You are already familiar with WiFi? it free utility, which will make it easier for you to find Wi-Fi slots, choose the best one in terms of parameters and connect to it. You just have to download WeFi and install it in any of the sections hard drive your PC.
The key feature of the WeFi program is simply a colossal database of more than 100 million hotspots. WiFi access all over the planet. Thus, even if there is not a single open access point around you, WeFi will definitely tell you exactly where you can find it.
In the program settings, you can set automatic start - then WeFi will start its work with the start of Windows. However, the application has other, no less interesting features:
Free WeFi Program Features
- Online status of friends. A curious feature that shows which of your friends is currently connected to the Internet and where exactly. That is, you can calculate not only the online status, but also the location of your friends, which is more than entertaining!
- The WeFi program automatically detects and connects even to those hotspots that require connection through a web page. Also, WeFi connects without problems to those points where the user is required to accept the terms of use, which are indicated on the web page.
- To see the location of all the hotspots available on the map, you just need to indicate the city where you live.
- You can select the connection mode both to any Wi-Fi points, and only to verified ones.
- If WeFi finds a new access point, it will be automatically added to the map.
- There are variants of the WeFi program not only for Windows, but also for mobile platforms - for example, Android and Windows phone.
- The program can be used to communicate in the form of a chat between several users of wi-fi slots, while showing the location of each of them.
Thanks to specially created programs, the procedure for discovering and connecting to Wi-Fi, as well as organizing a wireless Internet access point, using only a laptop or other device connected to the global network, is greatly facilitated.
The following guide will help you understand the huge variety of such applications and introduce you to the basic techniques for working with them.
Advantages and main purpose of such programs
They provide the convenience of finding, connecting and creating Wi-Fi hotspots.
During the analysis of the presence of wireless networks, such programs are able to automatic mode determine the stability of connections, sort by the strength of the transmitted signal, etc.
Many utilities are supplied with regularly updated databases of hotspots, and this allows the user to quickly find a Wi-Fi network even when out of its coverage area.
Some applications allow even a novice user to easily create their own hotspots. All that is usually required of a person is, by clicking, create a point, give it an original name.
The utilities are designed not only to work on a Windows PC, but also on mobile platforms Android and Windows Phone.
Most often they are used in laptops and smartphones, as they are already equipped with built-in Wi-Fi modules by the manufacturer.
Its activation is not a problem for mobile devices, but to enable it on a laptop, you need to know about some of the nuances of the laptop model used.
How to enable Wi-Fi adapter on a laptop?
To connect to Wi-Fi on a laptop, you must activate the module with a switch or a key combination.
To enable wifi adapter on a laptop, do the following:
Various button combinations can be used. If they do not have characteristic patterns, then it is recommended to go through the options from "F1" to "F12", of course, not forgetting to hold the "Fn" button.
Application for connecting to Wi-Fi "Maxidix Wifi Suite"
This utility for less than four years managed to earn popularity among users around the world.
Many such programs do not have a Russian interface, and Maxidix does not have such a drawback.
Often professional programmers give preference to this particular application, as it allows you to establish one hundred percent control over Wi-Fi connections.
In addition to the basic functions of detecting and connecting to wireless networks, it is able to count the traffic consumed.
Thanks to the use of a special algorithm, the procedure for connecting to Wi-Fi takes several times less time.
The program shows the geographic location, has the function of exporting and importing network profiles, and much more. 
WiFi
The utility searches for networks to connect to Wi-Fi.
Two main advantages have made it popular all over the world:
- The application is distributed free of charge;
- The utility database contains hundreds of millions of Wi-Fi networks around the world.
The main drawback of the application is the lack of a Russian interface.
Even when there are no available access points within the user's radius, he can quickly find the one closest to him on the map and, for example, quickly get to it by metro.
Flexible application settings allow you to adapt it to the specific needs of the user.
If a network connection is required all the time, then the utility can be launched simultaneously with the completion Windows boot in computer.
Outgoing people will like the "Online status of friends" option. Through it, the user will always know the location of his friends and comrades, or rather, to which point they are connected (the point is displayed on the map).
There are versions of the utility designed not only to work on a PC, but also on operating systems ah Windows Phone and Android.
Xirrus WiFi Inspector
If you need a real radar for wireless networks, then this free program is equipped with a similar built-in tool.
The application analyzes the stability and speed of the connection. The user is only required to click on the appropriate virtual keys: "Test" and "Speed Test".
Experienced users and specialists often use this utility to select the optimal location for the router.
Thanks to the accurate results of the analysis of the quality of the wireless signal broadcast, a reliable connection between the access point and, for example, a smart TV or computer will be ensured.
Also, the application is useful in determining the location of surveillance cameras that use the channel wireless communication with router and PC.
Unfortunately, all modifications of the application do not have a Russian-language menu.
However, the use of the application is not difficult even without knowledge of a foreign language.
After clicking on "Radar", the utility automatically analyzes the available networks, and then provides the laptop owner with a list of them in an intuitive interface.
The user has access to detailed information about each detected point, up to the signal strength and the manufacturer of the router.
MyPublic WiFi
If you need to create a Wi-Fi hotspot, then the free MyPublicWiFi utility does an excellent job.
The user may suddenly stop working with a router, or some people do not have one at all. However, this does not prevent them from actively using their own Wi-Fi access point on a PC.
To this end, you will need to perform the following sequential actions:
Note: Before running the utility, you need to enable the laptop's Wi-Fi module using the instructions from the first paragraph of this manual.
mHotspot
Similar to the previous program in its purpose, it allows you to turn a PC into a router and protect the network with an access code, so you don’t have to worry that someone else will connect to the user’s resources.
The utility is not Russified, but it is absolutely free.
The application allows you to manually set the allowed number of network clients.
Information about users connected to the created point is shown in the "Clients" section.
The “Hotspot” tab displays the data transfer and reception speeds.
As you can see, everything is simple, therefore, despite the English-language interface, even a beginner can easily cope with the operation of the application.
Connectify
Another program for creating a Wi-Fi hotspot. Despite the fact that it is paid, it has numerous fans. Not demanding on laptop resources and easy to set up.
After installing and running the utility, the following menu will be displayed.
Using 4 tabs, the utility is configured.
It is recommended that you enter the "Settings" tab and click "Launch Options".
Specify parameters based on personal preferences, for example, organize autorun of the utility after Windows boots, etc.
In the "Display" tab, you can enable or disable the display of ads.
In the "Network Address Translation Options" tab advanced users can enter specific data, however, by default it is already configured for optimal performance applications.
Additional settings are located in a separate section "Advanced settings".
Through the "Languages" item, if "Russian" is not installed, then for convenience it is recommended to select. After that, the application interface will immediately be Russified.
Diagnostics WiFi networks and free channel detection
In this article, we will talk about how to detect a free channel WiFi network for more accurate (reliable) configuration of an access point or other wireless equipment. WiFi Diagnostics networks is performed by specialized utilities. Among them there are both paid and free versions, the most popular are presented below:
Let's stop at the utility inSSIDer, as it is a powerful tool for diagnosing wireless networks. This program helps you measure the signal strength and evaluate the performance of your Wi-Fi equipment in various locations. You can visually see and check how walls, stairs, doors, and in general the layout and materials of your premises affect the coverage area of the serviced wireless network. At the same time, the Home version is completely free.
Currently, in any modern city, every home or office is literally teeming with an abundance of Wi-Fi networks. At the same time, when several wireless networks overlap the channel on which they work (i.e. several AP the building distributes a Wi-Fi network over one channel), a situation occurs that slows down the work of all Wi-Fi networks on this channel. Scanner inSSIDer help discover best channel for your wifi.
Features of this software:
- inSSIDer uses your current software wireless card and wifi connection
- works with Microsoft Windows Vista, 7 and 8.1 (32 and 64 bits)
- tracks received signal strength in dBm over time
- sorting by MAC address, SSID, channel number, RSSI, and time is available
Installing the utility does not cause any difficulties. It is worth noting - if you use several wireless adapters, then in the menu Network connection select the desired wireless adapter- with its help, scanning will be performed. Next, the program will automatically scan wireless networks and display information about the air. Below is a screenshot of the inSSIDer working window:
The working window of the inSSIDer program
Let's take a closer look at the information provided:
SSID– name of the wireless network.
Channel– channel number on which the wireless network operates. We recommend that you use the wireless channel that has the fewest other networks.
RSSI– received signal power level. The higher the RSSI number, or the less negative it is, the stronger the signal. Try not to share the channel number (Channel) with access points that are close to your network in terms of signal strength.
security– security type. In some versions of the utility, the security type WPA2-TKIP denoted as RSNA, a WPA2-AES how CCMP.
Maxrate – maximum speed device operation at the physical layer (maximum theoretical speed) provided by the access point.
Vendor– access point manufacturer.
In Russia, 13 wireless channels are allowed for use, three of which are non-overlapping (these are channels 1, 6 and 11).
If the wireless adapter installed on your computer/laptop/tablet/smartphone is designed for use in the United States, it will only be able to use channels 1 to 11. Therefore, if you set the channel number to 12 or 13 (and also if one of them was selected by the automatic channel selection algorithm), the wireless client will not see the access point. In this case, you must manually set the channel number from the range from 1 to 11.
So, we got acquainted with one of the utilities used to diagnose Wi-Fi - inSSIDER. In the next article, we will talk in more detail about the causes of unstable wireless networks - stay tuned for blog site updates.
In one of the previous articles, we already talked about Wireless Network Monitor from NirSoft, which allows you to monitor WiFi connections on your network. Due to its simplicity and convenience, Wireless Monitor is quite popular. In this article, we will talk about another product that is very similar in many ways to the program from NirSoft. The product is called Wi-Fi Guard by SoftPerfect.
WiFi Guard is a multi-platform application with a portable version and Russian localization, which is available for both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of operating systems. Supported Windows systems, Mac OS and Linux. So you can use the program on almost any computer. When you launch the program for the first time, you will be prompted to choose between the available network adapters on your computer. Please note that wired networks are also scanned by the program, despite the presence of WiFi in the name. After you choose correct adapter, the program will scan your network and show you a detailed report in tabular form, which will include IP addresses, computer names, device manufacturers, MAC addresses and other parameters.
A nice feature of the program is that WiFi Guard keeps a history of all detected devices on your network. So, if any of the devices is currently not connected, then you can always find out if it was connected before. In a way, this is a great way to keep track of who is using your local network. To do this, it is enough to set the appropriate frequency of network scanning in the program settings and set the application to run at system startup. In addition to this, you can also customize the sound when unknown device on the network, and sending an e-mail to the post office. The program is also a handy tool for troubleshooting, for example, to check the availability of devices on the network.
Note: Of course, you can use more sophisticated tools paired with a firewall to monitor the network. However, most often, simple and small utilities are more than enough to track devices in the local area.
Download Wi-Fi Guard and find more detailed information You can visit the developer's website at this link. The program does not contain viruses according to VirusTotal.
Now, you will always have another great network monitoring tool at hand.
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Technical Tips
The article deals with free software (software) under the control Microsoft Windows, which allows to make a preliminary analysis of the radio coverage of the territory for the presence of third-party equipment operating in the 2.4/5 GHz Wi-Fi band. Comparison made technical features the software in question.
Introduction
In wireless networks, the communication channel between the transmitter and receiver is open, which greatly complicates the analysis of radio signal propagation in the territory of the network being designed. And even more annoying is that neighboring wireless equipment through this "open" channel can have a negative impact on your network. Therefore, radio survey of the territory plays a very important role in the design of a Wi-Fi network. Some experts claim that a radio survey is a completely unnecessary stage, referring to the fact that surrounding networks are also constantly appearing, developing, modernizing, transferring, etc. But you must admit, it’s better to know in advance that a giant network of points lives near you access to a neighboring office, and take appropriate measures (for example, move to other non-overlapping frequency channels), rather than later encounter radio wave interference problems and, as a result, low throughput your "open" communication channel.
To date, there is a sufficient amount of software that allows you to assess the level of the ambient electromagnetic background in the 2.4/5 GHz bands. This article discusses programs running under OS Windows.
1.Acrylic WiFi
Acrylic Wi-Fi - the newest free network scanner, which displays the available wireless networks, their specifications(protocol, channel, maximum speed, etc.) as well as information about their protection level. The program even provides a list of Wi-Fi passwords that are used by default access points.
Acrylic has a paid professional version with advanced features to detect wireless security issues. Also in this version, the program performs a radio survey of the territory and offers to select the optimal channels in the network to ensure the most correct operation. The appearance of the program is shown in Figure 1:
Figure 1 - Appearance of the Acrylic Wi-Fi program
AT free version its capabilities remain rather scarce, limited by the output of the information shown in the screenshot above (Figure 1), namely: the transmitted access point - SSID; her MAC address; RSSI - signal level; Chan - number of the channel used for transmission; 802.11x - standard WiFi transmissions; Max Speed - maximum speed; WEP/WPA/PWA2 - Encryption type. An excellent feature is that the program shows on which access points WPS 1.0 / 2.0 is enabled, because it is no secret to anyone that this WPS 1.0 has long been a kind of "back door" for any network. It also displays related information about the manufacturer (Vendor) and the type of network in which the access point operates (Type), or in other words: does it have Internet access, or does it make no sense to break it (just kidding). For more pathos, a graph is displayed showing changes in the signal level from various access points over time (lower right in Figure 1).
In general, the listed set of functions is limited to the free version of Acrylic Wi-Fi. Pretty meager, given that long before this program, software appeared that could do more.
It’s hard to find fault with the professional version of the program, they stuffed quite a lot there useful features, for example, the program itself will indicate access points that negatively affect your network. Acrylic allows you to generate reports on the status of Wi-Fi networks with detailed description access points and transfer them to the communicator or administrator's computer.
Resume on acrylic wifi: when working with this program, there was a feeling that it was made entirely on the platform Kali Linux with the only difference that the graphical shell has been added to work from under Windows. The paid version is complemented by the fact that it allows you to generate reports in HTML format and helps the user make decisions about network settings without going into technical nuances. Thus, I would rate the free version of the program at three points on a five-point scale, it can be classified as software for "beginners", the paid version of the program deserves a slightly higher rating of three plus (due to report generation). However, overall, the program remains weak in its technical capabilities. In addition, it contains a bunch of distracting links leading to the developer's website and profiles on google+, Facebook, twitter, etc. Which in general creates the impression not of a technical application, but of a program for entertainment, when, having nothing to do, I decided to "monitor" neighbors WiFi hotspots access.
2. WiFi Scanner
This software can show detailed information about 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac networks near you, as well as access point parameters and signal strength. The program also has a paid and free version, unlike the previous software, they do not differ in functionality. After installing the program, you can use it for 30 days, after which you need to register it - free of charge for personal use, or buy it - in case of commercial use of the software. The appearance of the program is shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2 - Appearance of the Wi-Fi Scanner program
As in the previous software, information about available networks is displayed in the main column, but the information is more extended. The presence of additional columns: Achievable rate - the actually achievable data transfer rate, Channel Width - the channel width used, Spatial stream - spatial streams (here we are talking about MIMO technology), Channel Utilization - how busy the data transfer channel is, and more extended information about the security protocols used , and specifically - the type of encryption: CCMP / TKIP / WEP / or a combination of them.
In the free version of this program, all the functions listed in the professional version of Acrylic Wi-Fi are available. In particular: Figure 3 shows a graph of the signal level from available WiFi networks. Very convenient and intuitive.
Figure 3
Figure 4 provides extended information about one of the surrounding networks. In this case, this network with the same name Rostelecom.
Figure 4
Resume on WiFi Scanner: In my opinion, the design of this program is quite "light" in terms of perception of the displayed information, and the location of all buttons and tabs is intuitive. This program is an excellent solution for private use, and for commercial use, the prices are reasonable. The program deserves an excellent rating.
3. Homedale
Belongs to the class of "weak". From a technical point of view, the program has glitches and shortcomings, but it works on the latest Windows versions. The program is easy to use, but it only allows you to evaluate the signal level coming from the access point, and some information already listed in the previous software products. The program does not see hardware manufacturers and does not always determine the model of the access point whose network it has detected. Moreover, the signal strength from the access point is also not always able to determine. The appearance of the main program window is shown in Figure 5.
Figure 5
The program does not provide filters in any way, therefore, for example, on the power distribution graph of available access points by channels, it is impossible to remove connections that are “uninteresting” for us, so it simply shows such uninformative stuffing (Figure 6):
Figure 6
Given the incomplete performance of this program, it is assessed, to put it mildly, "unsatisfactorily." The program is rather weak compared to other similar free software distributed throughout the Internet.
4. Outdated monitoring software
The list of obsolete programs includes those that either do not support "modern" wifi standards- IEEE 802.11n/ac, or no longer work under Windows 7/8/8.1/10. Yes and appearance of these programs is quite depressing, which is not pleasing to the eye.
Network Stumbler is a lightweight wireless network monitoring tool for Windows. Its development stopped at the support of 802.11 a / b / g standards, that is, it monitors the network only in the 2.4 range, excluding five gigahertz. The software works on Microsoft systems Windows up to and including XP.
WirelessNetView was once a great tool for monitoring Wi-Fi networks, but is now somewhat outdated.
Wireless Network Watcher - originally created to detect and analyze Wi-Fi networks. I once used it myself, the utility scanned local networks, including wireless. The program displays a list of all devices connected in this moment to the network being scanned. The device information output table contains such information as: IP, MAC address, device name and adapter manufacturer. The list can be exported to HTML. On the issue of analyzing Wi-Fi networks, her attitude is rather mediocre, because in order to get information about a Wi-Fi network, you need to connect to it. In this review, she got in fact simply because of her specific name.
Instead of a conclusion
The Acrylic Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Scanner programs listed above belong to the class of those free programs, which keep up with the times and are able to monitor access points operating on the relatively recent IEEE 802.11ac. In addition to the considered programs, there are also no less famous ones that were not included in this review, among which inSSIDer is a completely and completely paid software recently. In addition, a large number of programs running Os Android, Mac Os and Linux are available on the network. But that's another story.