Wi-Fi Analyzer
Understand Wi-Fi channels, bands and congestion. Browsers can't scan the airwaves — so here's a clear explainer plus the desktop tools that can.
Why there's no live scan here
A browser can't see the air around you. Listing nearby networks, their channels and signal strength needs operating-system access that the web sandbox blocks by design. So instead of faking it, this tool teaches you exactly what to look for — and points you to apps that can scan.
Each channel is ~22 MHz wide, but channels sit only 5 MHz apart — so neighbours bleed into each other. Only 1, 6 and 11 stay fully clear of one another.
2.4 vs 5 vs 6 GHz
Lower frequency reaches further; higher frequency goes faster. Most homes should use both — the trick is putting each device on the right band.
2.4 GHz
- Range
- Best range, through walls
- Speed
- Slowest
- Congestion
- Very crowded
- Best for
- Smart-home gear, far rooms, IoT
5 GHz
- Range
- Medium range
- Speed
- Fast
- Congestion
- Moderate
- Best for
- Laptops, phones, 4K streaming, gaming
6 GHz (Wi-Fi 6E/7)
- Range
- Shortest range
- Speed
- Fastest, low latency
- Congestion
- Nearly empty (for now)
- Best for
- Modern devices close to the router
Apps that can actually scan
These run outside the browser, so they can read your radio and show real channels and signal strength. We're not affiliated with any of them.
- NetSpot Windows · macOS
Heatmaps and channel graphs for mapping coverage room by room.
- Wireless Diagnostics macOS (built-in)
Hold ⌥ and click Wi-Fi → Open Wireless Diagnostics → Scan.
- WiFi Analyzer Android
Live 2.4/5 GHz channel graphs straight from your phone's radio.
- inSSIDer Windows · macOS
Shows neighbouring networks, their channels and signal strength.
How a Wi-Fi analyzer works
A Wi-Fi analyzer listens to the airwaves and shows which networks are nearby, what channel each one sits on, and how strong its signal is. With that picture you can move your network to a quieter channel and stop your neighbours' routers from stepping on yours. The catch: this listening requires direct access to the wireless adapter, which web browsers don't get. That's why a true analyzer is always a native app — and why this page focuses on teaching you to read one.
How to read channels and congestion
On 2.4 GHz, the channels overlap heavily, so the only sensible choices are 1, 6 and 11 — the three that never collide, shown in the diagram above. Open a scanner, see which of those three your neighbours crowd the least, and pick the quiet one. The band travels far and punches through walls, but it's slow and congested, so reserve it for smart-home devices and distant rooms.
5 GHz offers far more non-overlapping channels and much higher speed, at the cost of range. 6 GHz (Wi-Fi 6E and 7) adds even more clean spectrum and very low latency, but only the newest devices support it and it covers the shortest distance. A good rule: put nearby, demanding devices on the highest band they support, and let 2.4 GHz handle everything that just needs to reach.
Frequently asked questions
Why can't this page scan my Wi-Fi channels?
Web browsers are sandboxed and have no access to the wireless radio. They cannot list nearby networks (SSIDs), read which channel each uses, or measure signal strength. That requires operating-system permissions, which only a native or desktop app can request.
Which 2.4 GHz channel should I use?
Stick to 1, 6 or 11. They're the only channels that don't overlap, so they don't bleed interference into each other. Pick whichever of the three is least used by your neighbours — a desktop scanner will show you.
Should I just switch everything to 5 GHz?
Move nearby, demanding devices (laptops, consoles, 4K TVs) to 5 GHz or 6 GHz, and leave 2.4 GHz for distant rooms and smart-home gadgets that need range more than speed. Most routers can run both at once.
My router auto-selects the channel — do I still need to do this?
Auto-select helps, but it often picks once at boot and rarely re-checks. If your neighbourhood is busy, a manual choice of 1, 6 or 11 (2.4 GHz) or a clean 5/6 GHz channel usually beats it.
Changed channels and still slow?
A crowded channel is just one suspect. The Doctor runs the full panel — speed, ping, jitter and packet loss — and tells you whether the real bottleneck is your Wi-Fi, your router or your ISP.