NetSpot

Last updated
NetSpot
Developer(s) Etwok Inc.
Initial releaseAugust 2011;12 years ago (2011-08) (Mac OS X)
February 2016;8 years ago (2016-02) (Windows)
Stable release
2.14 (Mac OS X) November 2021;2 years ago (2021-11)
2.14 (Windows) November 2021;2 years ago (2021-11)
Written in Objective-C
Operating system OS X v.10.6 +,
Windows 7-8-10,
Android OS 6.0+,
iOS 10.0+
Platform x86
Available in English,
French,
German,
Portuguese,
Spanish,
Japanese,
Russian
Type Wireless site survey
License free, or paid
Website www.netspotapp.com

NetSpot is a software tool for wireless network assessment, scanning, and surveys, analyzing Wi-Fi coverage and performance. [1] It runs on Mac OS X 10.6+ and Windows 7, 8 and 10. Netspot supports 802.11n, 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g wireless networks and uses the standard Wi-Fi network adapter and its Airport interface to map radio signal strength and other wireless network parameters, and build reports on that. NetSpot was released in August 2011. [2]

Contents

Functions

NetSpot provides all professional wireless site survey features for Wi-Fi and maps coverage of a living area, office space, buildings, etc. [3] It provides visual data to help analyze radio signal leaks, discover noise sources, map channel use, optimize access point locations. Also, the application can perform Wi-Fi network planning: the data that are collected help to select channels and placements for new hotspots. Survey reports can be generated in PDF format.

Usual uses

Release history

VersionPlatformRelease dateNotes and significant changes
1.0.216,MacintoshAugust 2011
  • Initial public release [10]
1.1.259MacintoshNovember 2011
  • Ability to draw a map inside of NetSpot
  • New visualization: Signal to interference ratio [11]
1.2.308MacintoshDecember 2011
  • New improved advanced algorithm for APs' location detection
  • Detection of different networks transmitted by the same AP, their signals are ignored when building an interference map
1.3.335MacintoshJuly 2012
  • New project wizard
  • OS X Mountain Lion compatibility [12]
2.0MacintoshOctober 2012
  • New Wireless Discover Mode
  • Manually relocate APs
  • Pro and Enterprise versions introduced. [13]
2.1MacintoshMay 2013
  • New visualizations: Frequency Band Coverage, PHY Mode (a/b/g/n) Coverage
  • The Scan Interval can be adjusted in Discover mode
  • New Advanced Export to generate customizable PDF reports
  • Frequency data can now be viewed in Discover mode [14]
2.2MacintoshAugust 2013
  • Full support of IEEE 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard
  • Alternative detailed view of data points indicators
  • OS X 10.9 Mavericks compatibility
2.10.953 [15] MacintoshOctober 2018
  • New localization: Japanese
  • The color scheme in the sidebar is more contrasting and visual now
  • When switching among surveys, selected visualization is kept
  • Corrected measurement values in some of the visualizations
  • Note: macOS Mojave 10.14 will require users to enable location services to run NetSpot.
  • Available on Setapp
1.0 [16] AndroidNovember 2018
  • The 1.0 version only has a Discover mode at this time: new beautiful and easy-to-use interface, all necessary features at hand… and it is free.
1.1 [17] AndroidSeptember 2019
  • Chromebook support* has been added
  • Nice and sleek improvements throughout the interface
  • The app is now using the latest SDK
  • The issue with name filters not being applied in some cases is fixed
  • The app has been optimized for even better performance on tablets
2.11 [18] Macintosh, WindowsOctober 2019
  • Support for macOS 10.15 Catalina
  • updated OUI lists for better AP vendor identification
  • fixed: Dark mode is currently disabled until NetSpot 3
  • fixed: The animation shown during scanning
  • fixed: Issues while working with the high-resolution maps
2.12 [19] Macintosh, WindowsFebruary 2020

macOS:

  • Support for 802.11ax (aka WiFi 6).
  • Support for WPA3.
  • The vendors list has been updated.
  • Fixed: Details graphs for networks broadcasting on 5 GHz.

Windows:

  • Support for 802.11ax (aka WiFi 6).
  • Support for WPA3.
  • Improved: General performance of the app during the active scan.
  • The vendors list has been updated.
  • Fixed: The app crashing with WLAN service disabled.
  • Fixed: A minor bug while moving the second scan point.
  • Fixed: A minor bug with two survey starting points on the map.

See also

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. Matt Elliott. "Find the dead spots in your Wi-Fi network with NetSpot" . Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  2. MacNN. "NetSpot offers free Wi-Fi network surveying software" . Retrieved August 12, 2011.{{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  3. "NetSpot: WiFi Site Survey for the Rest of Us".
  4. "Create a WiFi signal strength map with NetSpot for Mac :: by Techerator".
  5. "NetSpot helps you optimize your Wi-Fi networks :: by Macworld". 2011-11-29.
  6. "Trouble-shoot your WiFi network with NetSpot :: by Dr. Macenstein".
  7. "Mac-NZ review :: NetSpot WiFi visualisation software".
  8. "Diagnose Wi-Fi Signal Problems With NetSpot :: Lifehacker".
  9. "Analyze Wireless Network Coverage In Mac With NetSpot Survey Software :: by Addictivetips".
  10. "NetSpot – The only Native Wireless Site Survey Software for Mac". Archived from the original on 2012-09-10.
  11. "NetSpot 1.1 - new version of Wi-Fi mapping software for Mac".
  12. "NetSpot 1.3 release notes: what's new, what's hot in this update". 2012-07-03.
  13. "How To use your Mac to survey your home or office Wi-Fi network". 2012-10-19.
  14. "NetSpot 2.1 Release Notes: What's New in Version 2.1?". 2012-05-24.
  15. "NetSpot 2.10 minor update - Japanese localization is added". 2018-10-17.
  16. "NetSpot WiFi Analyzer for Android has been released". 2018-11-06.
  17. "NetSpot for Android v.1.1". 2019-09-27.
  18. "The minor update of NetSpot v. 2.11". 2019-10-04.
  19. "NetSpot 2.12 — new update for macOS and Windows". 2020-02-06.