Scanning and finding wireless networks

WiFi Explorer works by performing an active scan over the built-in Wi-Fi interface using CoreWLAN, the Wi-Fi system framework. An active scan means probe requests are periodically issued on each supported channel for both the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands. The information shown for a wireless network is retrieved from the information elements found within the probe response sent by the nearby access point that created the network.

- To manually start or stop scanning for wireless networks click the Start or Stop icon in the toolbar.
- The scan interval is automatically determined by how fast the Wi-Fi interface can scan for wireless networks and cannot be changed.

The scan results are shown in a table where the main properties of each network are displayed.

- If the computer is connected to a wireless network when launching WiFi Explorer, the network will be automatically highlighted when the results of the first scan are shown.
- The display units for signal strength and noise are dBm or %. To change the display units, choose WiFi Explorer > Preferences > General, and then select the desired units from the pop-up menu.

A list of the available columns and the description for each of them is summarized in the following table:

Column Name | Description
--- | ---
Annotations | An editable column for custom labels or comments, e.g. "AP, 2nd floor".
BSSID | The MAC address of the wireless router or access point.
Band | The frequency band of the wireless network, 2.4 or 5 GHz.
Basic Rates | Indicates the set of data rates a client station must support to successfully connect to the access point.
Beacon Interval | Indicates the frequency interval for beacons.
Center Frequency | The center radio frequency of the primary channel in MHz.
Channel | The primary channel of the wireless network.
Channel Utilization | Percentage of time the AP sensed the medium (channel) as busy (QBSS-enabled access points only).
Country Code | The regulatory domain country code information.
Device Name | The name of the access point as advertised in 802.11 beacon and probe response frames. At this moment only certain Aruba, Cisco, and Extreme Networks APs are supported. When using Apple's family of AirPort base stations (e.g. AirPort Extreme, AirPort Express, Time Capsule), WiFi Explorer will discover and display the name of the device(s) as long as the computer and base station(s) are part of the same network.
Fast Transition | The current 802.11r (Fast BSS Transition) method for fast roaming (if supported).
First Seen | Indicates the absolute time at which the network was first found.
Last Seen | Indicates the absolute time at which the network was last found.
Max Rate | The maximum supported data rate in Mbps.
Min Rate | The minimum supported data rate in Mbps.
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.
Network Name | The name of the network or SSID (Service Set Identifier).
Noise | The current background noise level as dBm or %.
Noise Avg | The average background noise level as dBm or %.
Noise Max | The maximum background noise level as dBm or %.
Noise Min | The minimum observed background noise level as dBm or %.
Protection Mode | The active protection mechanism for 802.11n High Throughput (HT) enabled networks.
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.
SNR Avg | The average signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the wireless network as dB.
SNR Max | The maximum observed signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the wireless network as dB.
SNR Min | The minimum observed signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the wireless network as dB.
Security | The security mode of the wireless network or blank if the network is open.
Seen | Indicates the relative time at which the network was last found.
Signal | The current received signal strength (RSSI) of the wireless network as dBm or %.
Signal Avg | The average received signal strength (RSSI) of the wireless network as dBm or %.
Signal Max | The maximum observed received signal strength (RSSI) of the wireless network as dBm or %.
Signal Min | The minimum observed received signal strength (RSSI) of the wireless network as dBm or %.
Stations | Number of clients currently associated to the access point radio (QBSS-enabled access points only).
Streams | The number of spatial streams supported.
Type | Indicates if the wireless network is configured in infrastructure (managed) or ad-hoc mode.
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.
WPS | Indicates if the wireless network supports Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) and the state of the setup: Configured, Not Configured, or Locked.
Wide Channel | The center channel frequency for the entire channel width.
Width | The channel width, 20, 40, 80 or 160 MHz.

To select what columns are shown, choose WiFi Explorer > Preferences > Columns, and then check or uncheck the name(s) of the column(s) to be displayed or hidden. You can also press Control and click in the table header to display a contextual menu where you can check or uncheck the columns you need.

Related Topics

Troubleshooting wireless networks
Filtering results
Tips and tricks
Frequently asked questions