Wifi signal strength map for apartment. Five easy ways to improve your Wi-Fi signal. Quick Wi-Fi Network Scan

When ordering a service package from a provider, the latter cannot guarantee excellent quality. Therefore, many are concerned about the issue of the router’s incoming signal. The user is looking for ways to improve it. One option is an antenna to strengthen the Wi-Fi signal. It provides significant assistance and is an excellent way to improve the performance of the router.

Antennas are auxiliary devices that affect the Wi-Fi signal. They are made mainly in the form of a lattice made of copper and steel. Preference is given to this material because of its properties that provide the best radiation. An amplified antenna for a router is placed in large trade centers and warehouses. Wi-Fi signal propagation is stable and activities proceed without interruption.

Many devices have protection devices against bad weather conditions and precipitation. The main parameter of amplified antennas for wi-fi routers is the degree of increase in action, measured in DBI. Internet speed and quality depend on the level of the incoming signal.

To make the antenna for amplifying the Wi-Fi signal as effective as possible, you can use a Wi-Fi signal distribution map.

What are the reasons for poor communication? Before purchasing an antenna, analyze the operation of the equipment. Poor communication has different causes at all installation sites. Each device that provides access to the World Wide Web has a Wi-Fi module that is responsible for the level of the incoming signal. This is the reason for the communication failure. When the modem is not working properly, call a technician. The incoming signal will be much higher after the repair.

The speed and quality of the wi-fi signal are also affected by:

• remote location of the router from devices that determine the entrance;
• low power.

In the first case, it will be enough to change the location of the amplification device. In the second, you will have to buy other equipment.

Features and types of antennas

Tightness.

The antenna for amplifying wi-fi has a distinctive feature - tightness. It is especially important in bad weather conditions. In addition, external devices are large in size. They require fasteners for installation on a vertical or horizontal surface.

• By location there are:
• external;

Directionality. The next distinctive nuance is directionality. The purpose of the device will be an even coating within a given range of action. Antennas are designed in the form of pins, with installation in a vertical position. This element will control the distance of the signal on the entire plane.

Internal antenna for laptop

Outdoor directional antenna

Quite often, outdoor devices are used in combination with other devices located in the room.

According to their purpose, antennas are divided into the following types:

• sectoral;
• wave;
• segmented parabolic;
• panel.

The former are used as coverage area regulators. Sector antennas emit waves within a radius of 60-120 degrees. Wave devices include a vibrator, making them classified as active devices.

Segmented parabolic ones are used to establish communications over long distances. The device operates at a frequency of 2.4 GHz and has high gain. If you install these additional antennas for a wi-fi router, it will be possible to maintain communication over a remote distance of up to several tens of kilometers.

Panel structures are flat structures. They are used on small-area objects. Installation is quite simple, there will be no difficulties with placement.

Criterias of choice

The selection criteria will be different depending on the tasks assigned to the device, the size of the room that needs to be covered with wireless communications, and the location of the server. When the antenna for your router breaks down, you go shopping for a new one.

What to look for when choosing an antenna:

1. to the building where the communications will be located;
2. on the body. The material from which it is made;
3. antenna specifications.

To organize wireless communication in a small house, the antenna included in the router is sufficient. If you want something more, you can enhance the Wi-Fi signal with an additional antenna.

Directional antenna and signal propagation planes

When organizing communication in a large room, place the device under the ceiling. In open areas, it is possible to enhance the effect of Wi-Fi using an antenna installed on the roof of the house or the top of a tall tree. When you want to organize communication between two objects that are within sight, for example, two apartments on the same landing, take two antennas directed at each other.

To connect equipment located at a great distance, use directional antennas. A popular option is the directional wi-fi antenna An-15m. This option is also suitable for sailors on a voyage, users from different parts of one small locality.

If the antenna has antennae, change their position. An excellent option is to have two devices. Place one vertically, the other horizontally. Install them at different heights.

The propagation of the signal is impeded by any electronics standing in its path. Do not place the router on the floor. In this position you will lose half the power. The signal will go to the neighbors. The Wi-Fi signal map shows that you should find the ideal location for the router. Practice has proven that this is the center of the apartment.

It's no secret that Wi-Fi networks are quite susceptible to interference, and walls and other objects may be encountered along the path of the wireless signal, and after the next such obstacle, the electromagnetic wave may simply not fulfill its purpose. In the age of digital technology, you can visualize anything, even how Wi-Fi signals invisible to the human eye propagate.

When there is a tool that allows you to visually show the signal level immediately on an area map, this makes it much easier to perceive the picture of the network as a whole. Such tools allow you to immediately download a building plan, and by walking through it with the Wi-Fi receiver turned on, you can get heat maps of radio coverage and many other useful data:

The screenshot above was taken in the Acrylic Wi-Fi program (for Windows OS), which allows you to build heat maps using data from Google Map, but there are equally effective software products for mobile devices. Most Windows-based Wi-Fi coverage analysis tools offer a wide range of functionality. By the way, here we reviewed some of them, distributed free of charge, or shareware (demo version and/or with reduced functionality). But if you don't need all the features of advanced Windows applications with identifying sources of interference or better visualization, then Android-based software can help solve a number of important problems.

Wi-Fi coverage analyzer applications on Google Play are not uncommon; there are quite a large number of them there, but when choosing an application we were guided by several factors: free distribution, the ability to build heat maps and the presence of unusual functionality (something more than just channel monitoring). As a result, the list of dozens of applications was reduced to 4. The review included such programs as: Wi-Fi Analyzer and Surveyor, Wi-Fi Visualizer, iMapper Wi-Fi Pro, and WiTuners Mobile:

Wi-Fi Analyzer and Surveyor

ManageEngine's Wi-Fi Analyzer and Surveyor app has very simple features and is completely free. The program doesn't even have an extended paid version. The installer weighs about 6 MB. When you open the app, after setting it up for the first time, you can go to the Analyzer or Surveyor page. At the same time, in the Analyzer mode, Wi-Fi networks that your device sees are monitored, and in Surveyor you can add a floor plan from the memory of your device or cloud storage:

After the room map has been added, the application invites you to “walk” around the building and measure the radio coverage at the points where you are; this is done by long pressing on the monitor screen of your smartphone. After you have gone through all the control points, you can complete the “survey” of the territory and display a report by clicking the “End Survey” button. Moreover, if you are taking measurements and a Wi-Fi signal is not detected at a certain point, you will receive a corresponding notification from the program:

The description of the program states that you can photograph the floor plan and load it into the program for further work with it. Let's add a little ambience and see what happens. As initial data, we will select an evacuation plan from a building code-named “Pentagon”, photographed, as indicated in the program description, on the same smartphone:

In the “Surveyor” tab, click “Add Plan” and upload the photo you took directly from the photo gallery. Next, we move to the desired point on the map and click on the smartphone screen, information about the level of the recorded Wi-Fi signal appears on the map. Of course, the good news is that the application remembers the signal level from all available APs at the measured points. The screenshots below show signal levels at measured points for three randomly selected networks:

Please note that the same number of measurements was taken in all three screenshots, but depending on which network you select in the drop-down menu (in our example, these are dlink, uraldelo, WiFi-DOM.ru networks), the signal levels of a specific network are displayed on the map . If the smartphone was unable to detect one of these networks at the measuring points, then it will not be displayed on the map.

Unfortunately, you won’t be able to select an individual access point to see its range; you can only select its SSID. The difference is that if several access points use the same SSID, then the application cannot determine whether different equipment creates such a coverage area or one. The application also allows you to display data with a heat map effect, and not only give a report on the signal level at a specified point:

Let's face it, the effect is so-so... There was an assumption that to create a full-fledged heat map, you need to make a fairly large number of measurements, but this idea was not crowned with success:

The HeatMap Report effect only radiates slightly beyond the original size of the dots you see in the Signal Strength report, so in reality you just see blurry dots. As we'll see below, all other Wi-Fi coverage analysis software tools use specific prediction algorithms to fill these gaps and create a more complete heat map without having to walk through every square meter of the building. Therefore, in terms of creating heat maps, the Wi-Fi Analyzer and Surveyor program is not very convenient.

Let's stay a little longer on this program and say a few words about the “Analyzer” tool of the application in question. Here you can find 4 tabs at the bottom of the screen, each of which contains trivial data that is available in almost every similar application:

The “Channel” tab displays information about available access points (APs) and the channels on which they operate in the form of bar graphs. Next are the “Interference” and “Signal” tabs, which provide the same information as before (in the “Channel” tab), but directly on the subject of interference and signal level from each access point (so to speak, for more convenient perception):

Here you can choose which access points to display based on signal strength information (Best, Good, Weak, or Show All). And the last tab - “Wi-Fi Details” (or information about Wi-Fi) shows a text list of available points and basic information about them: SSID, MAC addresses, signal strength, channel used for data transfer. Unfortunately, there is no information about the network encryption algorithm used.

In the analyzer settings, you can set the scanning interval or disable it altogether, which can be useful if you just need to access previously taken measurements. In addition, in the program you can give any network a name you come up with, which will help you track these networks in the future. These simple settings can help when working with specific networks on a regular basis.

Wi-Fi Visualizer

After opening the Wi-Fi Visualizer, you will see a “Scan” screen that displays information about your current connection to the Wi-Fi access point. Along with the status of the wireless network, it also shows the channel width, center channel and maximum data transfer rate (however, the program cannot always determine all these parameters):

You can also view tabs on the same page to see channel occupancy and graphical representations for the 2.4 GHz bands and for each subset of the 5 GHz bands, but it would be more convenient to see all 5 GHz bands on one page:

Also, on the scanning page there is a tab with a list of available SSIDs. You can't filter the list, but you can sort devices by SSID and BSSID. On the same “Scan” page, it is possible to save a list of devices and graphics with information and channel status, which you can return to and view later. This is a rather convenient feature that not all free applications offer:

This is where the scanning functions end, and we can move on to considering heat maps - the corresponding “Heatmap” tab:

On the Heatmap page you can name and create a new project. When you add a floor plan (this can be a simple picture), just like in the previous program, you indicate your location on the map, the program registers the access point and stores its data transfer speed and power at the specified point. Unfortunately, unlike the application discussed earlier, the program registers statistics only for the AP to which you are currently connected. This is not very convenient and can be a problem if you want to see whether signals from one point affect another on a heat map. It is simply impossible to do this in this program. But thanks to the adaptive signal level prediction algorithm, it is possible to build more uniform heat maps:

Let's move on to the no less interesting “Network Map” tab (below under “Heatmap”). Here on the screen you can view a tree of devices detected on the network. In fact, it is a simple IP scanner that shows the IP, MAC addresses and network names of devices on the network (such as routers/switches/wireless APs) in addition to client devices. This is a great bonus feature that is not seen in most other Wi-Fi network analysis applications:

On the “Chart of Signal Strength” tab, you can view a graph of signal strength changes over time (data shown for the access point to which you are connected). Although this feature is very simple, it is also very convenient. The graph shows a static line indicating a typical roaming boundary line at -80 dBm. You can, moving away from the access point, understand at what distance from it the specified attenuation of -80 dBm will be observed and then take this into account when organizing seamless radio coverage:

The Settings tab provides information about the characteristics of your device: supported frequencies and maximum data transfer speed.

Thus, if you need a good tool for analyzing radio coverage and Wi-Fi networks in general, this application is worth adding to your arsenal. Such solutions are well suited for analyzing small wireless networks, especially if you are the only system administrator in your company. With its help, you can carry out express analysis when designing or expanding an existing Wi-Fi network.

In this part of the article, we looked at the work of two of the four promised applications. In the second part, we will look at the work of two more software solutions with no less interesting capabilities that allow you to analyze radio coverage - iMapper Wi-Fi Pro and WiTuners Mobile.

A program for improving the Wi-Fi signal level on a computer, laptop and Android devices can improve the quality of network reception. Often the Wi-Fi signal functions intermittently and periodically disappears. Sometimes the speed may not match what is stated by the provider. In this case, you need to look for the optimal solution that will improve your connection to the wireless Internet. This could be a program that will allow you to activate the correct Wi-Fi signal settings on a laptop or computer, an application for Android gadgets, or changing factors affecting signal transmission. If the user is satisfied with the quality of the wireless Internet, then we do not recommend changing any parameters, since ultimately the result may be negative. It is worth noting that any existing programs for improving Wi-Fi on Android gadgets or computers and laptops with the Windows operating system are easy to use. Any user can test them to improve the network. At the same time, it is very important to remember all the actions taken so that you can always return to the previous settings.

You can strengthen the Wi-Fi signal both technically and programmatically

What should you do before using the programs?

Before using various programs, you can try to improve the signal level in the following ways:

1. Reboot the router. This process is carried out by turning off and then turning on the router on the network. You can reboot by logging into the router's web interface. To do this, you need to open an Internet browser and enter the address “192.168.0.1”. In the window that appears, enter “admin” next to the Username and Password fields and confirm the action using the OK button. After this, you need to find the corresponding section in the menu. For example, for a TP-Link router this is the command System Tools - Reboot.
2. Check that no one is connecting without the user's permission. This information is displayed in the router's web interface. On a TP-Link device, this is the Wireless Statistics tab of the Wireless section. All unknown connections must be blacklisted.
3. To strengthen the Wi-Fi signal, you can move the router to a new place where it will not be blocked by walls or electronic devices. Reducing the distance from the router to the laptop or computer usually improves network performance.

If the above methods do not bring the desired result, we recommend using utilities that will help solve the problem.

Ways to improve the signal on laptops and computers

Very often, when setting up a Wi-Fi router, the loaded channel is set by default. There are programs that determine at what operating frequency the router operates. One of them is inSSIDer. It can be downloaded from the official resource. The utility will scan all available connections and determine loaded and free channels. Very often, residents of apartment buildings are faced with the fact that several connections use the same channel at once.

To fix the problem by improving the quality of the Wi-Fi signal, you need to determine which operating frequency is free or least used. After this, you need to go to the router’s web interface and set a new parameter.

For a TP-Link device, you need to go to the Wireless mode section and specify a new value for the Channel parameter. After this, you need to save all changed settings and reboot the router.

You can determine the required frequency using utilities such as WirelessNetView, Acrylic WiFi Free, LinSSID. The latter is developed for the Linux operating system. You can also reflash the router if you are not satisfied with the quality of its operation. In this case, it is very important to choose the right installation files that correspond to the device model and are current today.

Optimizing the wireless Internet signal on Android devices

It is worth noting that on gadgets running on the Android operating system, you can install the Wifi Analyzer program, which is designed to determine free and busy channels. The application is free and has a good rating. Like other utilities on Android, Wifi Analyzer can be downloaded from the Google Play store. The application allows you to evaluate the quality of the Wi-Fi signal and all its changes that have occurred recently. The information is displayed in the form of a graph that is easy to read on a mobile gadget. At the same time, the application makes a rating of available connections taking into account the quality of their work. The utility is convenient to use to identify places in the house where wireless Internet works best. It has a concise and very convenient interface that is understandable to any user. We recommend installing Wifi Analyzer on your Android device.

The next application is OpenSignal 3G 4G WiFi cards. It is designed specifically to enhance Wi-Fi quality on Android devices. The program shows maps of various networks, thanks to which it will be much easier for the user to connect to a network with a good signal. The application allows you to test the speed of the Internet on Android. A large number of users have already installed OpenSignal 3G 4G WiFi cards to strengthen the wireless Internet signal and highly appreciated its performance. The advantage is the ability to install the program on your smartphone for free.

Some programs that can be used to strengthen the wireless Internet signal help determine the optimal channel for fine-tuning the router, others help analyze the coverage and select the optimal network to connect to. In this case, it is necessary to analyze why Wi-Fi is working unsatisfactorily. Often the problem can be solved by rebooting the router or moving it to another location.

In the world of technological progress and global computerization, rapidly developing technologies have touched every modern user. Access to the World Wide Web is no longer limited to using just a computer.

Today, in every home, almost all family members, young and old, have one or several different devices with access to the network. In this case, it is very convenient to install a Wi-Fi access point and distribute a signal to any connected equipment. Modern devices such as laptops, tablets, phones have built-in Wi-Fi receivers, making them easy to connect to a network.

A network card, or network adapter, is a component of a computer that determines its interaction with the network. With the exception of outdated device models, many laptops and computers are equipped with a network adapter during production. This provides the ability to connect to the Internet without purchasing a separate item. But, despite the built-in adapter, you can and should purchase an additional external device, expanding the possibilities of data exchange.

The network card can be integrated into the motherboard or external. Regardless of the type, it is assigned a Mac address, through which a computer connected to the network is identified.

Wi-Fi network card

The computer can be connected to the Internet physically using a cable connected to the network port of the PC, or wirelessly, which does not require the use of connectors.

A Wi-Fi network card allows the computer to receive a signal from a wireless network. It can be connected to the PCI connector of the motherboard or USB port of a computer, less often to Ethernet (this type of connection is mainly applicable to older devices). A Wi-Fi card plugged into the USB port of a PC or laptop is most convenient in terms of mobility; it can be easily connected to another device if necessary.

In addition to the connection method and appearance, there are differences in the speed and power of the adapter. Some cards are only capable of receiving signals, others can also transmit. Adapters equipped with the Soft AP function provide the creation of a Wi-Fi access point.

The range of signal reception and transmission can be carried out over long distances up to hundreds of meters, or limited to a small access area. As in the case of a router, there is no need to use overly powerful network cards for home use, unless, of course, you are going to distribute Wi-Fi to all your neighbors or take over someone else's signal. In addition, the price will depend on the power of the model, and it is not advisable to overpay for a card that will work in a small area. More robust adapter models are applicable in large areas of offices or enterprises.

How the Wi-Fi adapter works

Access to the Internet via a wireless network is achieved through the joint work of a network card and a router or modem. Wi-Fi technology operates on a specific frequency range. Data exchange with the network is carried out through a router or modem, which communicates with the air via radio waves. For the computer to perceive the radio signal, a network card is used, which reads and converts the signal into an electronic one. All devices equipped with an adapter and located within the range of the router’s transmitter will receive the incoming signal. To digitize data for recognition by the device, the adapter is equipped with a chip and special software that controls the operation of the module. For proper operation, the necessary drivers must be installed.

Types of adapters

All adapters are divided into two main categories:

External. Such network devices are connected via the USB port of a computer or laptop. They are not distinguished by high data transfer speeds, but they pleasantly compensate for this disadvantage with their price, which is why they are the most popular today. In appearance, such adapters look like USB drives. To get started, you need to insert the device into a free port and connect to a wireless connection.

Internal, or built-in. Connect to the PCI connector of the motherboard. To install this type of adapter, you will have to remove the cover of the system unit. The built-in network card is larger than the external one. This type of device has good throughput, resulting in high data transfer rates. The price of the issue will be significantly higher than that of external adapters.

There is another version of devices that is not widely used - card devices (Card-Bus). This type of adapter connects to a PC Card slot, if your computer equipment has one.

Wireless network cards can be connected not only to computers and laptops. A separate niche is occupied by external adapters for TVs. They can be either universal or designed for specific models. If your TV is not equipped with a Wi-Fi receiver, but has a corresponding connector, you can purchase an adapter compatible with it to connect it to a network source.

Network card antennas

A device equipped with an external antenna receives the signal better. Of course, the dimensions of the receiver do not always contribute to comfort, so you can choose an adapter with a removable antenna or with a connector where you can insert it if necessary.

When choosing a device, the antenna power must correspond to the conditions of the location where you want to install the network.

The number of antennas affects the speed of information transmission. Models equipped with removable antennas are very convenient if the router is located far away; if necessary, it is possible to install a more powerful radio wave reception structure. External antennas provide greater range.

Installing and configuring a Wi-Fi adapter

Despite the significant differences in network cards in terms of type and type of connection, they are all configured according to a similar principle.

First, you need to physically connect the adapter to the desired connector on your computer or laptop. Windows will detect the new hardware. Although there are always compatible programs in the system set of programs, for correct operation it is better to install drivers from the disk that came with the network device. You can also download the necessary software from the manufacturer's official website. Data exchange through the adapter occurs thanks to the driver, which is why it is better to install software that is suitable specifically for your device model.

After installing the Wi-Fi card, a network connection icon will appear, click on it and in the properties of the wireless network connection, find the TCP/IP Internet protocol. Here you need to enter network parameter settings; you need to find them out by contacting your provider’s technical support and fill them in in the fields. Settings can also be assigned automatically. When you have selected the necessary parameters and access points, all that remains is to assign a Mac address to the card. This task is performed by the network administrator; to do this, call technical support and notify about the adapter change and the need to change the Mac address.

When choosing a network device, pay attention not only to functionality, because you will not use all the capabilities of the card, and the price for a wide range of functions will increase several times. Pay attention to some factors, such as the dimensions of your room in which the Wi-Fi network will be used, the distance between the router and the computer, and the thickness of the walls. The manufacturer also plays a significant role in the reliability of products; it is better to choose a proven one that has proven itself in the quality of its products, of which there are many in the computer equipment market. It is advisable to purchase adapters from the same manufacturer as the router or modem, thereby ensuring better compatibility between the devices.

There are dozens for Windows, but such as WiFi SiStr unique of its kind. This is an extremely simple application that will allow you, the user, to find out the signal strength of any Wi-Fi point. Of course, if it is within the reach of the sensor.

Interestingly, the wireless signal strength is shown digitally on the screen. After you click downloadWiFi SiStr and install the program, a small panel will appear on the desktop. You can place it in any part of the screen: bottom, top or even in the middle. It will show digital and graphical signal level values.

It often happens that a user cannot access a website for unknown reasons - especially if you are connected via Wi-Fi. There is another situation: the messaging client periodically interrupts the connection - you have to constantly reconnect. To solve this problem, just look at the signal status panel and make sure that it is sufficient for stable and fast Internet. If you have the WiFi SiStr program, then this is quite easy to do.

Features of the WiFi SiStr program:

• Flexible in setup. Despite the simple interface of the panel, you can even customize it. Just right-click on the status bar and a menu with settings will open.
• Convenient. You can monitor the signal level directly on the desktop of your PC or laptop.
• It does not consume a lot of system resources, it is not just small - it has a miniature size.
• For WiFi SiStr to work correctly, you will need .NETFramework versions 1.1 and higher.
• When launched, it always minimizes to tray and does not interfere with computer work at all.