Top 5 Wi-Fi Analyzer Apps to Drive Seamless and High-Speed Connectivity

Are you using Wi-Fi analyzers to fix your network and discover hidden interference sources? Research suggests that more than 75% of all Wi-Fi networks require troubleshooting. Given the growing reliance on wireless connectivity in business environments, analyzing and debugging your Wi-Fi landscape is essential. 

It is estimated that internet adoption has more than doubled in the last decade, and there is still tremendous potential for growth, as per a WEF reportOpens a new window . Though Wi-Fi 6, the next-generation wireless standard is driving up Wi-Fi adoption like never before, without regular and rigorous analysis, your Wi-Fi landscape risks getting bogged down by incorrect protocols, network bottlenecks, and inefficient configurations. 

What Is Wi-Fi Analysis and Why Is it So Necessary? 

Wi-Fi analysis (typically performed by a Wi-Fi analyzer tool) can be defined as the process of monitoring your wireless network and conducting regular audits to reveal key performance metrics, problem areas, and optimization points so that you can reconfigure the network for better performance. 

In complex business environments, Wi-Fi rarely comes with a 100% perfect configuration out of the box. A 2021 industry reportOpens a new window by Wi-Fi analysis company Ekahau revealed that over 75% of all Wi-Fi networks require troubleshooting. This impacts employee connectivity and productivity for 52% of businesses and causes a negative customer experience for 22%. 

Poor upfront planning is the most common problem, as several of the issues (too many/few access points – 30%, physical mounting problems – 20%, and capacity planning – 26%) could be ironed out if companies use a Wi-Fi analyzer at the pilot stage or during the early days of implementation. 

In more than one in ten cases, IT has to bear the brunt of poor connectivity while the problem lies elsewhere. 

Top 5 Wi-Fi Analysis Tools to Ensure Stellar Wireless Connectivity 

A Wi-Fi analyzer is a software application that studies data packet movements and network logs to detect key issues in your Wi-Fi landscape. It can reveal the various available channels within the wireless spectrum, helping you choose the least overcrowded and most optimized channel for an access point. And this is just one part of the value proposition. Wi-Fi analyzers are typically easy to use but can uncover deep insights into the network landscape, the relationships between network components, and the state of connectivity in specific parts of your office. 

Let’s discuss five tools that can help debug your Wi-Fi landscape, arranged alphabetically. 

1. Acrylic Wi-Fi 

AcrylicOpens a new window offers a number of Wi-Fi analysis tools for targeted use cases like home Wi-Fi analysis, network forensics for the purpose of law enforcement, and heat maps for network architecture planning. 

Key features: 

• Options for Wi-Fi as well as Bluetooth connectivity analysis 
• Heat maps to aid in the pre-deployment stage 
• Compatible Wireshark and other Wi-Fi products to extract traffic information 
• Specialized tools for law enforcement 

USP – Addresses a wide variety of use cases. 

Pricing – Acrylic Wi-Fi Professional is available for an annual subscription of $44.95, or $99.95 for a single-user perpetual license. 

Who is it for – Large organizations with in-house experts looking for Wi-Fi analysis in pre-deployment, monitoring and troubleshooting stages. 

2. Ekahau 

EkahauOpens a new window is a Wi-Fi landscape design and maintenance provider, with an Ekahau software app for data visualization and network governance, as well as a hardware appliance – the only tool on this list to have one. 

Key features: 

• Ekahau Sidekick 2Opens a new window replaces traditional dongles with an advanced Wi-Fi diagnostics device
• Multiple products for site surveys, Wi-Fi health analysis, and targeted troubleshooting 
• Ekahau Cloud for remote collaboration between connectivity professionals 
• In-depth data analysis to capture hard to diagnose bottlenecks 

USP – Offers an all-in-one solution called Ekahau Connect to look after every wireless network related need, including hardware. 

Pricing – Ekahau Connect is available on an annual subscription basis. Pricing available upon request. 

Who is it for – Large businesses and network resellers/managed service providers. 

(Editors’ note: Ekahau is owned by Ziff Davis, the parent company of SWZD, the publisher of spiceworks.com.)

3. InSSIDer 

InSSIDerOpens a new window is the network analyzer tool from Wi-Fi specialist MetaGeek. It is purpose-built to find and resolve the root cause behind slow Wi-Fi connectivity. 

Key features – 

• Visualizes access point status, including signal strength, maximum data rate, and security 
• Provides actionable insights on what could be reconfigured/optimized 
• Visualizes key details about specific channels and detects overcrowding 
• Local area network (LAN) scanning for device-level optimization 

USP – Addresses a single, crucial problem – slow connectivity. 

Pricing – Starts at $200 per year. 

Who is it for – Complex home Wi-Fi setups and small businesses. 

4. NetSpot 

NetSpot Opens a new window is a professional-only software for Wi-Fi analysis and site surveys, compatible with macOS and windows alike. It’s the only tool on this list with a free edition. 

Key features: 

• Wi-Fi coverage analysis across the office campus 
• Visual Wi-Fi map to optimize hotspot placement 
• Channel visualization and selection to avoid overcrowding 
• Automated professional support on the detected issues 

USP – It has a free edition for network planning and troubleshooting. The company plans to release predictive surveys (which don’t require site visits) very soon. 

Pricing – Starts at $199 for a single user commercial license; extra $49 for lifetime upgrades. Home and enterprise plans are also available.

Who is it for – Small, mid-sized, and enterprise-scale businesses with a distributed campus. 

5. SolarWinds Wi-Fi network monitor 

SolarWindsOpens a new window is a globally recognized IT management software provider, and the company offers Wi-Fi network monitoring as part of the Network Performance Monitor tool.

Key features: 

• Speed up Wi-Fi troubleshooting with automatic network discovery and network path mapping
• Coverage visualization and heat map creation 
• Connected device analysis to reveal details like IP address, SSID, the channel used, etc.
• Integration with Cisco ASA and F5 BIG-IP

USP – This Wi-Fi analyzer tool is backed by SolarWinds’ extensive expertise in network management, ideal for connectivity pros and in-house specialists. 

Pricing – Starts at $1,856. 

Who is it for – Digital native companies and large enterprises. 

These five Wi-Fi analyzer tools are among the best in the market, solving a wide range of use cases and business needs. Acrylic may be ideal for home users, while InSSIDer could address persistent sluggish connectivity. On the other hand, Ekahau is the perfect solution if you need a one-stop answer for Wi-Fi environment design monitoring and maintenance, aided by a best-in-class hardware appliance. 

Regardless of the use case, Wi-Fi analyzers have emerged as a must-have component of your IT toolkit in 2021. At a time when more than one in three businesses are forced to troubleshoot 90% of their Wi-Fi networks, often due to avoidable interference sources like Bluetooth, wireless headsets or motion sensors, understanding what is Wi-Fi analysis and how to use these tools can be a game-changer. 

You can learn more about all things Wi-Fi by attending the upcoming online event, #Wi-Fi DayOpens a new window , hosted by Ekahau, on September 19, 2024. (Free registration)