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We have all experienced slow internet speeds and poor WiFi signals at some point in our life. While these factors make your internet experience bad, what makes it even worse is trying troubleshooting attempts in the dark. Without knowing the effectiveness of your efforts, you cannot optimize your WiFi performance. This is where network analysis tools like NetSpot steps in.

NetSpot is a WiFi analysis and surveillance tool that demystify WiFi signal strength variations and provide information about your router, access point, and WiFi signal propagation. It helps you learn about your WiFi coverage capacity as well as the average signal strength in each area of your home. With this information and more, you can set the best router settings and select the perfect spot to place your router. Perhaps the best thing about NetSpot is it helps you make informed decisions rather than blanket attempts that might not work.

Read on to learn how you can use NetSpot to optimize your network performance! 

NetSpot: A Brief Introduction

NetSpot—a WiFi analyzer and wireless survey tool—is a professional app to create flawless WiFi coverage in every corner of your home. NetSpot helps ensure faster download speeds, authenticate the usability of multiple devices, and demonstrate exactly where any gaps in coverage occur so your home remains well-connected. The NetSpot app is available for download on Windows and Mac devices. It offers both free and paid versions.

After you download and open the NetSpot app, you will see two tabs on the home screen—Discover Mode and Survey Mode.

Discover Mode

The Discover mode displays real-time data for all networks in range. It will show you specific details about each wireless network, including:

  • SSID
  • Band
  • Mode
  • Channel
  • Level (SNR)
  • Security Type
  • Signal level
  • Noise level

This mode is great for determining the best WiFi frequency band and WiFi signal strength.

Survey Mode

With the Survey mode, you can build a heat map of an area of your home or your entire home. Heat maps use a color-coded approach to visualize the signal distribution of the WiFi networks.

Perform a WiFi Site Survey with NetSpot

If you have weak WiFi signals in certain areas of your home, chances are those may be dead zones—areas where WiFi signals are unable to reach due to radio interference or range issues. Here is how you can perform a WiFi site survey with NetSpot to identify dead zones:

  • Open NetSpot and switch to the Survey tab
  • Select Start a New Survey
  • Use the ‘Load from file’ tab to upload a map of the area or create it yourself. If you have macOS, you can use the draw feature to create a rough sketch of the area you want to map.
  • Next, carry your device to any spot on the empty map and mark your approximate location. A small dot will appear on the screen. This is the access point.
  • Now start moving in a zigzag pattern from one corner to another—with your device—until the entire space is covered. Whenever you pause during the mapping process, select the ‘stop scan’ option and pick up from where you left off later.
  • Once you are done mapping the area, you can evaluate the results.
  • You can click on each access point to see the WiFi signal strength in that particular area. The area with the strongest coverage will appear green whereas one with weak coverage will be red.

Keep in mind that the free version of NetSpot doesn’t let you perform WiFi site surveys. To get access to all the features of the Survey mode, you need to invest in either NetSpot PRO or Enterprise.

How to Find a Strong WiFi Signal with NetSpot? 

Once you are done heat mapping your home, you can see where the signal strength is the highest for your own device. Alternatively, you can open the Discovery Mode and see all the WiFi networks available and their signal strengths.

How to Find the Best WiFi Frequency Band with NetSpot?

A dual-band router essentially broadcasts two WiFi networks on different frequency bands—a 2.4 GHZ network and a 5 GHZ network. If too many devices are connected to the same WiFi band, it will become crowded and affect the internet performance on all devices. Here is how you can select the best WiFi frequency band.

  • Open the NetSpot home page and switch to Discovery tab
  • All the WiFi networks available in your areas will appear
  • Select the ones you want to analyze. The best practice is to select networks with an average signal level of -85Bm and above.
  • Select the details option. A window will pop-up
  • View the frequency band each network is using
  • Notice which band is the least crowded and switch your device to it. The 5 GHz WiFi band is usually the least crowded as few devices are compatible with that frequency band yet.

How Much Does the NetSpot Tool Cost?

There are six versions of the NetSpot Tool currently available – one free and five paid versions. The features offered differ according to the version of the tool. Out of the five paid ones, NetSpot Home and NetSpot PRO – WiFi Reporter are macOS exclusives.

Here is a quick side-by-side comparison of the features offered in each version.  

Website

Mac App store

NetSpot Free

NetSpot Home

NetSpot PRO

NetSpot PRO Enterprise

NetSpot Home

NetSpot PRO – WiFi Reporter

Price

Free

$49.99

$149.99

$499.99

$49.99

$149.99

Data points per zone

No

50

500

Unlimited

50

Unlimited

Visualizations

No

3

12+

12+

3

15 Pro visualizations

Snapshots per zones

No

2

50

Unlimited

2

50

There You Are!

Several reasons contribute to poor network speeds and bad WiFi coverage. Often, the idea of troubleshooting these issues is enough to give you a headache as the process can be incredibly time-consuming and tedious. Instead of running multiple speed tests on different locations in your home or struggling with router settings blindly without knowing the cause of the problem, use NetSpot and make conscious efforts to optimize your WiFi performance.

That said, if the issue exists with your internet plan or ISP, call 855-349-9328 and get the best internet deals in your area.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Does NetSpot Work?

Yes, it does. NetSpot is a safe and secure tool to improve the overall performance of your WiFi. It works great for analyzing WiFi performance, conducting wireless site surveys, and testing network speed.  

Is NetSpot WiFi Analyzer Free?

Currently, there are six versions of the NetSpot tool available, including a free version with limited functionality, three paid versions—Home, Pro, and Enterprise—for Mac and Windows devices, and two versions exclusively for Mac App Store

How Do I Use NetSpot On Android?

You can download the NetSpot app from the Google play store. After installing the app, open the network tabs. Under the networks tab, you will be able to see the information for all available WiFi networks.

How Does NetSpot Make WiFi Faster?

NetSpot helps improve your WiFi performance and speeds by providing you with data that is specific to your network. It shows you the interferences caused by surrounding WiFi networks and allows you to troubleshoot your network. You can then use this information to reduce noise and interference and improve the overall coverage and performance of your network.