NetSpot

If you have a wireless network in your house or office, then NetSpot is something you may want to look at. This lightweight application can help you figure out where your wireless network is the strongest or weakest, what may cause interferences and leaks and more. The best part is that it can illustrate the signal's strength on a map of your own home or office, which makes everything particularly easy, even for novice users.

NetSpot is distributed as a freeware application, for Windows and Mac OS X. It comes in a small package, which shouldn't take long to download. The installation process is quick and it doesn't involve any complex configurations. Furthermore, the hardware requirements are modest and you don't have to install any prerequisite tools, but it is recommended that you use this application on a laptop.

When launched, NetSpot will start scanning for wireless networks automatically. Detected networks are listed directly on the main user interface, along with various details, including signal strength. You can find additional information about individual networks on a separate window. The application will continue to scan for networks on its own, according to a timetable of your choice.

You will definitely appreciate NetSpot's surveying capabilities. For this, you can use a map of your house, which can be imported or drawn from scratch. Once you have a map, you only need to click on your position on the map and wait for a brief scanning process. You will have to carry out this step at least twice, in different locations.

When the survey is complete, the application will represent your network's signal strength as a heat map, overlaid on your floor plan. Furthermore, NetSpot lets you switch to other heat maps, which can help you identify interference causes or leaks.

NetSpot can provide you with a clear picture of your wireless network's signal, tailored specifically to your house's floor plan.