Are you unsure about how to conduct a WiFi test? No need to worry, as this article will provide you with all the essential information about WiFi testing, including how to utilize WiFi tester apps.

If you believe that WiFi testing is exclusively carried out by professional IT administrators and Internet service providers’ employees, you might want to reconsider. In recent times, even regular home users have been testing their WiFi signal strength to enhance their home WiFi coverage and attain faster Internet speeds.

What is the Optimal Method to Evaluate WiFi Signal Strength?

When conducting a wireless network test to enhance signal strength, there are specific crucial parameters that warrant your attention.

Given the emergence of over 300,000 novel malware files detected daily worldwide, many of which target insecure wireless networks, wireless security is the ideal starting point. A reliable WiFi testing tool should disclose the type of encryption method securing a wireless network. Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) and Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) are the most common types of wireless security. WEP is outdated and vulnerable;

therefore, WPA is the recommended option. In case your router does not support the WPA encryption, upgrading to a newer model that can provide adequate security is advisable. The second significant parameter to consider is the channel through which the network is transmitted. In North America, the 2.4 GHz range is segmented into 11 channels, with slight overlap between adjacent channels. To achieve optimal performance, one should avoid congested channels and utilize less traffic-congested ones.

Most WiFi tester applications permit the evaluation of nearby wireless network’s WiFi signal channel configuration, and some can even display it graphically. Upon identifying the most frequently utilized channels, it’s advisable to select the least occupied one. In case you lack experience in determining the most appropriate channel, it’s advisable to employ a WiFi tester app that automatically suggests the best channel through data collection. Furthermore, analyzing network coverage and creating a signal strength heat map, which identifies all signal weak points, is also important. Only the top-rated WiFi tester apps possess this feature, so don’t anticipate finding this functionality on any online WiFi test.

Why Is It Necessary to Test WiFi Signal and When Do You Need to Test It?

Why has WiFi testing and WiFi tester apps suddenly become so sought after? Because virtually everyone now has at least one mobile device that needs to be connected to the Internet all the time to function properly. In densely populated urban areas, thousands and thousands of devices often compete for a handful of wireless networks, which often run on the same channel, leading to wireless congestions and very poor experience for everyone involved.

But the situation isn’t much better even outside densely populated urban areas. Home users often struggle the most to find a reliable wireless signal because Internet service providers rent their customers budget routers with underwhelming coverage and even more disappointing default security settings.

In fact, it’s not uncommon to see rented routers have such bad security defaults that anyone who is familiar with basic wireless hacking tools can gain access to the wireless network broadcasted by the router and steal Internet bandwidth, or even private information, such as passwords and personal conversations.

WiFi test tools can uncover these and other issues related to the use of wireless networks and highlight possible solutions. Best of all, a free WiFi test tool is often everything you need to optimize your wireless network, so you don’t need to be afraid that wireless network optimization is a costly affair.

Which WiFi Tester Apps Are Considered the Best?

Although WiFi testing can initially seem daunting, using the three best WiFi tester apps described below can make it seem incredibly easy.

#1NetSpot — is arguably the best WiFi tester app ever created, and it’s certainly the favorite WiFi tester app.

#2Acrylic WiFi — is another popular WiFi tester app capable of analyzing 802.11/a/b/g/n/ac/ax wireless networks.

#3WiFi Analyzer — is the simplest WiFi tester app on this list, and it’s also the easiest to install.

#4WiFi Commander — is a modern WiFi tester app that stands out with its touch-friendly user interface and 3D channel distribution analysis.

#5Vistumbler — is a spiritual successor to Netstumbler, the award-winning wireless networking tool for Windows.

CHOICE #1

NetSpot

WiFi Tester app runs on a MacBook (macOS 10.10+) or any laptop (Windows 7/8/10/11) with a standard 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax wireless network adapter.

etSpot is arguably the best WiFi tester app ever created, and it’s certainly the favorite WiFi tester app of hundreds of thousands of professional and home users alike, who all appreciate its modern user interface, complex features, great customer support, and attractive price. NetSpot has two distinct modes of operation: Discover and Survey.

Full coverage
Get the most efficient and full-bodied WiFi coverage throughout the planned space.

Cross-platform
Available for any MacBook or any laptop with Windows 7/8/10/11 on board.

The Discover mode creates an instant snapshot of nearby wireless networks and gathers all available information about them. The Survey mode, on the other hand, allows for the creation of in-depth wireless site surveys to visualize where exactly is the signal strongest and where it is the weakest.

With NetSpot, you don’t need to be an expert to gain enough insight into the state of your wireless network to see where the problem is and understand how you can solve it.

CHOICE #2

Acrylic WiFi

Available for Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista

Acrylic WiFi is another popular WiFi tester app capable of analyzing 802.11/a/b/g/n/ac/ax wireless networks. Compared to NetSpot, Acrylic WiFi has a lot less user-friendly interface, which may put off less experienced users. That said, the company behind Acrylic WiFi offers comprehensive WiFi testing training courses intended to turn beginners into pros.

If you’re willing to invest some time into learning how to use this free WiFi tester app, you may even consider eventually upgrading to the Pro version or purchase the Heatmaps add-on to gain an even deeper understanding of wireless networks around you.

CHOICE #3

WiFi Analyzer

Available for Windows 10 version 18362.0 or higher

WiFi Analyzer is the simplest WiFi tester app on this list, and it’s also the easiest to install because you can download it straight from the Windows Store. The app can gather basic information about nearby wireless networks and help you find the best channel to broadcast on, but that’s where its capabilities end.

Because WiFi Analyzer is a modern Windows app, you can also run it on mobile devices with the Windows Mobile operating system, which is far more convenient than always carrying a heavy laptop around.

CHOICE #4

WiFi Commander

Available for Windows 10 version 10240.0 or higher

WiFi commander is a modern WiFi tester app that stands out with its touch-friendly user interface and 3D channel distribution analysis. You can download it directly from the Windows Store, but that’s unfortunately also the only place where it’s available. That’s right, WiFi Commander doesn’t work on any other operating system besides Windows.

Unlike most other WiFi testers that can be found in the Windows Store, WiFi Commander aspires to be more than a quick diagnosis tool for home users. With a simple tap, it can reveal detailed information about any WiFi access point, including its vendor, security settings, and MAC address. Combined with its small installation size, it makes for a great companion for technicians whose job is to troubleshoot WiFi issues in the field.

CHOICE #5

Vistumbler

Available for Windows 10, 8, 7, and vista

Vistumbler is a spiritual successor to Netstumbler, the award-winning wireless networking tool for Windows that runs on Microsoft Windows operating systems from Windows 2000 to Windows XP. The main purpose of Vistumbler, according to its official website, is to map and visualize access points based on collected wireless and GPS data.

The current version of this WiFi test application is optimized for Windows 10, but it also works on Windows 8, 7, and vista. Vistumbler uses the Windows Native WiFi API or netsh, which is a command-line utility included in Microsoft’s Windows NT line of operating systems. The only thing we don’t like about it is its outdated user interface, which makes this WiFi tester app seem as if it came straight from the Windows 98 era.

What Are the Best Online WiFi Testers?

WiFi tester apps provide comprehensive information about nearby WiFi networks, helping WiFi users and professional network administrators troubleshoot and optimize even the most complex WiFi deployments. But what if you just want to test how well your WiFi network performs, and you don’t care about heatmap visualizations or the signal-to-noise ratio? That’s where online WiFi tester apps come in.

#1  Fast.com — is an extremely easy to use online WiFi tester that doesn’t require any input whatsoever to measure your WiFi speed.

#2  Speedtest by Ookla — is arguably the most popular WiFi tester online at the moment.

#3  Speedof.me — is an accurate WiFi tester app with servers in many different countries.

#4  OpenSpeedTest — is a reliable WiFi speed test app that works in any web browser and any device.

#5  SpeedCheck.org — is another simple WiFi tester app that you can use to quickly measure your download and upload speed.

CHOICE #1

Fast.com

Fast.com is an extremely easy to use online WiFi tester that doesn’t require any input whatsoever to measure your WiFi speed. All you need to do is open it in any modern web browser and let it do its job. Once it’s done, it will prominently display your current WiFi download speed in Mbps.

By clicking on the “Show more info” button, you can reveal additional information, such as your upload speed, latency, and IP address. By default, Fast.com is configured to take between 5 and 30 seconds, but you can change these settings if you’d like to obtain more accurate results by performing a longer test.

CHOICE #2

Speedtest by Ookla

Speedtest by Ookla is arguably the most popular WiFi tester online at the moment. Users like its polished user interface and ease of use. To test your WiFi speed with Speedtest by Ookla, just open it in your favorite web browser and click the “Go” button.

In an instant, Speedtest by Ookla will measure your download speed, upload speed, and latency. Registered users can easily customize their preferences and see results history. Native apps are available for iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Apple TV, and Chrome devices, offering additional functionality that’s not available to web users.

CHOICE #3

Speedof.me

Speedof.me is an accurate WiFi tester app with servers in many different countries. It was born in 2011 and created to be the first HTML5 WiFi speed test. Because it uses pure HTML5 and JavaScript, it can theoretically run in any modern web browser, but its developers optimize it only for the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, or Safari.

Speedof.me is likely the slowest solution of its kind featured in this article, but its slow speed is caused by its high level of accuracy. You can export your test results in the CSV file format, which can be opened in any text editor or spreadsheet application.

HOICE #4

OpenSpeedTest

OpenSpeedTest is a reliable WiFi speed test app that works in any web browser and any device, including iPad, iPhone, Android, Smart TV, Xbox, and PlayStation. It’s designed to test any type of connection and automatically detect your average download and upload speed using nothing but HTML5.

If you would like to feature OpenSpeedTest on your website, you can do so just by copying a single block of HTML code. OpenSpeedTest is also available as a self-hosted application, both for personal and commercial use. This page explains everything you need to know about its installation.

CHOICE #5

SpeedCheck.org

SpeedCheck.org is another simple WiFi tester app that you can use to quickly measure your download and upload speed. To begin, you click the “Start Test” button and optionally allow it to know your location.

SpeedCheck.org stores all tests in the web browser, but you can also register and access them from any device. If you scroll down on SpeedCheck.org, you can read a number of helpful tips intended to help you improve the performance of your WiFi.

Tips to Accurately Test Your WiFi

Even the most accurate and feature-packed WiFi tester won’t be able to deliver reliable results if you don’t use it properly. Here are some tips to help you obtain accurate results when using a WiFi tester online:

Stop other online activity: When using a WiFi tester app to measure the performance of your WiFi network, it’s paramount that you stop other online activity, such as streaming, web browsing, online gaming, and video chatting. Only then will you be able to obtain accurate results.

Know when to test: If you want to find out the maximum download and upload speed you can achieve on your WiFi, it might be a good idea to avoid peak hours. During peak hours, most of your neighbors will likely be online, and their activity could interfere with the performance of your WiFi.

Test from different rooms: Before you send an angry email to your internet service provider, complaining about its inability to deliver the advertised internet speeds, you should test your WiFi from several different rooms so you can rule out your WiFi router as the cause of the problems.

SO, WE RECOMMEND

NetSpot

WiFi speed test app runs on a MacBook (macOS 10.10+) or any laptop (Windows 7/8/10/11) with a standard 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax wireless network adapter.

What Are the Best WiFi Tester Apps?

Here are the three best WiFi testing apps in our opinion. Some more advanced than the others:

NetSpot is a favorite of hundreds of thousands of users for its modern user interface, sought-after features, the most helpful customer support, and a reasonable price tag.

Acrylic WiFi is a popular WiFi tester for analyzing 802.11/a/b/g/n/ac/ax wireless networks. Its interface is probably not the friendliest one though.

WiFi Analyzer is a very simple WiFi tester app on this list for the basic wireless networks analysis.

How can NetSpot help to test WiFi?

When testing WiFi with NetSpot you have access to two modes: Discover and Survey.

Discover mode creates an instant snapshot of surrounding WiFi networks and collects data about them. Survey mode offers in-depth analysis with a comprehensive heatmap visualization of a WiFi signal, which allows for unprecedented quality of WiFi testing.

What is the Importance of WiFi Signal Testing and When is it Necessary?

In areas with high population density, wireless networks are closely coexistent with each other as every household has their own WiFi network that competes for wireless frequency channels with neighboring networks. Conducting a WiFi analysis helps to identify the most frequently used channels, and locate the least occupied ones. Additionally, it enables identification of any issues present in the WiFi network, and provides solutions for resolving them.

Which Parameters Should Be Considered When Testing a Wireless Network?

When testing a wireless network using a reliable WiFi test app, important information to gather includes the type of encryption used for network security, which allows for updates to outdated encryption methods.

Additionally, identifying the wireless frequency channel is crucial, and a good test app can provide a graph with all channel usage visually displayed, indicating which channels are overlapping or the most occupied.

Heatmaps are another valuable option available through high-quality WiFi test apps, allowing users to identify areas of strong and weak connections, such as dead zones, and provide insights on how to improve wireless coverage.