12/20/2023 0 Comments Netspot macYou give the map a scale in meters or feet by marking the distance between two known points. You start with a map of a single floor, which you either draw using a few primitive graphics tools or load as an image file which is used as the background. This free site-survey software is a remarkable aid in laying out even a small-home network, using a Mac laptop as your survey tool. NetSpot bypasses the technical in favor of the visual. Where should I put a base station to get the best coverage and performance? Or multiple base stations? Apple provides some tools to help, including the somewhat hidden Wi-Fi Diagnostics program (buried in /System/Library/CoreServices/), but using them requires some expertise, as well as keeping your eye on ever-changing signal-strength numbers. But if you’re trying to improve the Wi-Fi within your home and you have no background in networking, you’ll have to do a bit of online reading before you can fully make use of this app.When you set up a Wi-Fi network, whether using access points (base stations) from Apple or another vendor, you’re usually playing a guessing game. If you have the knowledge and experience with wireless network troubleshooting and diagnostics, you can’t go wrong with NetSpot. The Ask a Question option at the top of the screen lets you reach out directly to the team, and they’ll respond to you through email. If you have a question or want to submit feedback, you can do so directly within the NetSpot app. For example, uploading floor plans didn’t always work as intended, although we had calibrated the app to match the correct distances. NetSpot is powerful, but it can be complicated to use. The good news is that NetSpot includes a user guide with dozens of articles about network terminology and how to use the NetSpot network analyzer to perform a wireless network site survey within your own home to optimize your Wi-Fi network and coverage.Įven with tutorials, it can take time to acquaint yourself with all of the features. To use the information, you should have at least a base level of networking knowledge. Be warned, though: NetSpot isn’t beginner-friendly. You can receive lifetime upgrades for $49 extra.Īfter spending several weeks with NetSpot, we find that it’s definitely worth the cost for the network performance gains you’ll see. You can create more than 12 visualizations, as well as gain access to one free technician license if you need to speak with someone regarding your network. It’s set up for 50 zones, 50 snapshots, and 500 data points per zone. The Pro version is the better bet for commercial use. You can receive lifetime upgrades for just $19 on top of the base $50 price. It allows you to set up two zones, with two snapshots and 50 data points per zone. There is a free version, but you’ll have access to more of what makes NetSpot useful if you opt for the Home version. NetSpot includes many powerful diagnostics tools, and it does so in a lightweight package. Use this troubleshooting tool to determine the best channel with the least interference to connect to. The Discover Tool lets you view individual bandwidths for detailed information about activity on the network. If you’re seeking the best Wi-Fi network quality, then you’d want to connect to the 5GHz band if possible. The 5GHz band has more bandwidths that don’t overlap, resulting in better connection strength and quality. For example, the 2.4GHz network has 11 different bands, but only three of these do not overlap. There are different bands to each network range. Selecting a point shows a breakdown of every network and Wi-Fi channel within range of that point. When the network analyzer survey is complete, you can see detailed information about each area, including signal strength, the signal-to-noise ratio, the bandwidth frequency coverage, and more. You’ll need to repeat this process for at least three points throughout the home. You shouldn’t move your device from this position during the duration of the scan. You choose the point in the map where your computer is the first point for the Wi-Fi analyzer scan before moving to the next point.Īfter you choose one point on the map, the scan will commence. After you’ve performed basic calibration, the survey begins. The app can take any two measurements and calibrate the rest of the floorplan based on those distances, provided the floorplan you use is to scale.Īfter this, NetSpot asks if you want it to scan any other Wi-Fi networks. You can calibrate your map by selecting two points and entering the actual distance between them. You can also upload a floorplan of your office or apartment (if one is available) and work off that. You can design a map of your space by drawing it, choosing a sample map, or starting with a completely blank map.
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