Wi-Fi

Two views onto the same scan data — a sortable list of every visible SSID and a frequency graph that shows who's crowding which channel. Shared infrastructure; what you see in one is in the other.

Wi-Fi scan

A live list of access points the device can hear. Updates every few seconds as the OS delivers new scan results.

• SSID — network name. Hidden APs show an empty name but still expose BSSID, channel, security.
• BSSID — the MAC address of the radio. The first 24 bits identify the vendor (Cisco, Ubiquiti, Aruba, TP-Link…).
• Signal (RSSI) — in dBm. Closer to zero is stronger.
  • > -50 dBm — excellent, right on top of the AP.
  • -50 to -60 dBm — strong.
  • -60 to -70 dBm — usable.
  • -70 to -80 dBm — weak, retries expected.
  • < -80 dBm — essentially noise.
• Channel and bandwidth — 20 / 40 / 80 / 160 MHz where the hardware reports it.
• Frequency — used to categorise 2.4 / 5 / 6 GHz.
• Security — Open, WEP, WPA, WPA2 (PSK / Enterprise), WPA3 (SAE / OWE), combinations like WPA2/WPA3 transition.

Sorting and filtering

• Sort by signal — default, strongest at the top. Click the header again to flip direction, once more to clear.
• Sort by name — alphabetical; hidden SSIDs sink to the bottom.
• Band filter — All / 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz / 6 GHz. Handy when you're specifically auditing one radio.

Wi-Fi channels

The same scan data plotted as channel occupancy. Pick a band from the segmented control at the top — 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz (if supported), 6 GHz (Wi-Fi 6E / Wi-Fi 7 hardware only).

• Each AP is a shape centred on its channel, height proportional to RSSI, width proportional to bandwidth.
• Shapes overlap when channels overlap — an instant visual of congestion.
• Tap a shape or the corresponding row in the list to highlight it across both views.

Shape options

The visual style is configurable in Settings → Wi-Fi channels shape:

• Parabola (default) — smooth curve that emphasises peak strength.
• Trapezium / Trapezium filled — flat-top bandwidth-width block; easiest to count overlap.
• Rectangle, Triangle, Oval, Bubbles — aesthetic variants of the same data.

Choosing the least-congested channel

On 2.4 GHz only channels 1, 6 and 11 are non-overlapping. If three APs are sitting on 1, 6 and 11 with -40 dBm each, picking any fourth channel is still a bad idea — you'll conflict with two of them at once.

On 5 GHz the spectrum is much wider but DFS channels (radar-shared, 52–144 typically) can go silent without warning when the AP detects radar. If you need steady high throughput, consider UNII-1 (36–48) or UNII-3 (149–165) first.

On 6 GHz congestion is typically the fewest in a given environment — but not all devices support it.

Access-point placement tips

• Walk the space with RSSI open — RSSI > -67 dBm everywhere you expect traffic is a sensible target.
• Separate your own APs — if you run multiple, put them on different non-overlapping channels and lock them there (don't let auto-channel flip on you mid-day).
• Height matters — ceiling-mount APs beat desk-shelf APs for coverage. Hands and bodies absorb 2.4 GHz.
• Don't trust marketing ranges — a "5000 sq ft router" means nothing through plaster-on-lath walls. Measure, don't guess.
• Narrower can be faster — 20 MHz with no neighbours beats 80 MHz shared with three others.

Permissions

Android and iOS both require location permission for Wi-Fi scanning — SSIDs and BSSIDs are considered location data by the platforms. The app prompts once; if denied, the scan tabs show a permission request card.

Desktop — Wi-Fi scan is available where the OS exposes it. macOS requires Location Services for SSID visibility starting in recent releases; Windows reads from netsh wlan; Linux uses the nl80211/iw path where present.