Built in wifi app

WiFi Signal: Status Monitor 4+

This tool is perfect and was exactly what I was looking for. I wanted a simple tool that would show me the network I was connected to whilst still maintaining the simplicity of switching networks using the MacOS WifFi status icon. Displaying the connection speed was a welcome bonus that has been really useful for faster troubleshooting. I asked support if they could add a feature to show the status across two lines to save space on the menu bar and to match other iStats items, two month later it was implemented and it looks great. Now I can see which network I’m connected to and at what speed whilst taking up minimal space. Thanks!

Excellent tool

I have been using this developer’s other tool, Wifi Explorer, for a few years now. It is great when setting up a new network or diagnosing issues, but not so convenient for monitoring your connection. That is where WiFi Signal fits in.

I have it set up to show only the signal %age, next to the standard Wifi signal icon. A quick glance tells me whether everything is running smoothly.A click on the icon shows all the extra information that you might want.

This app is both useful & unobtrusive.

This app is both useful & unobtrusive, using it on my desktop computer. I find I often glance up at app display to see how strong my wi-fi signal is, on mobile wi-fi. If mi-fi signal a bit low, I just move mobile wi-fi to a different location, and the app immediately shows whether signal is getting weaker or stronger. Very useful to know, especially if downloading anything, like apple updates.

App Privacy

The developer, Intuitibits LLC , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy.

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What does “built-in wifi” actually mean in 2023?

The concept of built-in wifi has been around since Wifi was created at the end of the 90s. For many people, the term can seem to be a little ambiguous, and fails to explain what it actually means.

With the variety of different devices in our household, this can make things even more confusing. Does a built-in wifi modem mean the same as a built-in wifi television?

Well, no, although they use the same description. We’re going to explain what built-in wifi means relevant to the device that it’s talking about.

What is built-in wifi?

The answer is that built-in wifi just means that the device you’re using has the capability to connect to, or distribute, a wireless connection. It’s often used within different devices, like smart televisions or mobile phones. It can also be used to refer to a device that lets you connect to a wifi network too, like a router.

In the majority of cases, built in wifi will refer to the devices that you use on a daily basis. This is primarily TVs, laptops and phones, but you’ll also see it used for things like set top boxes, sat navs and dash cams, cameras and some times headphones. With these items, it simply means that they have the ability to connect to wifi.

Other places where you may see the term include a modem, which may be referred to as having a “built-in” wifi router. Essentially, this does the job of both the modem and router within one device, and will allow you to connect to the internet from your home.

You also might see the term built in referring to wifi adapters. Essentially, these adapters can be added to any devices that you have that don’t have wifi built into them. Older computers are a good example of this, as unlike the modern day where every laptop has an in-built wifi card, this wasn’t always the case when it came to computers.

Another example of a device that you might see with built-in wifi is a motherboard. Essentially, what this means is that the wifi card/chip is likely soldered to the motherboard itself, and cannot be separated. With some computers and laptops, this will be detachable, and can be switched out for a different one.

In modern times, we’re seeing less and less devices advertising themselves as having built-in wifi. This makes sense, as many of us expect our phones and cameras to have wifi built into them automatically anyway. And as our wireless networks become more capable and developed, it’s second nature for our phones and laptops to have this built into them.

How does built in wifi work?

Essentially, a device with a built in wifi receiver will work the same as all wifi devices. They connect to your home router by using completely wireless radio frequencies, which are measured in Gigahertz. 1 GHz is equal to 1 billion hertz.

By Hertz, we’re talking about the oscillation (similar to vibration) of the electrical current being emitted by your internet router. For comparison, bass sounds are sent at a very low rate of around 20Hz, which is only 20 times per second. To send these wifi frequencies, they literally need to oscillate billions of times per second.

Wifi generally works over two different bands – these bands are just what we refer to as the ranges of radio frequencies that they work over. If you want to learn more about these, then check out this article comparing 2.4GHz to 5.0Ghz wifi bands.

We have these two different bands, with the 5.0GHz band generally being the faster of the two, so it’s good for your phone or laptop. The 2.4GHz is more reliable, and it uses the same radio frequency range as Bluetooth. 2.4GHz can also be better if you’re upstairs, as it tends to be better at passing through walls.

Either way, both of these different bands are available for you to connect to. In some cases, your router may actually offer more bands than this for you to connect to – often, newer routers will have 2 different 5.0GHz bands. This can be good if you have a multitude of different devices in your home.

The devices that you use have an in-built wifi card, which connects to the wireless router in your home. This allows it to receive and send signals from the internet.

Built-in Wifi vs Wifi Ready

Two common terms that are used within wifi are both “Built in wifi” and “wifi ready”. They’re similar to one another, but you will need to know the difference between them if you want to access the internet.

Generally, we use the term built in wifi if a device already has a wifi adapter built into it. This means that it can easily connect to your router at home, and has easy access to your wifi network.

This isn’t necessarily the case if something is “wifi ready”. This can mean that it can connect to the internet without any additional products, but it also may mean that you need to insert a wifi card or an ethernet cable into the device to do so.

This really depends on the individual device itself, so make sure that you check it out completely before deciding if the device is the right one for you. As well as “wifi ready”, you may also see the term “wifi-enabled”, which tends to mean the same thing.

Is built-in WiFi good?

Asking whether built in wi-fi is good is a pretty tough one to answer. It’s good in some aspects, and bad in others. It really depends on the device that you’re using.

Built in wi-fi is definitely going to come in handy if you need a quick and easy way to get an internet connection. Think of your laptop – are you happy you have built wi-fi, or would you rather have to attach an internet dongle every time you want to use the internet?

At the other end of the argument, wifi is not going to be as reliable of an internet connection as ethernet. A cable is always going to be the better choice of the two. So although there are benefits of using a wireless network, there are downsides to it as well, as it’s not as dependable as connecting to an ethernet port.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Built-in wifi isn’t the most self explanatory term, so it’s understandable that many people get confused by it. It’s usually taken to mean a device that can connect to the wifi, and it may be used to describe the phone or TV you connect to your wifi with on a daily basis.

The more common wifi becomes, the less common that this description is relevant, as increased expectance on built-in wifi becomes the norm – which is why it’s probably so confusing to some young people now.

About Melissa

Hey! I’m Mel, I write the occasional article for Spacehop, amongst other things. I love meeting new people and chatting, so if you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask.

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WiFi Signal: Status Monitor 4+

I’ve been using WiFi Signal (as well as its big brother, WiFi Explorer) for years, and always appreciate the insights it provides. From the detailed metrics it displays (far beyond anything the built-in menubar item provides), to the alerts when changing base stations (helping to diagnose network dead spots, or problematic connections), to simply giving insights into signal quality and SNR, this is a wondeful tool to have in your arsenal.

PLUS, the new customizable 2-line status display, and new method of annotating networks to help further clarify your connection («Wait — is this BSSID the access point in the living room, or the one in the kitchen?»), and the version 4.3 update makes this tool even better … although I didn’t previously think that was possible.

If you do anything WiFi on your Mac (and let’s face it, who doesn’t?) you owe it to yourself to download WiFi Signal.

Much more helpful than the stock macOS menu bar WiFi icon

Being able to see exactly which AP I am connected to is invaluable. To get good 5GHz coverage, I have 5 access points distributed throughout my house, connected to my router via Ethernet, with a common SSID. Adrian’s WiFi Explorer app lets me assign a label (aka Annotation) to each AP based on the AP’s BSSID, or MAC address. These labels are remembered and synced to WiFi Signal. So rather than giving me an obscure MAC address, WiFi Signal will tell me I am connected to e.g. “AP3 Back Room”.

It will also give you popup alerts when you roam from AP to AP, which gives you a good idea of your AP coverage.

Great app and fantastic support to boot! Thanks Adrian.

Clear display and easy to use

I use this every day to see if it is my location, lots of users on a channel, or a Comcast delay. Super easy to use. Menu bar app- click once to open; then click again to close. Accurate info about strength of the Wifi signal you are getting in real time, so you can move your desktop and laptop around to get the best signal. Also recommends better channels if you have a lot of neighbors using your channel. Been using it reliably for years. One of my best app purchases.

Конфиденциальность приложения

Разработчик Intuitibits LLC указал, что в соответствии с политикой конфиденциальности приложения данные могут обрабатываться так, как описано ниже. Подробные сведения доступны в политике конфиденциальности разработчика.

Сбор данных не ведется

Конфиденциальные данные могут использоваться по-разному в зависимости от вашего возраста, задействованных функций или других факторов. Подробнее

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Best WiFi Apps for Android

Scanning a building’s WiFi signals becomes a breeze with a handheld tablet or phone running NetSpot. Discover networks, find weak spots and dead zones with its powerful features, easy to use interface, and the best free WiFi app for Android devices.

We’ll run down the list of the best WiFi apps for Android phones, give a brief description, and help you find the one that will help plan your WiFi network without spending a ton of time and money.

Finding the Range

Mapping the WiFi signals of the network can be a challenge. Using a desktop it too cumbersome. A laptop can work, but wandering around with a bulky laptop can get tiring. Much easier to use a tablet or a phone. Start the signal discovery in one spot, move to the next, and repeat the process until we’re done.

The problem becomes just which app to use. There’s plenty of them on the market for Android devices, ranging from highly technical tools to simple programs that are little better than the “Find Network” option in the Settings menu.

If we want to get an accurate representation of the WiFi networks in our location, we don’t want to waste time with something that either requires a PhD in Computer Science to use, or waste money on an WiFi app for Android that does little more than show available networks.

The Best Free WiFi Apps for Android

The best kind of WiFi apps are the ones that can do the following:

• Collect information on the name, type (a/b/g/n/etc), and frequency (2.4Ghz, 5Ghz or 6Ghz).
• Detect Signal strength.
• Measure packet speed (how fast the upload/download speed really is).

This is more than just “What WiFi networks can my Android device detect”, but includes powerful data collection tools. Based on those qualifications, here’s the list of the best Android WiFi apps available. Rather than bury the lead, we’ll start with our favorites and work our way down:

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