Scanning and finding wireless networks

WiFi Explorer automatically scans for wireless networks at a certain refresh rate using the built-in wi-fi interface. The refresh rate is automatically determined by how fast the wi-fi interface can perform an active scan of the wi-fi environment, and cannot be changed.

The scan results are shown in a table where only the main properties of each network are displayed, including a signal strength level indicator to quickly identify how strong or weak the signal is sensed by the wi-fi interface.
Column Name Description
Network Name The name of the network or SSID (Service Set Identifier).
BSSID The MAC address of the wireless router or access point.
Annotations An editable column for custom labels or comments, e.g. "Airport Extreme, 2nd floor".
Signal The current received signal strength (RSSI) of the wireless network as dBm or %.
Avg The average received signal strength (RSSI) of the wireless network as dBm or %.
Max The maximum received signal strength (RSSI) of the wireless network as dBm or %.
Noise The current background noise level as dBm or %.
Avg Noise The average background noise level as dBm or %.
Max Noise The maximum background noise level as dBm or %.
SNR The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the wireless network as dB. The greater the SNR, the better the signal quality of the wireless network.
Channel The channel currently selected for the wireless network. If the network is configured with a 40 MHz channel width, the secondary channel is indicated using the standard notation of +1 (secondary channel is above the primary channel), or -1 (secondary channel is below the primary channel). If the channel is configured with a 80 or 160 MHz channel width, the channel indicated is the 20 MHz channel which conforms the core frequency segment the BSS (Basic Service Set) or AP radio operates on, also known as primary channel.
Width The channel width, 20, 40, 80 or 160 MHz.
Wide Channel The center channel frequency for the entire channel width.
Streams The number of spatial streams supported.
Band The frequency band of the wireless network, 2.4 or 5 GHz.
Mode The mode (or modes) supported by the access point. It can be either a, b, g, n, ac or a combination of them if multiple modes are supported.
CC The regulatory domain country code information.
Max Rate The maximum supported data rate in Mbps.
Vendor The name of the manufacturer of the router or access point, if available. The manufacturer information is derived from the first three octets (XX:XX:XX) of the BSSID, which constitute the Organizationally Unique Identifier (OUI), also known as Company ID. Visit the IEEE Registration Authority Website for more information.
Security The security mode of the wireless network or blank if the network is open.
WPS Indicates if the wireless network supports Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS), a wireless standard that aims to allow an easy configuration of secure home networks. The use of WPS is strongly discouraged due to a vulnerability that may compromise the system. See Vulnerability Note VU#723755 for more information.
Ad-hoc Indicates if the wireless network is configured in ad-hoc mode as opposed to infrastructure (managed) mode.
Last Seen Indicates the time at which the network was last found.

The display units for signal strength are dBm or %. To change the display units, choose WiFi Explorer > Preferences > General, and then select the desired units from the pop-up menu.

Related Topics


Filtering results
Troubleshooting wireless networks
Frequently asked questions