether you’re aiming to fix random WiFi disconnects, improve WiFi signal strength, or choose the best WiFi channel for your router, even small adjustments can lead to noticeable performance gains. And if you’re just starting out, apps like NetSpot make WiFi troubleshooting for beginners just as accessible as for pros.

Don’t settle for unstable or slow WiFi. With the right insights and a bit of smart configuration, you can achieve a faster, stronger, and more reliable connection in any environment.

• Get NetSpot →
• Learn more about NetSpot →