cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

inSSIDer - free version

Anotherone
Champion
Posts: 19,107
Thanks: 457
Fixes: 21
Registered: ‎31-08-2007

Re: inSSIDer - free version

I wish all posts were as constructive as yours sjptd, and welcome to the Forum by the way and to Plusnet, I hope everything runs smoothly.
Also on a constructive note, I agree with Jim about the need to change the link. Metageek have stopped any development of the free version and I can find no links on their websites to the previous free version. Also see for example http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wireless/wireless-news/32296-metageek-moves-to-pay-model-for-new-inss... .
According to metageek the new paid for version has minimum system requirements of 4GB RAM and net 3.5 Shocked
I've also seen some posts on this forum where people have inadvertently been led to the inSSIDer Office software by a search and ended up being confused.
Although this appears to have been written about the free version, most of it will be true for the free version, their link in the full review goes to the paid version
Quote from: PCMag
A Fun, Useful Tool
What’s great about inSSIDer is that you can use it for several real-world purposes for your wireless network. For instance, say you are trying to find the best location to place an access point or router. Position the device and then fire up inSSIDER to see what  signal strength the software reports. This is really useful if you are trying to setup a Wi-Fi network in a place with lots of thick walls, glass or mirrors or multiple levels.
You can also use inSSIDer to tweak your wireless channel. In the U.S, there are 11 wi-fi channels. The channels recommended to set access points on are 1, 6, and 11, because they don't overlap. So if you see many wireless networks in your area using channel 11 for example, by using inSSIDer you can change your access point or router to operate on channel 6 to tweak performance.
Yes, it may be lightweight for those who deploy wireless networks professionally. But anyone managing a home or small business wireless network will certainly benefit from the information inSSIDer provides. It earns a 4.5 out of 5 star rating and is easily a PCMag Editors’ Choice for networking utilities.

The full review can be found here
Unfortunately there only seems to be a few reliable locations left to download the free versions.
Edit: clarification re: link mentioned is in the full review
ejs
Aspiring Hero
Posts: 5,442
Thanks: 631
Fixes: 25
Registered: ‎10-06-2010

Re: inSSIDer - free version

Quote from: Anotherone
There are occasions when you make very constructive posts ejs, but unfortunately there are too many where you are just sarcastic and negative, and you wonder why you get some of the responses you do! I have decided that it's often easier to either ignore you or be equally sarcastic.

I've looked back at my previous 200 or so posts and I only saw a handful that I consider sarcastic or negative.
How about replacing the link to inSSIDer with something that's free and better then?
https://www.acrylicwifi.com/en/wlan-software/wlan-scanner-acrylic-wifi-free/
Townman
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 22,919
Thanks: 9,536
Fixes: 158
Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: inSSIDer - free version

Interesting tool!
As one would expect it shows that my TG router is the "loudest" around me with most other devices showing a lower level signal most of the time...  Then from time to time it shows dirty SKY and TALK-TALK routers blating out "ear shattering" signals up to three times that of my TG582n.  Note that they are not in my semi-detached house.  One could be the adjacent property, the other is somewhere else.
The issue with TG582n wifi is not the device itself, but rather the massive rogue signals being generated from time to time by other routers from other ISP's - there are 14 SSID's reported - two are mine and the rest are all well outside of my property and ought not to be so encroaching as they are.

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

sjptd
Grafter
Posts: 494
Thanks: 4
Registered: ‎01-09-2014

Re: inSSIDer - free version

That acrylicwifi look promising.  Shame it needs an ndis driver, and also seems to need admin permission.
Experiments so far (mainly using Wifi Analyzer on an Android phone) indicate that the HH3 and TG582n router are pretty much of a muchness for signal strength.  I haven't tried putting any real traffic through the TG582n yet.
ejs
Aspiring Hero
Posts: 5,442
Thanks: 631
Fixes: 25
Registered: ‎10-06-2010

Re: inSSIDer - free version

Quote from: Townman
The issue with TG582n wifi is not the device itself, but rather the massive rogue signals being generated from time to time by other routers from other ISP's

Have you considered the possibility that those huge high spikes are faulty readings and should be ignored? Rather than assuming it means what you want it to be to prove the only acceptable stance on these forums that there can't possibly be anything wrong with the 582n, and the problem must be those "rogue" other networks.
Quote from: sjptd
Shame it needs an ndis driver, and also seems to need admin permission.

That's how it can do more. It can capture wireless traffic in monitor mode, and it should enable wireshark to do the same. Microsoft Network Monitor could also do that and also installs a driver for that purpose.
Anotherone
Champion
Posts: 19,107
Thanks: 457
Fixes: 21
Registered: ‎31-08-2007

Re: inSSIDer - free version

Quote from: sjptd
That acrylicwifi look promising.  Shame it needs an ndis driver, and also seems to need admin permission.

I'd noticed that there was no system requirements mentioned and wondered what the minimum might be. There's a lot of XP users ouit there still and it doesn't say if it'll run on XP.
ejs
Aspiring Hero
Posts: 5,442
Thanks: 631
Fixes: 25
Registered: ‎10-06-2010

Re: inSSIDer - free version

Unsurprisingly I don't think it'll work on XP. Apart from the newer "native" wifi infrastructure in Vista or later, .NET 4.5 is only available for Vista or later.
https://www.acrylicwifi.com/en/support/required-software/
I'd consider myself lucky if any new software even supports Vista, some things (mostly Microsoft stuff) require a minimum of Windows 7.
Should anyone still be running XP? No.
sjptd
Grafter
Posts: 494
Thanks: 4
Registered: ‎01-09-2014

Re: inSSIDer - free version

acrylicwifi using a bit more memory than isSSIDer, but inSSIDer using much more cpu.
acrylicwifi a bit heavy on startup.
I'll probably be using and recommending acrylic in future.  I don't use inSSIDer very much, but it has been really helpful when I have needed it.
Townman
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 22,919
Thanks: 9,536
Fixes: 158
Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: inSSIDer - free version

Quote from: ejs
Have you considered the possibility that those huge high spikes are faulty readings and should be ignored? Rather than assuming it means what you want it to be to prove the only acceptable stance on these forums that there can't possibly be anything wrong with the 582n, and the problem must be those "rogue" other networks.

Well given the tool has come highly recommended, I rather assumed I could rely on what it reports so I had not considered that specific router signal level reports could be a fault of the measurement tool.  However now that you have made the suggestion that these are faulty readings, can you explain why the only appear against specific routers and never in respect of the TG router?  For your suggestion to be applicable would imply that the monitor is selectively defective, rather than accepting the probability that these are rouge routers which are screwing with the wifi spectrum.  See screen grab - there is only one router in this selection showing "faulty readings" - I guess all of the others must be out of step then?   Roll_eyes
For what it is worth, I have seen the same behaviour using inSSIDer - some odd APs transmitting massive signals at regular intervals.
I think that equally in the argument there are those who really believe that no one finds the TG582n acceptable - it  does for the vast majority of users.  If you want different or better there is a big choice out there - go buy something different if that is what you want.

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

ejs
Aspiring Hero
Posts: 5,442
Thanks: 631
Fixes: 25
Registered: ‎10-06-2010

Re: inSSIDer - free version

Is that the same behaviour with inssider on the same computer using the same wireless card and driver version?
That particular AP is presumably so far away that the signal is barely detectable. It's right on the limit of what the wireless card can detect, so that it drifts in and out of detectability. Perhaps the problem is due to the wireless driver badly reporting some sort of off scale low signal level. I doubt you would see the same signal level spikes if you measured closer to the allegedly rogue router. And might well not see the same thing with a different wireless card. So that's why it's only that one particular AP showing the issue - because that looks like the one with the weakest signal. The accuracy and reliability of readings depends on the wireless card and driver.
Townman
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 22,919
Thanks: 9,536
Fixes: 158
Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: inSSIDer - free version

ejs,
Thanks for a plausible explanation.  Wink
Looking at the routers involved, they are generally reporting at -90dB or less - when they spike they report -10dB.  I suppose that it is possible that they have gone below -100dB and somewhere along the way, the sampling (data query) is taking the 2 most significant digits, thus reporting -10dB.
Whatever aside from the reported spikes, my TG router consistently delivers the highest signal at circa -60dB upstairs.  In passing one wonders if these routers perform "better" laid flat or on edge / wall mounted given they have non-adjustable internal aerials.

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

Anotherone
Champion
Posts: 19,107
Thanks: 457
Fixes: 21
Registered: ‎31-08-2007

Re: inSSIDer - free version

Quote from: ejs
Unsurprisingly I don't think it'll work on XP. Apart from the newer "native" wifi infrastructure in Vista or later, .NET 4.5 is only available for Vista or later.
https://www.acrylicwifi.com/en/support/required-software/

Thanks for that, I missed that, but confess I didn't make any real effort to search at the time as I had other things to do.
Quote from: ejs
I'd consider myself lucky if any new software even supports Vista, some things (mostly Microsoft stuff) require a minimum of Windows 7.

Well I certainly don't want and avoid any of Microsoft's newer bloatware, where ever possible.
Quote from: ejs
Should anyone still be running XP? No.

Hardly on topic for the thread, the only relevance is people will have to use inSSIDer if they still run XP.
ejs
Aspiring Hero
Posts: 5,442
Thanks: 631
Fixes: 25
Registered: ‎10-06-2010

Re: inSSIDer - free version

I seriously doubt that the sampling takes the numbers as ASCII text. I don't think most wireless cards would even be capable of detecting a signal of -100dBm.
The two attached images have been previously posted to these forums. If you turn the image of the "chip antenna" upside down, you can see it corresponds to the top left of the whole internals, just above the barcode sticker. That make the internal antennae look rather small. Anyway, any suggestions to change the orientation or location of the router tend to get drowned out by repeated suggestions to use inSSIDer, which draws pretty pictures, so that advice looks more impressive.
Far simpler advice is to just try channel 1, then channel 6, then channel 11, and try them out and find out which of those works best in actual use. No messing about with any extra software at all. Unfortunately it doesn't look as impressive as drawing those diagrams, nor does it provide evidence that will be interpreted to claim all those other networks are the problem. Although it's actually better since the wireless channel scanners don't show or account for all sorts of different aspects, such as non-wifi interference, how heavily used each channel is, or if there are any devices on those other networks that are nearer you than the router or access point for that network is.
Anotherone
Champion
Posts: 19,107
Thanks: 457
Fixes: 21
Registered: ‎31-08-2007

Re: inSSIDer - free version

Can't help the sarcasm can we  Roll_eyes
Quote from: ejs
Far simpler advice is to just try channel 1, then channel 6, then channel 11, and try them out and find out which of those works best in actual use. No messing about with any extra software at all. Unfortunately it doesn't look as impressive as drawing those diagrams, nor does it provide evidence that will be interpreted to claim all those other networks are the problem.

What you forget is that the majority of people that post with wireless problems don't understand the technical issues involved. Whilst the simple answer is of course to advise someone to try a different channel, that in some cases may work, but may only for a while until another neighbour's wireless suddenly gives a problem, or because they've moved to a different part of the room or the house.
When the problems continue because they've only had the simple answer, they come back even more annoyed and frustrated and blame everything except the real cause of the problem.
The red mist often makes comprehension of the true problem more difficult, as it does the answer.
The whole damn picture (sorry for the pun) is made more complex if the neighbours' wifi's are on Auto and hopping about.
If you have a display where the non-technical person can see a picture of the signals, including their own, and also see how the situation changes as they move from one place to another, it's much easier to get them to understand what, in most cases, is going on.
A lot of people with these problems also have "difficult" buildings which unfortunately makes a satisfactory solution a lot more complex.
It should be relatively easy to deduce if non-wireless interference is a issue, but as to whether whoever responds to another's problem always remembers that possibility and mentions it at an appropriate time, is another matter.
ejs
Aspiring Hero
Posts: 5,442
Thanks: 631
Fixes: 25
Registered: ‎10-06-2010

Re: inSSIDer - free version

There wasn't any sarcasm in my previous post. If I had said something like "Oh yes I completely agree with everything Anotherone said because they know everything and are always right" - that would be me being sarcastic.
The "real cause" of the problem being the 582n's inability to make itself heard so it the other networks could coexist with it. I don't think it's helpful to just say anything that sounds good to people who don't know any better, just because some made up explanation is "simpler". But it appears everyone just wants to pretend all those other networks are the problem, and ignore the real cause.