WiFi is all around use these days. This wireless network technology can now be found not only in computers, but also in everyday items such as watches, TVs, fridges and other members of the new generation of smart devices. Which means you aren’t always going to get the best performance on your share of the airwaves. A WiFi analyzer app can help you understand what’s going on in the invisible radio world that’s all around you.
In general, these apps will show you which networks are available around you. You can see how many networks there are, how strong the signals are and which channels each network is using. That’s just for starters, and each app may have its own unique additional features related to WiFi.
Start quickly with the most recent versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote and OneDrive —combining the familiarity of Office and the unique Mac features you love. Work online or offline, on your own or with others in real time—whatever works for what you’re doing. With 1 TB of.
So which are the best WiFi analyzer apps for each of the most popular platforms? We haven’t simply chosen the most complex or feature complete options, but ones that offer a good mix of functionality and usability. What’s particularly important is that you can do the most common tasks an analyzer is needed for quickly and easily.
Best WiFi Analyzer (Windows and macOS): NetSpot Free Edition
NetSpot is a widely-used and well regarded WiFi tool that allows the professionals to get a detailed picture of the WiFi networks around them. It can even be overlaid onto your office plan to see how the building layout affects WiFi performance.
However, if you just want a great WiFi scanner and analyzer on your Windows machine there’s no reason to avoid Netspot. In fact, the developers have gone out of their way to create a simple and useful tool for everyone on the form of the Free Edition of the software.
Yes, this is even more barebones than the $50 “home” license, but it has the essentials that most people actually want. If you have a complex home network or are an actual network engineer, you should be buying the more professional versions anyway.
Start the app up in its default “Discover” mode and you’ll have all the information you need about local WiFi networks to fine tune your channels and signal strength placement. Best of all, the app is also available for macOS!
Best WiFi Analyzer For Android: WiFi Analyzer (Free)
Here’s the thing about WiFi analyzers on desktop operating systems – they are pretty much obsolete now. Why? Simply because we all have powerful computers in our pockets in the form of smartphones. Even if you want to use your laptop or desktop to connect to the WiFi, your smartphone is a far more convenient way to do it. Especially if you quickly want to find a physical spot where the signal strength is just right.
On Android, the top choice is without any doubt the WiFi Analyzer by farproc. It’s got an amazing live graph that makes you feel like a Starfleet officer holding a tricorder and can quickly help you suss out the lay of the WiFi land around you.
Macos Office Download
Whip it out at home or at a cafe and stop faffing around with less user-friendly solution. There are no in-app purchases that we could find, but there are small unobtrusive banner ads at the bottom of the window. Well worth it, we assure you.
Best WiFi Analyzer for iOS: Scany ($5.99)
Before 2010, you would have found the farproc WiFi Analyzer application on the iOS App Store. However, Apple is notoriously cagey about any applications that can also be used for illegal purposes. So, just as there are no Torrent apps on iOS, you won’t find WiFi scanners that can be used for “wardriving” on the platform either.
However, Apple didn’t ban this category of tool as a whole. While the details are a little vague, it seems they took issue more with the specific low-level ways apps like WiFi Analyzer work under the hood than simply the idea that you might want to see available networks, channels and signal strengths.
Scany seems to be the only viable choice that’s made it through Apple’s policy checks. The downside to this is that you will have to pay a few bucks to own the app, but once that’s done you’ll have a robust network tool that can do way more than simply scan local WiFi networks. Even better, its visual design will make you look like a TV hacker or an extra from The Matrix.
Making the Best of Your WiFi Analyzer
Once you have the WiFi analyzer of your choice, the two most useful ways to use it is pretty straightforward. At home, you can walk from one spot to the next and make a note of how your router’s signal strength changes. This can help you make a decision on whether to use a WiFi extender or perhaps change the location of your router.
If you are worried about channel congestion, you can use your analyzer to check which channels have no other hotspots (or the fewest) using it. Then manually set your router to use a different one. If you need more detailed tips on optimizing your WiFi signal strength, be sure to go have a look at our WiFi signal boosting guide. No go forth and never be cursed by dead spots and weak WiFi performance again!
-->Applies to:Office for Mac
This article is for IT administrators and discusses frequently asked questions about the availability of Office from the Mac App Store, and the differences between downloading and distributing Office apps directly from Microsoft.
Starting in January 2019, the following Office applications are available for download from the Mac App Store:
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft OneNote*
- Microsoft OneDrive*
* These apps were also available from the Mac App Store in previous years.
What version of Office is available from the Mac App Store?
The Office apps available from the Mac App Store provide the very latest production version of Office on the Mac. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook require an Office 365 (or Microsoft 365) subscription to activate. OneNote and OneDrive do not require a subscription, but some premium features may require a subscription. All apps are compatible with Office 365 (and Microsoft 365) subscription plans, such as Office 365 E5 or Microsoft 365 Business Premium.
Note
Some Office 365 (and Microsoft 365) subscriptions don't include access to downloadable Office apps. For example, the Office 365 E1 and Microsoft 365 Business Basic plans. For more information, see Office 365 plans.
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Can I use apps from the Mac App Store with my Volume License?
No. Perpetual licenses, including Office 2019 and Office 2016, are not supported with Office apps available from the Mac App Store. The Volume License (VL) Serializer is not compatible with these apps. Attempts to use a perpetual license with Mac App Store apps will cause the apps to enter reduced functionality mode.
How do I deploy Office apps from the Mac App Store to computers in my organization?
You need an enterprise mobility management (EMM) tool that supports either Apple's Volume Purchase Program (VPP), Apple Business Manager, or Apple School Manager. For example, Jamf Pro is compatible with these programs and can be used to deploy Office apps. Office supports managed distribution, which allows your Mobile Device Management (MDM) server to install Office even when the user does not have an Apple ID. Office apps cannot be distributed through redeemable codes.
While a consumer may acquire Office through the Mac App Store as a bundle with a single-click download, IT admins will need to deploy the individual apps.
When deployed through the Mac App Store, does Office behave differently, or provide less functionality?
Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote provide the same end-user functionality regardless of how it is deployed. IT admins have traditionally deployed Office from Microsoft's Content Delivery Network (CDN), but now have the option of deploying from the Mac App Store.
The OneDrive app, when acquired from Microsoft's CDN, offers IT admins more deployment flexibility such as pre-enabling icon overlays and system access. When acquired from the Mac App Store, users will see additional prompts to enable this functionality.
The Office builds available from the Mac App Store are production builds and are usually updated on a monthly basis. The Office Insider program is not supported through the Mac App Store. If you wish to use the Insider Slow or Fast channels, you should continue to install Office apps from the Microsoft CDN.
Microsoft Teams and Skype for Business are not available through the Mac App Store and must be deployed from the Microsoft CDN.
How do Office updates occur?
When Office apps are deployed through the Mac App Store, it is the sole responsibility of the App Store to keep those apps up-to-date. Conversely, apps deployed from Microsoft's CDN are updated through the Microsoft AutoUpdate (MAU) tool. Content caching services in macOS can be used (and is highly recommended) to optimize both the installation and update process of Office apps acquired through the Mac App Store.
The download size of monthly update packages is the same, regardless of whether the CDN or Mac App Store is used for deployment.
Can I convert an existing CDN-based Office installation to Mac App Store?
If a user launches the App Store app on their Mac, they may see that Office apps are available for download even though Office is already installed from Microsoft's CDN. Depending upon the currently installed Office build, and the build available in the Mac App Store, the existing app may or may not get overwritten. For example, if the build of Office currently installed is newer than what is available from the Mac App Store (such as an Insider build), it will not be overwritten if the user chooses to download the Mac App Store build.
There is no automated process for performing a CDN to Mac App Store conversion. Depending on your EMM's capabilities, you may be able to orchestrate the process through a script. The high-level steps for each Mac are as follows:
- Close all Office apps
- Remove the Office apps from the /Applications folder
- Remove the Office entries from the keychain
- Remove the Office package registrations (
pkgutil --forget
) - Trigger the MDM server to install the Office apps (such as
jamf recon
)
While CDN-based installations of Office can utilize the bandwidth-optimized suite installer, which is approximately 1.8 GB in size, the total size of the same apps when deployed through the Mac App Store is approximately 4 GB.
How can I tell if an Office app was downloaded from the Mac App Store?
- Open Finder, and navigate to the Applications folder
- Locate the Office app (such as Microsoft Outlook.app), control-click, and choose Show Package Contents
- Navigate into the Contents folder
- If a folder named
_MASReceipt
is present, the app was downloaded from the Mac App Store
How do I manage Office policies and preferences with apps downloaded from the Mac App Store?
Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote offer the same policies and preferences as their CDN-based counterparts. IT admins do not need to alter existing Configuration Profiles as the bundle ID for each app is unchanged.
Note
Macos App Store
OneNote does use a different bundle ID, and different management controls are available depending on how you obtain the app. For more information, see Deploy and configure the new OneDrive sync client for Mac.
Microsoft Office Apps
It is highly recommended that IT admins set the OfficeAutoSignIn value to
TRUE
in the com.microsoft.office
preferences domain. For new installations from the Mac App Store, this preference will bypass the first run dialogs that ask users if they wish to purchase a new Office 365 (or Microsoft 365) subscription. This will mitigate calls to the help desk in commercial environments as users can only activate an existing subscription.