As you move around scanning additional points, you’ll build a visualization of your network displaying locations of strength and weakness. Clicking on the map then scans that point and places a circular heat map around it. I didn’t find the ability to draw a blueprint within the Windows version, but it’s possible to specify dimensions using blank zone or load an image. Surveys used to map a Wi-Fi network’s coverage of an area. The second mode is used for more thorough planning and troubleshooting. The User Guide option opens a help page that I found incredibly handy to refresh myself on various terms, as well as how to use the application’s more advanced offerings. Networking knowledge assists to understand what’s being shown, but NetSpot doesn’t leave the unfamiliar wholly blind. Discover mode was a wonderful way to determine whether my neighbors were occupying the same channels – think of them like lanes on a highway – or to confirm whether the microwave was indeed the culprit of my disconnects. You can even dive into several graphs to see how the strength of your network changes over time. Information is listed horizontally in a table, such as SSID, MAC address, signal strength, the current frequency band and channel, router vendor, security, and more.

Discover mode provides a quick view of accessible networks. NetSpot features two modes of operation, both of which are relatively easy to use. NetSpot is a user-friendly program that not only cleanly presents Wi-Fi statistics without being obtuse but can survey a location to display incredibly useful heat maps of network performance. However, the process doesn’t have to be so difficult. And moving hardware around a room to solve slow speeds or disconnects is often a frustrating, trial-and-error experience. Managing a wireless network can be a tedious affair.

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