Improve Your Wi-Fi Experience At Home & Outside With These 2 Free Android Apps
|
| ||||||||
| Compare: | Web Design Calculator | Web Design Cost Guidelines |
Are you an E-Commerce Web Designer? Add a Free Listing
Data plans tend to be limited, and connection speeds are sometimes not all that impressive. So when you use an Android phone (or any smartphone for that matter), Wi-Fi becomes an essential way to get online.
Today I’ll be showing you two different apps designed to make your Wi-Fi experience better so you can get better speeds and a more stable connection. These are both for Android, but you can actually use what you learn from them with any Wi-Fi device, including your laptop.
Improving Wi-Fi Connectivity At Home
Wikipedia says: “Many 2.4 GHz 802.11b and 802.11g access-points default to the same channel on initial startup, contributing to congestion on certain channels”. So while there are several available Wi-Fi channels, chances are that you and all of your neighbors are actually using the same single channel for your wireless communication. This causes interference and can slow things down.
You can always tell which Wi-Fi channel you are using using your access point’s configuration interface; but how can you tell what channels you neighbors are using? This is important so you know what’s free and where to switch, and this is where our first app comes in: Free Wifi Analyzer. With over 5 million downloads and over 61,000 reviews averaging 4.5 stars, Wifi Analyzer kicks some major butt, and provides a plethora of information about your wireless situation. Let’s take it for a spin:
This is the first screen shown when you launch the app, and right away, you can see how most of the networks around here are centered on channel 6. Only one network sits around channels 1-3, and channels 9 and up appear to be completely clear. Let’s swipe to the next screen:
Here, you get to select a network and see its signal strength graphically. This display constantly updates, and can also beep according to the signal level (more beeping means a stronger signal). This is fun because you can walk around with your phone like a metal detector and see where the signal grows stronger or weaker: Does this or that wall actually block your Wi-Fi signal?
The last feature I want to show you is what I call “the bottom line”. This is the screen where Wi-Fi Analyzer recommends which channel you should switch to:
As you can see, my home network sits on the absolute worst part of the spectrum possible. Wifi Analyzer says I should switch to channels 11, 12, or 13, and I tend to agree. Doing this will result in less interference, and thus in a better connection for everyone (even my neighbors will have less interference with their Wi-Fi connections!).
Okay, that’s great for when you are at home and you get to control the access point’s channel. But what should you do to get a better connection when you’re outside, at a coffee shop or an airport?
Improving Wi-Fi Connectivity While On The Go
When you’re in a public location, the biggest problem with the Wi-Fi connection is usually poor signal strength. In other words, the access point is simply too far away. This can be very frustrating, because you usually don’t have any way to know where to go for better connectivity. Which way is closer to the access point? If you start walking around, you may lose the connection or end up making it even worse.
Well, this is where Wi-Fi Radar comes in. This handy little app also enjoys some stellar reviews (over 1,100 reviews averaging 4 stars), and its claim to fame is its ability to show you where access points are physically. So you get a radar-like display with your phone in the middle, surrounded by access points. It comes with simple instructions:
So when using it, you will find yourself slowly rotating with your device. People may look at you oddly, but you can just tell yourself they are suffering crappy connections and you’re smarter. Once the scan starts, it looks like this:
This is the trickiest part in using the app. In the screenshot above, I have separated both bars so you can see them clearly. The brighter bark (around the 6% mark) moves on its own; the darker one (around the 20% mark) moves when you rotate the device slowly. Your goal is to keep them together. This means you need to very slowly rotate the device, a little bit at a time, while the progress bar moves. You are going to look pretty stupid while you’re busy doing this, but that is the price to pay for good connectivity.
This process takes a good two minutes, or even more. Once you’re done, you get a display that looks like this:
When you move around with your device, the display updates and things shift around. Even after all of this work, the display may not be correct; it is best if you have some point of reference, because then you can rotate the whole display as needed, using the “Result Offset” option.
This isn’t because the app is bad (it’s actually quite good), but because it is trying to do something that is remarkably difficult. If you’re patient and determined, you may find yourself enjoying the best Wi-Fi signal your airport can offer.
Other Wi-Fi Essentials
I am always on the lookout for awesome Android apps; did I miss an important Wi-Fi related application? Let me know in the comments, and I might review it!
Image Credit: ShutterStock
Sat, 03 Dec 2011 01:30:38 GMT
Tags: android, Google Android, Mobile Apps, wifi, wireless,
Grand Forks E-Commerce | Chattanooga E-Commerce | Santa Clarita E-Commerce | Ahmadabad E-Commerce | Rancho Santa Margarita E-Commerce | Wiley Park E-Commerce | Linthicum E-Commerce | Port Arthur E-Commerce | Fenton E-Commerce | Kolkata E-Commerce |
android
50 Amazing and Impressive Smartphone PSD Files
Nowadays, we are witnesses at how fast the industry is developing in all domains and how our life is changing alongside with it. A result of this growth are smartphones, mobile phones that are more than just a mobile phone. They offer more advanced comput
Netflix Android App Updated, Provides Support For Honeycomb, Canada & Latin America [News]
Tablets are excellent for watching movies. The big, beautiful displays are able to render detail that you simply don’t receive while squinting at a 4.3” LCD, making the mini-theatrical experience that much better. This has made it all the more strange tha
Google Announces Android 4.0: Ice Cream Sandwich Along With New Samsung Galaxy Nexus [News]
After a week’s delay due to Steve Job’s death, Google has unveiled Android 4.0, codenamed Ice Cream Sandwich. The new version was released on the new and anticipated Samsung Galaxy Nexus, which was also announced in the same event. With Ice Cream Sandwich
Google Android
Catch Notes, A Note-Taking App For Android & iOS That’s Definitely Worth A Look
In my constant quest for the best note-taking environment, I’ve used Evernote, SpringPad, SimpleNote, reQall, and finally, Toodledo‘s Notebook, which unfortunately only takes formatted text at best, which still remains a text-only note applica
5 Time-Killing Google Android Apps For The Moderately Bored
Smartphones are really great for those idle moments when you're stuck waiting for short periods without the aid of a book. While many of us would turn directly to phone games for entertainment, others are more keen to read popular news stories and see th
Color: The Hottest Smartphone Photo Sharing App [Android/iPhone]
Are you ready to try something a little new? How about a social network designed with smartphones in mind, rather than one based on desktop computer principles? Well, that's what Color have put together. It's a nifty little app for Android or iPhone whi
Mobile Apps
Bing Launches Mobile Deals Aggregator [News]
With all eyes on Groupon, it seems the latest fad is making it easier for people to find deals. So it’s no surprise that Microsoft has decided to launch their very own service, Bing Deals. Announced on the Bing Blog, US residents can log onto the si
The 4 Best Recipe Apps For Android Phones
One of the problems many families have today is that no one really has time to make dinner. It's hard to plan out the meals - so when dinner comes, it's hard to cook when you don't even know what to cook. Luckily, I've found four Android recipe apps t
Mobli – View Mobile Photos & Videos About The Things You Love [iPhone]
Photo sharing apps have officially taken off, thanks primarily to mobile devices. These kinds of apps let you take pictures on your phone and share them with your social graph. Enter Mobli, the app that instantaneously uploads your pictures and videos in
Need E-commerce Design? Check out our member profiles:
A professional full-service Internet agency providing web design services and are dedicated to helping businesses get the best from the web with a complete range of custom-developed web services.
Bartlett, Illinois US
Cheung Vong is a graphic/web designer who specializes in print, web, video and multimedia.
Bellingham, Washington US
We can handle any design, print or creative needs including web site design, full e-commerce solutions, mobile phone app design, brochures, newsletters, logos, corporate branding and so much more.
Valdosta, Georgia US
Offering professional e-commerce design and development services since 2001, StudioKraft welcomes the opportunity to help you sell online. Specializing in OSCommerce customized installs.
Mantua, New Jersey US
Serving the Greater Atlanta, Gwinnett and Gainesville, GA area, Barta Media Group offers web design, ecommerce, SEO and SMM integration. Choose Barta Media Group for Business Visibility Solutions.
Buford, Georgia US
Access Your Xbox Live Profile & Friends List Right From Your Phone [iPhone]
Xbox Live is a social place It s a place to get together with your closest friends and play some vi
The Best 3 Free Photo Editing Apps For The iPad
If you own an iPad camera connection kit while it s certainly not the same as having access to Phot
Hot Tech Deals – Foxconn Intel Atom D425 1.8GHz Barebones Nettop Computer $129.99 Free Shipping & More!
Newegg has the Foxconn nT435H 0h0w B A NA Intel D425 Single Core Barebones Nettop Computer for a low
Cool Websites and Tools [May 21st]
Check out some of the latest MakeUseOf discoveries Most of the listed websites are FREE or come wit
Latest Hilarious Picks [MakeUseOf Geeky Fun]
Check out the top picks from MakeUseOf Geeky Fun during the last couple of days Quitting Facebook
Retargeting Case Study: Should You Use Frequency Capping?
Despite the potential of display retargeting one big FUD fear uncertainty doubt for advertisers
Tips for Prototyping Successful Web and Mobile Products
img src http rss buysellads com img php z 1264761 k bb78eac5744533b69852b62261051c57 a 1387
Article Tags
E-commerce Design Articles
Web Apps & Internet (369)
News (290)
Web Apps (129)
Inspiration (128)
Music (119)
iPhone / iPad / iPod (114)
cool web apps (108)
Mobile Tips (100)
Google Android (100)
Announcements (99)
deals (88)
Games & Gaming Tips (84)
Tech Deals (82)
Opinion & Polls (76)
Cool Software Apps (76)
Browser Tips & Tricks (66)
iOS (66)
Social Media (65)
iPhone Apps (59)
Photography (58)
Freebies (58)
geeky fun (58)
iphone (55)
Google (53)
troubleshoot (53)
android (52)
Photoshop (52)
Graphics (51)
facebook (50)
How-To Articles (50)
Friends:
E-Commerce Website Pricing
Web Design Quote
Website Design
Graphic Designers
