How to find your WiFi's blind spots on a Mac How to find your WiFi's blind spots on a Mac

Whether you have a large house (apartment) or a not so great WiFi router, you're bound to have at least a few spots where the WiFi signal isn't very strong or not functioning at all. If we're talking about the kitchen closet, then that might not be such a huge problem. However, most of the time, the spaces where you never use an Internet connection usually have strong WiFi signals, while other, more important places, such as the bed area of your bedroom, have little to no connectivity. Fortunately, if you're using a Mac, there's an easy way to easily find dead spots in your WiFi network and manage the situation accordingly. This solution comes in the form of a clever application called NetSpot.

NetSpot is a free tool which offers a plethora of network and connectivity related functions. Nonetheless, what's really cool about this application is that it can analyze the coverage of your WiFi signal, display it on the plan of the building so that you can easily see any blind spots, and it also provides a Wireless Network Planning screen where it offers suggestions about where to place your routers and signal strengthening devices to get the best possible coverage. Most people are also very happy to know that the application is completely free and that is actually quite easy to use, even if you're not a tech-savvy person.

WiFi Coverage Heat MapWiFi Coverage Heat Map

To see the dead spots in your WiFi coverage, first download, install and run NetSpot. Once you're at the main screen, toggle the switch from the upper side of the window to the Survey tab, and you'll be asked to add or draw a map of the building you're in. So, if you already have a plan, you can load it into the app; in case you don't have one, you can simply draw a rough estimate of the estate (you don't have to bother with interior walls if you don't want to) or leave it blank.

The next step you need to take is selecting at least three points that will act as the centers of your measurements. You can add your bedroom, living room, work area, kitchen (as many areas as you want to), but there must be at least three. Another thing that I should tell you is that NetSpot automatically identifies all the WiFi networks present (not just yours), so you will have to take a look into the left-side panel and make sure that only your network is selected. (Otherwise the application will take into account other people's WiFi and show you that certain areas are covered even if the WiFi signal available is from a network that you can't connect to.)

The Network Planning featureThe Network Planning feature

Once you've taken care of all the previous steps, all you have to do is click on the Stop Scan button, and the analysis results will be displayed on your screen. In case your WiFi has multiple access points (more routers or a router and additional devices that strengthen the signal), you can click on each of them and see their individual coverage. Furthermore, as I previously said, there's a Wireless Network Planning section which will show you the best areas to place network access points in order to get the best coverage, so this application is not only good for home users, but also for those looking to create an office environment. However, you should know that the first plan is for free, but in case you need additional ones, you will have to pay for either the Professional ($149) or the Enterprise version ($449).

Now that I've shown you how to scan your WiFi network for blind spots, you might also want to learn how to increase the power of your WiFi signalhow to turn your laptop into a WiFi router or how to know and what to do if your router has been infected.

Referenced Mac applications

NetSpot: WiFi survey & wireless scanner
FREE
rating

Collect, visualize and analyze Wi-Fi data using any MacBook.

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