Tips and tricks

The following additional features and recommendations can help you use WiFi Explorer more effectively.

Annotations

Annotations are custom labels you can assign to particular networks. They can be used, for example, to indicate the location of an access point (e.g. 2nd floor) or to help identify or monitor a number of networks with the same name (SSID). To assign a custom label to a network, you must make sure the Annotations column is being displayed.

- To display the Annotations column, go to WiFi Explorer > Preferences > Columns and select the Annotations column.
- To annotate a network, double-click the Annotations column's field in the row that corresponds to the network you want to annotate and enter your custom label.
- Annotations will be shown in the Signal Strength or Spectrum graphs, but only when the Annotations column is being displayed.

If you have a large number of networks, you can create a text file with the annotations for each BSSID in CSV format and import it by choosing File > Annotations > Import from CSV. Similarly, you can also export the annotations so they can be edited outside WiFi Explorer or simply saved somewhere. To export the annotations in CSV format, choose File > Annotations > Export to CSV, then choose a name for the CSV file.

Hiding the 2.4 or 5 GHz graphs

WiFi Explorer can automatically hide the 2.4 or 5 GHz section of the Spectrum graph if no networks are being displayed for that band. This option allows you to better utilize the available chart area by expanding the graph of the band where networks are being displayed.

- To automatically hide the 2.4 or 5 GHz graphs, go to WiFi Explorer > Preferences > Advanced and check the option "Hide 2.4 or 5 GHz graphs if no networks are displayed."

Hiding DFS channels

WiFi Explorer can be configured to hide the DFS channels, UNII-2 (52 - 64) & UNII-2 Ext (100 - 144), from the Spectrum graph if no DFS networks are found. This option allows you to better utilize the available space to visualize nearby networks and it's particularly useful for people who have small screens (e.g. 11" MacBook Air).

If a DFS network is found, WiFi Explorer will automatically expand the graph so all networks, including DFS networks, are shown.

- To automatically hide DFS channels go to WiFi Explorer > Preferences > Advanced and check the option "Hide DFS channels if no networks are using them."

Setting the color of a network

WiFi Explorer assigns a random color to each network, which is not necessarily the same every time you run the app. If you use WiFi Explorer to monitor or troubleshoot specific networks on a regular basis (e.g. your home network), you can set a specific and permanent color for those networks so it becomes easier to identify them, especially across sessions.

To set the color of a network, select the network, switch to the Network Details tab and click on the colored square at the bottom-right corner of the view, below the graph, then choose a color from the palette. The color you select will be used for that network every time you run the app.

Accessibility

WiFi Explorer provides additional options to improve the accessibility of the app:

- Ability to adjust the font size of the scan results table, the side panel and the advanced details table. To increase or decrease the font size, choose Make Text Bigger or Make Text Smaller from the View menu.
- Ability to indicate by voice the name of the current selected network, as well as changes in the signal strength level of the current selected network. To activate this option, select Speak from the Edit menu.

Updating the vendors database

The vendors database is used to resolve the name of the manufacturer of the access point based on the first three octets of the BSSID, which constitute the Organizationally Unique Identifier (OUI), also known as Company ID. New registrations are added to the vendors database as manufacturers create and distribute new products.

When you open WiFi Explorer, the app automatically checks (once a day) for newer versions of the vendors database. If a new version is found, you will be prompted to download the update.

- You can manually check for updates to the database by going to WiFi Explorer > Preferences > Advanced and clicking the button "Check Now", or you can disable automatic checks by unchecking "Automatically check for updates."

Related Topics

Filtering results
Troubleshooting wireless networks
Frequently asked questions