Channels Screen

The Channels Screen is comprised of 3 columns: Channel, Channel Grade and AP Count. The channel grade is a relative scale where 100% represents the best possible channel for a Wi-Fi network and 0% is the worst channel for a wireless network.

The score is determined by the number of existing networks sharing the same channel and the number of overlapping networks on neighboring channels. In the AP Count column inSSIDer will show the total number of co-channel networks as well as adjacent overlapping networks.

To sort the data on this screen, use the menu button on the android device or tap the icon in the top right of the screen.

 

Networks Screen

The Networks Screen is a running list of all the wireless networks and their signal strength as seen by the Android device. The channel the network uses is indicated below its name. Networks using outdated encryption techniques such as Open, WEP or WPS will be indicated with a broken lock icon.

Channel – Each wireless network operates on a specific Wi-Fi channel. Channels 1-14 are in the 2.4 GHz frequency range, while channels 30-160 are in the 5 GHz range.

Strength – The amplitude level of the wireless network as seen by the device’s wireless card. The higher the number (-30dBm) the stronger the amplitude while the lower the number (-85dBm) the lower the amplitude level. inSSIDer calculates the current and average of the strength values in the network details view.

 

Channel Graph

Each wireless network operates on a certain frequency often referred to as a Wi-Fi channel. In the 2.4 GHz the channels overlap resulting in adjacent channel interference. It is better to operate on the same channel than an overlapping channel. This screen shows where networks overlap and the signal strength of each network which is indicated by the network height.

 

 

Network Details

By selecting a network in the networks screen you can view its details including its Channel, Security, MAC address, Vendor and Signal Strength. This is also where the you can select the network for channel optimization to remove the network from inSSIDer’s channel grading algorithm in order to find the best possible channel for the network.

MAC Address – This is a unique identifier for a wireless network. In an infrastructure network, this will be the radio’s MAC Address. In an Ad-Hoc environment, this will be a pseudo-randomly generated MAC Address.

Security – inSSIDer will list the following security settings: Open, WEP, WPA Personal, WPA-Enterprise, WPA2-Personal, WPA2-Enterprise, Wi-Fi Protected Setup, or Open (No Security).