Download the program for receiving wifi on your laptop. Programs for distributing Wi-Fi from a laptop

To work with large wireless networks, there are a sufficient number of good multifunctional software solutions on the market that allow for comprehensive testing of WiFi networks. However, you will often find it easier to use simpler, free tools to get a quick look at the airwaves during design, deployment, or troubleshooting. We present to your attention an overview of the most interesting free programs for diagnosing WiFi networks.

In this article, we'll introduce you to nine free software tools—most of them running on Windows operating systems, others on macOS or Android—that will give you basic information about existing WiFi signals in range: SSIDs, signal strength , channels used, MAC addresses and types of protection of a particular network. Some can detect hidden SSIDs, determine noise levels, or provide statistics about the successful and unsuccessful packets sent and received on your wireless connection. One of the solutions includes a WiFi password cracking toolkit, which will be extremely useful for finding vulnerabilities and security assessments when testing the hacking resistance of your wireless network.

Note also that most of the tools described below are free versions of commercial solutions distributed by the same vendor, but with reduced functionality.

The Acrylic WiFi Home wireless LAN scanner is a stripped-down version of the commercial solution from Tarlogic Security. Version 3.1, reviewed in this review article, attracts attention, primarily due to the detail of the wireless environment and advanced graphical capabilities for displaying collected information. The functionality of this solution includes: overview of found WiFi networks supporting 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac standards; detecting unauthorized access points and displaying connected clients; scanning and analysis of WiFi channels used by wireless networks at frequencies of 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz; plotting graphs of the received signal level and its power for WiFi access points.

WiFi scanner for Windows Acrylic WiFi Home will allow you to scan and view available wireless networks in real time, provide information about detected WiFi networks (SSID and BSSID), their type of protection and wireless devices currently connected to the network, and will also allow you to get a list of WiFi passwords (set by default by manufacturers) thanks to the built-in plugin system.

As a free product, Acrylic WiFi Home 3.1 has a simple but attractive graphical interface. A detailed list of SSIDs is located at the top of the application. Here, in particular, you can find: negative dBm values for the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI), supported 802.11 standard (including 802.11ac) by access points or WiFi routers, manufacturer name, model and MAC addresses network devices. The solution recognizes the bandwidth being used and displays all channels involved. It doesn't look for hidden SSIDs, but may show them if it detects network data indicating the presence of hidden networks. The application also has functionality for inventorying the operation of WiFi networks, allowing you to assign and save the names of detected SSIDs and / or clients (for the free version, this feature has quantitative restrictions on use).

At the bottom of the application screen, by default, visual rating information is displayed on the network characteristics of the selected SSID. There is also a graph of the signal level and power of all detected access points. When you switch to the advanced mode for displaying the status of wireless networks, you will receive two additional graphs - for the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands - which simultaneously display information about the channels in use, including those combined into one “wide” channel, and signal level data.

Exporting or saving captured data is extremely inconvenient, as the software company decided to cut down this functionality excessively in the free solution: you can copy at most one line of data to the clipboard and then paste the text into a word processing document or spreadsheet. There is also a function for publishing a screenshot on Twitter.

Overall, Acrylic WiFi Home is a good software WLAN scanner, especially considering that it doesn't cost anything. It collects all the basic information about your wireless space and clearly demonstrates the obtained data, both in text and graphical form, which is perfect for simple WiFi network diagnostic tasks. The main disadvantage of this solution can be considered large problems with data export, or rather, the virtual absence of such an opportunity due to the functionality in the free solution that was limited by the manufacturer itself.

AirScout Live (Android)

Greenlee's AirScout Live app turns your Android smartphone into a convenient and portable WiFi network analyzer. AirScout Live has seven operating modes, four of which are completely free to use without any restrictions for Android devices. The commercial version, unlike the free version, is compatible with most desktop computers (Windows) and mobile devices (Android and iOS). With the help of basic functionality, you can quickly, mobilely and, most importantly, solve problems related to insufficient WiFi signal levels in some places in your office or home for free.

AirScout live will show all the characteristics of access points detected within range: from signal strength and security protocols to equipment capabilities. It will allow you to determine the least loaded channel, measure the signal strength at each point of the WiFi network and identify places with insufficient signal strength. Helps identify sources of interference by analyzing channel usage parameters in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. Using the program, you can select the optimal location for access points to ensure the highest quality WiFi network coverage of your premises and configure it for maximum performance without purchasing additional equipment. Additionally, the AirScout app allows you to take pictures of your WiFi network and save them locally or upload them to the cloud.

AirScout Live is very easy to use and requires no additional training. The user interface looks attractive and intuitive. The first two menu items - “AP Graph” and “AP Table” - will provide you with visual and comprehensive information about all the characteristics of access points located in the visibility zone. Access point coverage graphs will visually demonstrate to you the dependence of the signal level of each of them and the congestion of channels in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. Extended information in tabular form about each access point (SSID, Mac address, equipment vendor, channel used, channel width, received signal level in dBm and security settings) is available in the second menu item.

The “Time Graph” item will allow you to see all the access points that your Android device has detected in the observed location, and their graph of signal level changes in dBm with a time reference. So, for example, if you are examining a network that consists of several access points, this information will help you understand what signal strength each of them will have at a given location, and how the client device will switch between them. In addition, selecting a specific access point highlights its signal strength, which helps visual perception of information.

The “Signal Strength” item will allow you to visually test the signal level for each access point over time. You can select a specific SSID and see the current, as well as the minimum and maximum signal level recorded by the device for this access point. The original interpretation of the results obtained in the form of a red-yellow-green speedometer will make it possible to clearly see whether a particular function will work in this particular place or not. For example, a stable signal level in the green zone will tell you that here you will not have problems with resource-intensive technologies such as voice over IP or streaming video in Full HD format. Being in the yellow zone will indicate that only web surfing is available. Well, the red zone will mean big problems with receiving a signal from this access point in a given location.

To use additional functions that are not available in the free version of the software without additional equipment (identifying the most common problems: suboptimal signal coverage or incorrect channel selection; identifying sources of interference, including from “non-WiFi” devices; optimizing WiFi network configurations , adjacent to 802.15.4 networks; tuning WiFi performance by comparing signal strength and usage; Ookla speed test and much more), you will need an AirScout controller or a kit that includes the controller and remote clients.

AirScout Live is an excellent application that, above all, attracts with its portability. Agree, having a tool that will always be at hand is worth a lot. The free version of the product provides you with all the necessary information you may need to quickly analyze the health of small office or home WiFi networks and identify underlying performance problems. An intuitive interface and competent graphic design of the obtained measurement results not only leave a good impression, but also help speed up the work with the application.

Cain & Abel is a multi-purpose application for Windows operating systems for recovering and cracking passwords, which is also equipped with tools for intercepting and analyzing network traffic, including WiFi networks. Like its predecessor (Acrylic WiFi Home), Cain & Abel is a powerful network analyzer capable of capturing and processing most wireless network traffic.

Its graphical interface has a relatively ancient, simplified look. The toolbar (old style with icons at the top of the screen) is used to launch various utilities. Access to the main functional parts of the application is provided through window tabs.

Through the “Wireless” tab we get access to functional tools for analyzing the network traffic of WiFi networks. In addition to the usual information about SSIDs and various signal information, a list and detailed information about connected clients can also be found here. For access points and clients, Cain & Abel provides information about the number of packets detected: all packets, WEP Initialization Vector (WEP IV) and ARP requests. Any hidden SSIDs discovered from the captured packets will be displayed in the GUI. Most of the intercepted statuses and data can be exported to a simple text file.

Despite the enormous functional potential of this solution, shortcomings such as the lack of visual graphs, as well as the inability to recognize 802.11ac access points and determine wider channels, do not allow Cain & Abel to be called the best choice for monitoring and analyzing WiFi networks. This solution is worth paying attention to if your tasks go far beyond simple traffic analysis. With it, you can recover Windows passwords, perform attacks to obtain lost credentials, examine VoIP data on the network, analyze packet routing, and much more. This is a truly powerful toolkit for a system administrator with broad powers.

Ekahau HeatMapper is a mapping software tool for deploying small home-level wireless networks and determining the optimal location for access point installation. This is a simplified free version of professional solutions from Ekahau. This software product provides the same network information as a WiFi wireless network scanner, but also generates a WiFi heat map so you can visualize signal levels. For the purposes of this review, we will focus on version 1.1.4.

The software offers the ability to create a plan or layout of the site being studied, as well as design a wireless network topology using a grid for rough orientation.

The left side of the main UI screen displays a list of wireless networks and their details, sorted by signal, channel, SSID, MAC address, and security type. This list includes basic information, but does not contain signal strength in dBm or percentage. In addition, the application does not recognize networks that support the 802.11ac standard, identifying them as 802.11n.

Using Ekahau HeatMapper, as with other mapping tools, you plot your current location on a map while you walk around a building to generate a heat map of WiFi coverage. Ekahau HeatMapper will automatically calculate the location of access points and place them on the map. Once all the data has been collected, an interactive heat map of WiFi coverage will be generated. So, for example, when you hover the cursor over the access point icon, its coverage will be separately highlighted; and when you hover your cursor over a heatmap area, a tooltip window will appear for the received signal strength indicator with a negative dBm value for that point.

According to reviews, the Ekahau HeatMapper software solution is an overly simplified WiFi mapping scanner: the manufacturers removed almost all additional functionality from the free version, making this solution a truly home version. Additionally, the only option available for exporting or saving is to simply take a screenshot of the map.

However, the Ekahau HeatMapper solution can be used for small networks or to get a basic understanding of how more professional map-based tools work.

Homedale Software Utility is a relatively simple and portable (no installation required) wireless network scanner for Windows (currently version 1.75 available) and macOS (currently available version 1.03) operating systems with an optional command line interface. In addition to displaying basic information about wireless networks and signals, this utility also supports location determination using GPS and other positioning technologies.

This utility has a simple graphical interface that resembles more of a dialog box with several tabs than a full-fledged application. The first tab, Adapters, displays a list of all network adapters, along with their IP gateways and MAC addresses.

The Access Points tab contains a lot of important information. It doesn't list the 802.11 standard for each SSID, but you will find all supported data rates, as well as all channel numbers used by each SSID at a given time, including those with larger channel widths. It also doesn't list hidden networks, but does show other network data that indicates the presence of hidden SSIDs. Also a very useful feature is the ability to save notes for individual SSIDs, which can then be included in any data export.

In the Access Point Signal Graph tab, you will find the change in negative dBm values for the received signal strength metric over time for all selected SSIDs. The implementation of access to this functionality cannot be called very convenient and intuitive - the selection of wireless networks for monitoring and comparison is made by double-clicking on the desired SSID from the list of the previous “Access Points” tab.

The “Frequency of Use” tab illustrates in real time a graphical dependence of the frequencies used by each SSID (for convenience, divided into channels) and signal level values. Channel usage visualizations are displayed for the 2.4 GHz band and each subset of the 5 GHz band. The utility performs its task - visually demonstrates the occupancy of each channel - but it would be more convenient if we had the opportunity to have a single view of the 5 GHz frequency, instead of dividing it into four separate graphs.

In addition, Homedale offers excellent capabilities, as a free app, to export the collected data. Thus, it supports saving the network list in a table form in CSV format, logging the results of each scan (useful if you move while scanning), and also saving an image of each graph.

Despite its very simple graphical user interface, Homedale provides more advanced functionality than you might expect. In addition, I would like to note that, for a free program, the capabilities of recording and exporting data, as well as determining location, are quite impressive.

LizardSystems offers a free version of their WiFi Scanner software for non-commercial use that has the same features and functionality as their paid product. Currently version 3.4 of the solution is available. In addition to the WiFi scanner, this solution also offers excellent analytics and reporting functionality.

The application has a modern graphical interface, intuitive and easy to use. The Scanner tab provides a list of detected SSIDs. In addition to the standard detailed information, you will also find signal strength values in both negative dBm and percentage values. It even shows the number of clients that are connected to each SSID. Also, along with the 802.11 standards specification, the solution can detect and report multiple channels used by any SSID with a larger channel width.

You can use the list of visible SSIDs to filter input based on the following parameters: signal strength, supported 802.11 standard, security types, and used frequency bands. At the bottom of the Scanner tab are graphs that you can switch between. In addition to typical graphs showing signal strength and channels used, visualizations of data rates, channel load and number of clients are also available. The bottom of the screen displays information about your current connection. In the "Advanced Information" tab you will find various data about network activity, up to the number of unprocessed packets.

The Current Connection tab displays more detailed information about the current wireless connection. Here you will access and manage the list of wireless network profiles stored in Windows 10, which may be useful since this latest version of the Windows operating system no longer provides native access and management of this list. The Wireless Statistics tab provides graphs and statistics for various types of packets, both the physical (PHY) layer and the data link (MAC) layer, which will be useful for conducting advanced network analysis.

LizardSystems WiFi Scanner software solution offers advanced exporting and reporting capabilities. Basic functionality allows you to save a list of networks in a text file. Additionally, you can generate reports summarizing the types of networks found in the scan, with all SSID data logged, any comments you added, and snapshots of the graphs. These are pretty impressive features for a freely available WiFi scanner.

In summary, LizardSystems WiFi Scanner really impresses with its functionality, including output filtering and reporting capabilities, as well as advanced information about the data packets being transmitted. It can be an important part of your go-to toolkit for maintaining and testing WiFi networks, but keep in mind that the free license is only available for personal use.

NetSpot (Windows and macOS)

NetSpot is a software solution for researching, analyzing and improving WiFi networks. The commercial version uses mapping tools for thermal visualization of coverage areas, but this is not available in the free version for home use. However, this solution is offered for both Windows and macOS operating networks. In this review article, we will look at NetSpot Free version 2.8 - a free, significantly stripped-down version of the company's paid products for home and corporate use.

The NetSpot Discover tab is a WiFi scanner. Although the GUI is simple, it has a modern look and feel, with the network details of each SSID displayed in bold and clearly visible. Signal levels are shown in negative dBm values (current, minimum and maximum) as well as percentages. Hidden networks are not displayed in the free version, and the ability to export data is not supported (although there is such a button, it is not active).

When you click on the “Details” button at the bottom of the application window, combined graphs of signals and used channels for each WiFi range, generated for the SSID networks selected from the list, are shown. In addition, the signal information of each SSID is displayed in a table view so you can see the exact values received by the application during each scan.

Overall, the free version of NetSpot does a good job of detecting WiFi networks (although it does not support working with hidden networks). And yet, the free solution has very limited functionality, which is eloquently shown to us by broken links to a large number of additional features - the inaccessibility of visualizations, the inability to use a heat map, and the lack of export.

WirelessNetView (Windows)

WirelessNetView is a small utility from NirSoft that runs in the background and monitors the activity of wireless networks around you. It is offered free of charge for personal and commercial use. This is a fairly simple WiFi scanner, available in both portable and installable form. For the purposes of this article, version 1.75 is considered.

The WirelessNetView solution's graphical user interface is not very fancy - it's just a window with a list of wireless networks. For each detected network, the following information is available: SSID, signal quality at the current time, average signal quality over the entire observation period, detection counter, authentication algorithm, information encryption algorithm, MAC address, RSSI, channel frequency, channel number, etc. .

Thus, this utility provides signal level indicators in negative dBm values, as well as in percentage terms for the last received signal and the average for the entire observation time. But it would be even better if we also had access to the average values for the RSSI of a particular access point over the entire observation period. Another unique piece of available analytics that WirelessNetView offers is a measure of how often each SSID is detected, which can be useful in certain situations.

Double-clicking on any of the detected wireless networks will open a dialog box with all the information about a particular network, which can be very convenient, since your screen width is clearly not enough to view all the details in the main list. Right-clicking any network in the list allows you to save data for that specific wireless network or all detected networks to text or HTML files. The Options toolbar menu displays some options and additional functionality, such as filtering, MAC address format, and other display preferences.

Please note that this utility lacks a number of advanced features that we expect to see in modern WiFi scanners. First of all, we are talking about a graphical presentation of information, full support for the 802.11ac standard and, accordingly, recognition of all channels occupied by an access point that can use a larger channel width. However, WirelessNetView can still be useful for simple monitoring of wireless networks or small WiFi spaces, especially if you find some of the utility's unique functionality valuable.

Wireless Diagnostics (macOS)

Beginning with OS X Mountain Lion v10.8.4 and later operating systems, Apple provides a Wireless Diagnostics tool. It is more than just a WiFi scanner; it can help detect and fix WiFi connection problems. But the best thing is that it is a native toolkit included in the operating system. For this review, we'll look at the Wireless Diagnostics software solution included with macOS High Sierra (version 10.13).

To get started, press the Option key and then click the Airport/WiFi icon at the top of MacOS. You'll have more detailed information about your current WiFi connection, as well as access to the "Wireless Diagnostics" shortcut.

Opening Wireless Diagnostics will launch a wizard called "Assistant" that may ask for additional information such as the router's make and model, as well as its location. Tests will then be run to detect problems. Once verified, a summary of the results will be shown, and clicking the icon for each result will show expanded details and suggestions.

Although it's not entirely obvious, you also have more tools available to you than just the aforementioned wizard. While the wizard dialog is open, clicking the Window button at the top of the toolbar will provide access to additional utilities.

The Scan utility is a simple WiFi scanner that shows the usual data about detected wireless networks, as well as a brief description of network types and the best channels. One of its main advantages is that it shows noise levels in WiFi channels, which most of the Windows scanners presented in this article do not show. However, it would be more convenient if all channels that use specific SSIDs with a larger channel width were listed, rather than just showing the channel width and the center channel.

The Info utility shows the current network connection and detailed information about the signal characteristics. The “Logs” utility allows you to configure WiFi, EAPOL and Bluetooth diagnostic protocols. The Performance utility shows line graphs of signal and noise, signal quality and data transfer speed of the current connection. The Sniffer utility allows you to capture raw wireless packets, which can then be exported to a third-party packet sniffer.

In summary, the utilities included in the Wireless Diagnostics toolkit of the MacOS family of operating systems are truly impressive, especially when compared to the native wireless toolkit for Windows operating systems. You always have a WiFi scanner at your fingertips (which even shows you noise levels) and packet capture capabilities (with subsequent export options), and their troubleshooting "Assistant" seems really smart. However, to visualize WiFi channels, in our opinion, the channel usage graph is not enough.

Apple also offers an excellent tour and guide to using Wireless Diagnostics for more information.

conclusions

Each of the programs we reviewed for diagnosing WiFi networks has its own advantages and disadvantages. Moreover, all these solutions, judging by user reviews, are worthy of downloading and evaluating in action. The choice of the optimal program for each specific case will be different. So try it!

How to search for networks with Xirrus Wi-Fi Inspector

As mentioned above, this program is not available in Russian. Therefore, you will have to use English to discover networks.

In fact, there are zero difficulties. All you need to do is click on the word “Radar” after launch.

Immediately after this, the process will begin to detect wireless signals. To view the found networks, you don’t need to do anything at all - everything is like on the radar. Searching for wifi networks is easy on the eyes.

It’s a pity, of course, that this analyzer program is not a Russian version, but you can remember a few words in English - they will come in handy in the future.

NOTE: you need to know that the application works on Windows XP, Vista windows 7 and is compatible with all Wi-Fi adapters, but if you want to use it on windows 10, you will have to run it in compatibility mode with windows 7. Good luck.

Developer:
http://www.lopesoft.com/index.php/en/

OS:
XP, Windows 7, 8, 10

Interface:
English

Constant access to the Internet has long become a habit even for ordinary network users, and in modern society there is nowhere without it. We connect to the Internet not only when communicating with friends and searching for necessary information, but also to solve numerous work issues, not to mention entertainment (cinema, music) and online games.

Of course, even the most avid Internet user is not able to stay near his work or home PC around the clock, waiting for an incoming message or email. But what prevents your laptop or mobile phone from always being online?
Nothing, you say, because no one canceled the mobile Internet and network cable.
All this is true, but what to do in cases where we need a high-speed Wi-Fi connection to the network on all devices?

In this case, a wonderful tool called Magic WiFi comes to our aid - a program for distributing wifi from a laptop on Windows OS.

From now on, all users of this wonderful program will be able to organize their own access point and distribute Wi-Fi from a laptop almost anywhere, wherever they are. Magic WiFi can be stored on any removable storage device, the program can be launched by double clicking the mouse and immediately getting to work. As you may have guessed, the software does not require installation; it is distributed as “portable” software.

You can download Magic WiFi for Windows in Russian directly from our website. All links are provided at the bottom of the publication.

A significant advantage of this program is that it works perfectly on any Windows laptop or desktop PC (if you have the appropriate network card). The software forces the network card to temporarily perform the functions of a router, creating its own Internet access point, managing all client connections like a regular router.

How to distribute wifi from a laptop

MagicWiFi will be indispensable not only at home, when the whole family wants to go online at the same time, but also when organizing work conferences, where it is necessary to quickly establish an uninterrupted connection to the network.

In order to start distributing wi-fi from a laptop to us you need to download Magic WiFi for Windows and double-click on the software icon to launch the program. Next, we act on the basis of intuition - click on the “Start” button and wait for the network card to switch to access point mode.

After that, on any mobile device we look for our access point and connect. We enter the password that you specified yourself, or the one suggested to us by default.

If everything went well, the program itself will display a list of all devices connected to it.
Note: if you were unable to connect the first time, simply restart the application and check whether the program is blocked by your antivirus or firewall.

MagicWiFi will be a real salvation for those users whose router suddenly burned out, mobile operator restrictions came into force, payment for the next month of Internet operation did not go through on time, who urgently need to access the network outside their home or workplace, and much more.

With an unlimited tariff, even a very large family can simultaneously access the network from their own devices and save money, however, the speed of the network may decrease.

Please note that when distributing wi-fi to a large number of devices, you can cancel the password for connecting to your improvised network for greater convenience for all its users. Therefore, if you are faced with a task that involves installing a program for distributing wifi from a laptop to a Windows OS, then Magic WiFi is the ideal solution that launches quickly and is instantly configured.

A laptop is a powerful, functional device that allows users to cope with a wide variety of tasks. For example, laptops have a built-in W-Fi adapter that can work not only to receive a signal, but also to transmit it. In this regard, your laptop may well distribute the Internet to other devices.

Distributing Wi-Fi from a laptop is a useful function that can be very helpful in a situation where it is necessary to provide Internet access not only to the computer, but also to other devices (tablets, smartphones, laptops, etc.). This situation often occurs if the computer has wired Internet or a USB modem.

A popular free program for distributing Wi-Fi from a laptop. The program is equipped with a simple interface that will be easy to understand even for users without knowledge of English.

The program copes with its task perfectly and allows you to automatically launch the access point every time Windows starts.

Connectify

A simple and functional program for distributing Wi-Fi with an excellent interface.

The program is shareware, because basic use is free, but you will have to pay extra for features such as expanding the wireless network coverage area and equipping gadgets that do not have a Wi-Fi adapter with the Internet.

mHotspot

A simple tool for distributing a wireless network to other devices, which is distinguished by the ability to limit the number of gadgets connected to your access point, and also allows you to track information about incoming and outgoing traffic, the speed of reception and upload, and the total time of activity of the wireless network.

Switch Virtual Router

Small software that has a small, convenient working window.

The program has a minimum of settings; you only have access to setting a login and password, placing it in startup and displaying connected devices. But this is its main advantage - the program is not overloaded with unnecessary elements, which makes it extremely convenient for everyday use.

Virtual Router Manager

A small program for distributing Wi-Fi, which, as in the case of Switch Virtual Router, has the bare minimum of settings.

To get started, you just need to set a login and password for the wireless network, select the type of Internet connection, and the program is ready to work. As soon as devices are connected to the program, they will be displayed in the lower area of the program.

MaryFi

MaryFi is a small utility with a simple interface with support for the Russian language, which is distributed absolutely free.

The utility allows you to quickly create a virtual access point without wasting your time on unnecessary settings.

Virtual Router Plus

Virtual Router Plus is a utility that does not require installation on your computer.

To work with the program, you just need to run the EXE file attached to the archive and specify an arbitrary login and password for further detection of your network by devices. As soon as you click the "OK" button, the program will begin its work.

Magic WiFi

Another tool that does not require installation on your computer. You just need to move the program file to any convenient location on your computer and run it immediately.

Among the program settings, it is only possible to set a login and password, indicate the type of Internet connection, and also display a list of connected devices. The program has no other functions. But the utility, unlike many programs, is equipped with an excellent, fresh interface that is perfectly conducive to work.

Each of the presented programs copes well with its main task - creating a virtual access point. All you have to do is decide which program to give preference to.

The site’s laboratory continues to study the segment of programs for searching for wireless Internet on city streets, and this time we will look at two interesting and popular applications: Wi-Fi Map and Osmino Wi-Fi.

The first utility contains a huge database about Wi-Fi, as well as reviews, comments about them, and even a kind of game. The second program is also interesting for its information base and set of functions. Next, we will conduct a side-by-side comparison of the functions of each program and summarize the results for all the tested utilities.

Before reading this review, I recommend that readers read the previous material on choosing an application to find free Wi-Fi. Unfortunately, not all programs were included in this cycle. We have selected six of the most interesting and unusual utilities that have received support from popular Russian cities and occupy current positions in the rankings of the Google Play online store.

Xiaomi Redmi Note smartphones (Miui V8 on OS Android 4.4.2, Dalvik runtime, MediaTek MT6592 processor, 8 x 1700 MHz, Mali-450 MP4 video coprocessor, 700 MHz, 2 GB RAM) and Jinga Basco M500 3G were used as test equipment (OC Android 5.1, ART runtime, MediaTek MT6580 processor, 4 x 1300 MHz, Mali-400 MP2 video coprocessor, 1 GB RAM), as well as a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 tablet (CM 13 based on OS Android 6.0.1, runtime ART, TI OMAP 4430 processor, 2 x 1200 MHz, PowerVR 540 video coprocessor, 384 MHz, 1 GB RAM).

WiFi Map

Acquaintance

Lots of free Wi-Fi hotspots with reviews and photos, offline mode and basic options - what else does a utility that helps you find free wireless Internet need? Probably, there is no better WiFi Map application for Android devices.

Features of Wi-Fi Map App:

Convenient and beautiful application;
Information about free Wi-Fi throughout the planet;
You can add your own Wi-Fi points and edit passwords;
Smart search by cafes, hotels, cities and countries;
Map navigation;
Search for the nearest Wi-Fi point;
Determining your current location;
Wi-Fi hotspots will be available even if the map is not loaded and there is no Internet.

Beginning of work

When you launch WiFi Map for the first time, you will become familiar with the application and its concept. It turns out that WiFi Map is “a social network where users share Wi-Fi passwords for public places.” The number of cities and points, as well as other statistical information, is specified.

The WiFi Map menu is equally divided into four sections: “Map”, “Statistics”, “Offline Wi-Fi Lists” and “Settings”. We will consider each of these sections separately. By the way, the design of the elements is very pleasant; soft colors in the Material Design style are used.

The first menu, which displays the map, has the map itself with points plotted on it and a sliding panel with nearby Wi-Fi points. Of course, our location was shown on the map. We select a point on the map or through the list of connections, then additional information opens, such as the name of the network, the type of access point, its creator, password, date of entry into the database, reviews and photographs. All this will allow you to determine the relevance of the access point.

Interestingly, if this Wi-Fi suddenly does not appear, it has a different password, or other errors are made, then you can fix it all. I tried this function at work. So, for example, if we correct the password, it will soon change for all users, but if we report the absence of a given access point, then we will need to wait for three or four similar complaints from other users.

WiFi Map is not just an application for finding WiFi, it is an entire social network with user ratings. For each connection to the Internet through applications, for each added point, downloaded map and other actions, we will be awarded points, and our position in the rating table will be adjusted based on them.

We have already seen something similar in the Wiman application, but the developers of this program went further and made it a competition between countries. In real time, we see a competition in the number of free points in a number of socially active countries, of course, Russia is among them. A very interesting thing.

WiFi Map is no worse than its competitors and therefore has an offline mode of operation, for which we also need to download in advance all the information about points in a certain city. The cache size of an average city with 400-700 thousand inhabitants ranges from 10 to 25 MB. This is not a small amount, but it is quite justified, since the application contains a lot of points and accompanying information.

Unfortunately, the application does not include very small cities - this is the only drawback that should be noted.

Testing

In the previous review, we took a small Crimean city called Simferopol as a test. And only one application from the previous test had about one and a half thousand points, but here we know the exact number - at the moment it is 2800 points with free Wi-Fi. In practice, it turned out that almost all the points turned out to be actually working, most likely due to active moderation. The real advantage of Wi-Fi Map over competitors.

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