Wi-Fi analysis
Scanning for networks, reading channel congestion, and tracing signal as you walk.
Before you start
- A wireless adapter
- Windows Location Services enabled
Three views. Networks lists every BSSID in range with signal, band, channel, width, security, PHY type and the vendor behind the MAC. Channels shows what is competing with what across 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz. Signal traces the connected AP over time.
Location Services
Windows will not return wireless scan results to an application unless Location Services is on. That is a platform rule, not a choice this app makes. If it is off, the app tells you rather than showing an empty list. Turn it on under Settings → Privacy & security → Location.
Walking a floor
Open Signal and walk. The trace records as you go, and roaming events, disconnects and signal changes are logged with timestamps. That is what turns “it drops sometimes” into something you can point at.
Reading channels
On 2.4 GHz, only 1, 6 and 11 do not overlap; anything else is interfering with two neighbours at once. On 5 and 6 GHz there is more room, but a wide channel covers more of it — an 80 MHz channel is four 20 MHz channels of other people’s problem.
What it is not
This is a survey of what is on the air. It is not a spectrum analyser: a microwave oven, a video sender or a bad power supply is invisible to it. Windows also only exposes what the adapter and driver report, and some adapters report less than others.