Wi fi map

In the previous review as a test we took a small Crimean city called Simferopol. And only one application from the previous test had about a thousand and a half points, but here we know the exact number – at the moment it is 2800 points with free Wi-Fi. In practice, however, it turned out that almost all points were really working, most likely due to active moderation. The real advantage of Wi-Fi Map over competitors.

Choosing an app to find free Wi-Fi spots for android devices: Wi-Fi Map and Osmino Wi-Fi, as well as the results of 6 applications review

We continue to explore the segment of programs to find Wi-Fi on city streets, and this time two popular applications are on the list. And after reviewing them, we'll give you a correspondence comparison of each program and the traditional summing up. Among the participants are interesting and unusual utilities that occupy current positions in the Google Play ranking, the bases of which include popular Russian cities.

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Overclockers.ru Lab continues to explore a segment of programs for searching wireless Internet on city streets and this time we will consider two interesting and popular applications: Wi-Fi Map and Osmino Wi-Fi.

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The first utility contains a huge database of Wi-Fi, as well as reviews, comments about them and even a kind of game. The second program, on the other hand, is also interesting for its information base and feature set. Below we will compare the features of each program by correspondence and summarize all the tested utilities.

Before reading this review, I recommend that readers get acquainted with the previous article on the choice of an application to search for free Wi-Fi. Unfortunately, not all programs were included in this series. We have selected six of the most interesting and unusual utilities, which received support for popular cities in Russia and hold current positions in the ranking of the online store Google Play.

We used Xiaomi Redmi Note smartphones (Miui V8 on Android 4.4.2 OC, Dalvik runtime environment, MediaTek MT6592 processor, 8 x 1700 MHz, Mali-450 MP4 video processor, 700 MHz, 2 GB RAM) and Jinga Basco M500 3G (OC Android 5. 1, ART runtime environment, MediaTek MT6580 processor, 4 x 1300 MHz, Mali-400 MP2 video processor, 1GB RAM), and Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 tablet (CM 13 based on OC Android 6.0.1, ART runtime environment, TI OMAP 4430 processor, 2 x 1200 MHz, PowerVR 540 video processor, 384 MHz, 1GB RAM).

Theory – About NICs

We are used to using a "network card" to connect the network cable from the router. Nowadays it is usually a network port built into the motherboard, but the possibility of buying a separate network card has not been cancelled.

This is where the name "network card" comes from. Even when its name is applied to Wi-Fi. With wifi a little harder – there are motherboards that support this technology, but so far it is placed only in the upper segment on gaming motherboards. The technology itself is inexpensive, but for some reason this is how it was – they say the system unit for the games is better to connect directly to the wire, and the signal quality is better, and the ping is less.

Let's go back to network cards. In relation to the Wi-Fi it is more correct to call them "adapters". There are two types of adapters on a PC:

If with the first kind everything is so clear – in common people they are called "flash drive" or "whistle", then internal Wi-Fi adapters and accepted to be called network cards, because according to the classics of the genre they need to be installed inside the system:

Tips for choosing

Everything is clear with the subject – we will choose internal Wi-Fi adapters for organizing a wireless network. Here we will figure out what to pay attention to when choosing them, and in the next section I will show you some interesting models in stores.

We already have an excellent article on choosing a Wi-Fi adapter for your computer. There's also a great selection of USB adapters there.

• The price is not so important. You can find one for 100 roubles or for 10 000 roubles. In this case there may not be much difference between them. The main thing is to look at the following recommendations.
• The manufacturer – in this area the leaders are TP-Link and ASUS.
• Antennas – for a desktop PC you can safely choose a card with external antennas. If the router is near, it will not affect the quality, but for the same transmission speed with the support of MU-MIMO it is better to choose several antennas.
• Wi-Fi standard – look at your router. If it only supports 802.11n (2.4 GHz, up to 300 Mbps), get the appropriate adapter. Newer routers support 2 bands – 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz with speeds up to several gigabits/second. If you have one of these, I recommend getting an 802.11ac or newer card to reach its full potential. Older cards will still work successfully with it, but maximum speeds are only achieved with full compatibility.
• All other parameters like power are left to the experts. As a rule, at home it is not that important. The main thing is to choose the right Wi-Fi standard.

Acrylic Wi-Fi Heatmaps

First (and one of the most popular) software that can indeed build Wi-Fi maps (and in fact it is quite commonly used for WiFi planning). And it does it properly, and beautifully. As a bonus, it can even build volumetric coverage maps. But all good things come at a price, and students are unlikely to like those prices. Please note that the first columns refer to the monthly payment:

NetSpot

Another interesting program that I was able to try out. And in some ways it is even more affordable than the previous representative. Some remarks about its usage:

• There is a Free mode, you can just measure signal levels as in any Wi-Fi analyzer.
• In the paid version it is already possible to load the plan of the room, just place measuring points on the map, and after that sit and twist the possible options – to select the desired points for calculations and the type of report (from the basic signal level to the real speeds, which is sometimes much more important).
• Russian language is not, but all very basic – personally I was bribed by its simplicity.
• Licenses are permanent. Starting from Home (reduced 50 measurements, types of reports, 5 points in the report, export) and a full unlimited. Prices are much more interesting than Acrylic. If you need to build such maps at least several times a year – it is quite a good solution.

References for review: Pro version , Enterprise version .

Program Features

There are a few things to keep in mind when working with Wi-Fi Map Pro, they are as follows:

• Closed networks that have a hidden SSID name will not be visible on the map.
• Since the application is a social one, and anyone can add data to the key database, not always the selected point can display the real password – this is the fault of the users, not the developers. Moreover, if the owner changes the key, the old combination in Wi-Fi Map Pro becomes irrelevant until someone replaces it.

What's the solution? It is certainly advisable to try several different networks. In addition, near each specified access key in the utility there is a vote and a large number of "likes" that will let you know that the combination is correct.

Anyway, even if you don't connect to one of the points the first time, Wi-Fi Map Pro makes up for it with a huge selection of other keys. The program has a nice interface, it is easy to manage, the paid version is affordable and justifies it with its advantages – a larger password database and offline access. The specified application will come in handy for every smartphone owner who wants to use the Internet for free.

Network card antennas

A device equipped with an external antenna receives the signal better. Of course, not always the dimensions of the receiver contribute to comfort, so you can choose an adapter with a removable antenna or with a socket, where, if necessary, it can be inserted.

The power of the antenna when selecting the device should be consistent with the conditions of the location where you want to install the network.

The number of antennas affects the data transfer rate. Models equipped with removable antennas are very convenient in case of long-distance location of the router, if necessary, it is possible to install a more powerful design of radio reception. External antennas provide greater range.

Installing and configuring the Wi-Fi adapter

Despite the significant differences in network cards by type and type of connection, they are all configured according to a similar principle.

First you need to physically plug the adapter into the correct slot on your computer or laptop. The Windows system will detect the new hardware. Although the system set of programs will always be compatible, for correct operation it is better to install the drivers from the disk that came with the network device. You can also download the necessary software from the manufacturer's official website. Data exchange through the adapter is carried out thanks to the driver, which is why it is better to install the software that is suitable for your particular model of device.

Once the Wi-Fi card is installed, a network connection icon will appear, click on it and in the properties of the wireless network connection, find the Internet protocol TCP/IP. Here you need to enter the network settings, find them out by contacting the technical support of your provider, and enter them in the fields to be filled in. The settings can also be assigned automatically. When you have selected the necessary parameters and access points, it remains to assign a Mac address to the card. This task is performed by the network administrator, to do this, call technical support and notify them of the change of adapter and the need to change the Mac-address.

When choosing a network device, pay attention not only to the functionality, because you will not use all the features of the card, and the price for a wide range of functions will increase several times. Pay attention to some factors, such as the size of your room in which the Wi-Fi network will be used, the distance between the router and the computer, the thickness of the walls. A significant role in the reliability of products is also played by the manufacturer, it is better to choose a proven, well-established quality of products, such in the market of computer equipment is plentiful. It is desirable to buy adapters of the same manufacturer as the router or modem, thus providing the best compatibility of devices.

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