Additionally, some stumblers don’t recognize APs that have the SSID broadcasting disabled.

So you might not be able to properly identify channel usage on networks using 802.11n or 802.11ac. Some stumbler tools, such as inSSIDer Office, can integrate with an RF spectrum analyzer, though, which would detect noise, SNR and other non-Wi-Fi signals as well.Īnother caveat: Some stumblers, especially the free ones, don’t show the precise channels used by APs using 40MHz or larger channel widths. For instance, Acrylic WiFi Professional does report noise and SNR levels, but it’s more of a Wi-Fi analyzer (see below). They can’t report the general noise or signal-to-noise (SNR) levels on the frequencies, which would provide an idea of any interference that might exist. Keep in mind that most stumblers do nothing but detect Wi-Fi signals. I always have the Wifi Analyzer app installed on my Android devices. Most stumblers also show you the MAC address of the AP you’re connected to, so you can identify APs before running any tests and verify APs while roaming. When troubleshooting Wi-Fi performance, you can get a quick idea of the channel usage of the APs and any neighboring networks.

Even if you have high-end tools that can tell you similar details, a simple stumbler on your mobile device or laptop almost always comes in handy. Stumblers are a must-have for anyone in IT who deals with Wi-Fi. InSSIDer is one of my favorite Windows-based Wi-Fi stumblers.

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