In this digital age of ours, WiFi is life.
WiFis an incredibly useful tool.
It allows us to dive into the internet right in our own home if we have it.
And you’re free to use any gear to connect.
From PCs to Smartphones, TVs and more.
Because of this, WiFi Networks are incredibly prevalent in our modern world.
This is where W-Fi scanners come in.
And one of the best WiFi scanners out there is Acrylic WiFi.
Which well be discussing in length today.
What is Acrylic WiFi?
Acrylic WiFi is a set of programs that offer in-depth WiFi analysis.
The programs are useful tools in WiFi analysis.
And is often implemented by many homes and businesses due to its reliability.
Now at its core, Acrylic WiFi is a WiFi Scanner.
What does Acrylic WiFi do?
Acrylic WiFi does the usual scanning on WiFi networks near it.
Other than that though, other versions have better capabilities and functions.
Its a multifunctional piece of software that one should have a go at get.
But knowing which of the versions of Acrylic WiFis good for you is also something to consider.
How do you use Acrylic WiFi?
One thing that you have to remember when using Acrylic WiFi is that there are several versions of it.
But the most basic function (which is the WiFi scanning) is available in all 4.
But lets talk about the WiFi Scanning feature first.
This allows you to see the WiFi connections.
As WiFi scanning is automatic, you dont need to do that much.
Theres quite a world of difference between the Acrylic WiFi Home and Acrylic WiFi Professional versions.
For one, the Home version only has the scanning function, and can only check 5 devices.
The Professional version, however, has that and other functions as well.
Alongside the Professional Version, theres also the Heatmaps and LEA Versions of Acrylic WiFi.
Each with unique functions of their own as well.
How do you download Acrylic WiFi?
All versions of Acrylic WiFi are available on their websitehere.
In addition to the Home and Professional Versions, there are the Heatmaps and LEA Versions as well.
Good stuff for those who need one.
The LEA Version is a bit different.
As it allows you to know about a devices location, who used it, and some such.
Besides this, theres a 15-day free trial for the Heatmaps and Professional Versions.
And you could purchase the license to use these versions as well.
The Professional Version costs $40 to purchase.
While the Heatmaps Version costs $2200.
What is a WiFi scanner?
The first thing you have to know is what a WiFi scanner is.
Its basically what it says on the tin.
Its main purpose is to scan for any nearby WiFi connections around your machine.
A lot of these scanners are software applications.
Ones that are built-in already on the gadget youre using.
How does a WiFi scanner work?
And like before, there are hardware versions of WiFi Scanners available.
But for the sake of the topic, well talk about the software versions first.
Theres quite a lot to know about the WiFi networks all around you.
The tool scans the surroundings and detects WiFi networks.
When you start up the software, it discovers and lists all WiFi networks in range.
SSID can be hidden.
In that case, a user who wants to connect must already know the networks name.
BSSID
The Basic Service Set Identifier.
This is the access points address.
Alias
This field will show if the web link has another name.
And if so, will show it as well.
Band
The band field shows the frequency being employed by the WiFi online grid.
Usually, those would be either 2.4 or 5 GigaHertz frequencies as theyre the most commonly used bands.
Security
What many people consider to be the most important of the bunch.
As it shows what pop in of security is protecting a given data pipe.
If WEP is the security key in used, then the internet can be easily compromised by hackers.
WPA2 and 3 on the other hand, provides enhanced protection and are difficult to crack as well.
Always ensure that either one of the 2 is the security that the WiFi is using when youre connecting.
This is because theyre effective in protecting the data inside devices connected to it.
Channel
This shows the channel that the wireless web connection is using for transmission.
Mode
Mode shows which wireless modes are supported by the router.
A 2.4 Gigahertz band can support the 802.11b, 802.11n and 802.11g nodes.
Meanwhile, the 5 Gigahertz band can support the 802.11ac, 802.11a, and 802.11n.
Level (SNR)
This field shows the signal to noise ratio of the data pipe.
It analyzes the level of the WiFi signal to the background noise level.
Vendor
Youll find the WiFi routers manufacturer here.
The field after this will report on the noise percentage.
Signal
The strength of the data pipe signal is shown here.
Signal %
Meanwhile, this field shows the signal strength percentage.
The 3 fields after this will show the average, maximum, and minimum strengths of the signal.
Why should you use a WiFi scanner?
Theres a lot of reasons that may make you want to use a WiFi scanner.
This function is unfortunately not on the Professional Version of Acrylic WiFi.
But is available on their Heatmap Version.
Identifying rogue access points
If youre scanning from out of your projected coverage area.
You might find the presence of things called Rogue Access Points.
These are caused when your wireless signal may exceed the physical boundaries of your office or home.
This makes it possible for people out of the building to attempt hacks on your online grid.
This is one of the main reasons why you gotta secure and encrypt your WiFi.
If its an open web connection, you could use it to gain access.
Scanning from your office or home can also show other wireless signals.
That is entering your coverage area.
These have the chance to impact your WiFis overall performance.
But if you want to maintain and optimize performance?
Scanning allows checking of your access points and router location.
So that your WiFi can have peak performance.
What advantages can you get by using a WiFi Scanner?
Given all these things, what are the main advantages as to why you should use WiFi Scanners?
And the manuals are user friendly as well.
In addition to this, most handheld and portable WiFi scanners allow for easy maneuverability.
you might even bring it with you in cramped areas.
Some common designs include tablets, but it can also be software inside your PC.
Easy to digest the info offered
Most WiFi Scanners optimize the information that they give you.
This is so that you’re able to easily infer the pertinent data needed for the day.
Alternatives to Acrylic WiFi?
Comes with easy to use features and a free scanning mode.
Similar to the Heatmaps version of Acrylic WiFi, but not stuck at another version.
A great choice for most individuals.
WifiInfoView
Released in 2012, WifiInfoView is an old WiFi scanner.
But old doesnt mean its outdated.
It may not amaze through its design, its functionality and capabilities shine through anyways.
inSSIDer
inSSIDer is a popular WiFi analysis program.
Making it obvious which channels have the most usage.
