The three classic ways of connecting to the Internet are network cable, Wi-Fi and mobile data. Surely, especially for use with smartphones, our favorite is Wi-Fi. The reasons are generally two: it allows us to save mobile data from our rate, and if we have a good WiFi router, we get a higher speed. On some occasions, when we want to obtain detailed information about our wireless network, such as the use of the WiFi channels used, we can use the Wi-Fi signal meter app. In this tutorial we are going to explain what this free Android application that is available in the Play Store offers us.
Wi-Fi signal meter is a simple tool that will allow us to know the signal strength of our wireless network and also that of our neighbors. Next, we will explain how it is installed and configured as well as showing you its most important sections.
What can we do with the Wi-Fi signal meter and how is it installed?
This free app will provide us with the following functions:
- We will see the current WiFi signal strength, and, in addition, it will detect the WiFi signal strength of the networks around us in real time.
- It is a simple tool that allows us to see the current strength of our WiFi signal.
- It is useful to find good areas of WiFi connectivity in our home and work, in this way, we can know in which areas of our home or office we have better coverage.
Ultimately, what this application does is show us where we are going to find a better signal, and, therefore, a higher speed. According to the app developer, it is best to have a signal intensity above 60%, since when it starts to drop below 50%, that is when the problems begin. The next thing we are going to do is download the free Android Wi-Fi Signal Meter app from the Play Store.
Then, the first time you start the app, a screen like the following will appear, requesting a location permission.
The location permission that the application asks for is very common to be requested when scanning Wi-Fi networks. In case of not accepting it, we will be losing functionalities. A failure that usually occurs, for example, is that it is usually not able to show even the name of our Wi-Fi network. Therefore, in this case it is convenient to accept it, I have opted for the Allow option if the application is in use . Personally, I see this option more secure, but if it doesn’t appear because you have another version of Android, click on always allow.
With the installation and selection of permissions we can begin to fully enjoy the app, an important detail is that especially at the beginning it has some advertising, but keep in mind that it is free.
Practical example to see how the Wi-Fi signal worsens with distance
As we explained previously, Wi-Fi signal meter is a tool that will allow us to know the strength of the WiFi signal of our wireless network. For this I will perform the following test:
- We will get right next to the router and measure the signal.
- Then we will move away from the router and we will be in a room away from the router that is about 20 meters away.
This is the initial screen and the data that we have obtained next to the router:
As you can see, we have a signal intensity of -18dBm and we get 100% of the signal. On the other hand, if we move 20 meters away from the router we see how the situation changes drastically.
Here you can see how the signal strength has decreased to -63dbm and the Wi-Fi signal that I have now has decreased to 82%. Unsurprisingly, the distance has made coverage worse. This app can be used to find where you have more coverage or when placing a new access point to test and see where we get more coverage.
Other highlighted sections
On the main screen of the Wi-Fi signal meter, in addition to the signal strength, it also offers us the connection speed, IP address and MAC.
By clicking on the places indicated above, we will access three different sections. If we click on “signal strength” all the available WiFi networks around us will appear.
If we click on the red button that we indicate on the main screen, we will obtain a graph with the intensity of the signal, and another with the download and upload speed of our device.
Finally, if we click on More information , we obtain details of both the device and the router to which it is connected.
As you have seen, this tool is very easy to use, and will allow us to quickly know the wireless signal that we can have in different locations in our home, work and even outdoors. This application is completely free, although it has some advertising, so it is highly recommended for regular use in our home.
