Wifi is fantastic...when it works. Now that is usually the case, but if that wireless internet fails, it is usually at the moments when you need it the most. Here we discuss five tools that can help you if WiFi is not working properly.
ViStumbler
You've invested a fortune in good equipment, but somehow your connection keeps stalling? It may be that it has nothing to do with your own equipment / connection, but with those of the routers around you that are interfering with your connection. If these routers use the same Wi-Fi channel as you, things can become quite disturbing. Also Read: 5 Wi-Fi Speed Myths Examined.
The free program called ViStumbler can help you by scanning for wireless routers in your area and indicating which channels are used by the closest routers. This way you can easily bypass busy channels.
ViStumbler helps you search for busy Wi-Fi channels.
inSSIDer
A similar program is inSSIDer. This also allows you to see in an instant which channels are full and which have a lot of free space left. It is also more graphical and simpler to use.
inSSIDer shows the network channels in a graph, including the strength of the wireless access point. From this you can deduce whether wireless networks are in each other's way. This may be the case even when different channel numbers are used. For example, your neighbor's network on channel 8 may overlap your network on channel 6.
Speedtest.nl
This is not a program that you have to install, but one that you can use online. If you have the feeling that you are nowhere near the speed that your provider has promised you, you can check whether this is the case with the help of this test. Surf to the page and click Measure your download speed. You can then see in an instant what speed you actually achieve. Most internet providers also have such a test, but this test is independent and therefore better.
Check whether the promised speed is actually achieved.
speedtest.net
Another one, but a bit more graphical (and usually also more accurate): speedtest.net. This is also just a website, so you don't have to download a program.
Speedtest.net does not let you download a packet of data once, but measures the speed over a longer period of time. This makes you less susceptible to periodic differences. One-handed graph shows how stable your connection is during testing, and you can immediately share your results on social media.
MyPublicWiFi
Sometimes you just can't manage to connect more than one device to a wireless network, when you need to. In that case, it can be useful to share your wireless network, so that the other devices can take advantage of it. Sharing a wireless network in Windows isn't as easy as it should be, so it's good to know that there are programs that will do it for you.
A good and free program is MyPublicWiFi. The program is very simple, after installation you simply check Automatic hotspot configuration and click Start Hotspot. The existing connection is now shared and you can use WiFi with multiple devices.
Can't share the connection? Use MyPublicWiFi.
