I wish that things are sometimes very simple, especially on my PC and smartphone. It’s true that most stuff today is very simple to do, but if you didn’t know, your WiFi can also create some complications that need to be fixed. Also, it’s not just turn on your PC and hope that internet will do the stuff himself. No, you’ll need some tools to fix your WiFi issues if you have them, and this can be done in no time.
List of Windows Software to Fix Wifi Problems
Thankfully, I prepared the list of 10 best software to fix WiFi problems in Windows. So, you want your solution? Keep reading, reader! These software will work in any of your Windows versions including Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP, etc.
1. Ekahau HeatMapper
Ekahau HeatMapper might be the best solution for solving advanced WiFi problems, but it surely requires some work to be put into. First, you’ll need to turn on your laptop and boot this app. Then, walk around the house to see the WiFi strength coverage. For example, you might experience a weak WiFi coverage in your living room, but it may be stronger somewhere else. It’s all about finding the best coverage, and it can help if you are setting your network, to find the best position for your router. I used this app and I still use it very often, it’s your best friend when it comes to improving your WiFi connection.
2. inSSIDer
When using WiFi, several factors including channel conflicts and signal overlaps can induce very bad performance. Thankfully, inSSIDer is here to solve the problem for you, or problems if there are multiple issues to be solved. inSSIDer is here to ensure that APs are on the right channel, and to ensure that your signal strength remains constant and reliable at all time. You can run inSSIDer at all time, to be able to solve the issues on-fly.
3. Acrylic WiFi Home
If the solution given in the first place on the list doesn’t suit you, and you want something more simplistic, then Acrylic WiFi home is for you. When using your laptop, it will detect every network within the range of your device, giving you an astonishing amount of info like MAC address, SSID, type of encryption, router manufacturer, maximum router speed and much more. Here, you can also see the strength of WiFi network, by looking at a graph displaying the router signal strength over time. Acrylic WiFi Home offers tons of features, which I’ll leave for you to discover.
4. Wireshark
Wireshark comes in as a mixed bag, but a mixed bag of good features. It collects and analyses wireless traffic and shows various info about it. Wireshark is also known for its Ethernet analysis capabilities and offers support for 802.11. On top of that, Wireshark will be able to help you better lock security configuration, aside from being a WiFi network troubleshooter.
5. Homedale
Unlike the previous entries on our list, Homedale comes in a simpler version and is a stripped-down version of some of the Wifi fixing apps mentioned. First of all, Homedale runs as an executable, so you won’t need to install it. And second, it’s a great app for analyzing WiFi and giving some info about signal strength, encryption type, MAC address, SSID and much more. You can also check if your network has any interference from the networks around you in the Frequency Usage tab, which is also a key factor in solving WiFi problems.
6. Tamosoft Throughput Test
Tamosoft Throughput Test is a free, colorful utility that will give you some performance boost and even info about your WiFi status in shape of text and graph. This software works by constantly sending UDP and TCP data across the network, and this way, it measures upstream and downstream throughput. Aside from that, Tamosoft Throughput Test gives you additional info about round-trip time and packet loss information.
7. Technitium MAC Address Changer
MAC address is a very important address, and every device connected to the internet has its own MAC address. Technitium MAC Address Changer is here to make sure that your MAC addresses have been properly filtered, by configuring your router to ban the devices except those with the corresponding MAC address. Using this software, you can easily check if your MAC address is functioning, and if it isn’t, you can check if your router blocks the address. You can further solve the issue by changing your computer’s MAC address in just a few clicks.
8. Ookla Speedtest
Ookla Speedtest is the most popular way to test your WiFi speed and you won’t even have to download it. Whenever your Wifi speed is dropped, just visit the link below, and click on ‘Begin Test’ to find out more about your upload and download speed, as well as get some additional info about your WiFi. By using this software, you can determine if the issue is caused by your WiFi router or internet provider, by plugging out your router and connect your PC with an ethernet cable to your modem and then run the test again.
9. Kismet
Kismet is a free, open-source packet sniffing and network discovery tool. If you suspect that some hidden networks are disrupting your WiFi network, you can use Kismet to detect them. But how does this work? Well, Kismet finds networks by “listening” to beacon transmissions from APs, unlike many software that uses SSID for detection. This way, those who are hiding their SSIDs will also be detected, and when you do that you’ll feel like a real professional.
10. Connectify Hotspot Lite
If you think that WiFi is available everywhere, well… I’ll disappoint you by telling you that it isn’t. Many hotels and shops offer WiFi but you sometimes need to pay for them. Tell ‘goodbye’ to that, with Connectify Hotspot Lite. This software will turn your laptop into WiFi hotspot where you can connect one or more devices to use the data. But, there is a Lite version where you can just turn your laptop into a hotspot, and a paid version where you can customize your WiFi hotspot settings like hotspot name, connection etc.