How to Check Wireless Signal Strength and Optimize WiFi Networks in Mac OS X Lion
Wi-Fi Diagnostics is an incredibly useful utility to troubleshoot and optimize any wireless network and the signal strength of computers that are connecting to it. This utility comes bundled in Mac OS X Lion and works with all wireless routers and not only the Apple branded ones, meaning you can improve the performance of just about any wifi network by using it and making some adjustments along the way. It’s easy to use and we’ll walk you through the process of getting the best wireless signal using the app, but first we have to uncover the tool itself.
The Wi-Fi Diagnostics app is buried within Mac OS X 10.7, here’s how to access it:
- From the OS X desktop, hit Command+Shift+G and enter the following path:
- Sort alphabetically and find “Wi-Fi Diagnostics”, if you plan to use the app even somewhat frequently it’s recommended to drag Wi-Fi Diagnostics into Launchpad for easy access
/System/Library/CoreServices/
With Wi-Fi Diagnostics now in the easier to access Launchpad… wpen Wi-Fi Diagnostics.app and check the radiobox next to “Monitor wireless performance” then click on the “Continue” button.
Now is when the fun begins. The chart you see is a live wireless signal strength and noise meter, you want the yellow signal strength bar to be as high as possible. Pay attention to the green line of noise as well, you want that to be as low as possible in relation to the yellow line of signal strength.
If the signal strength is high and noise is low, you’re already good and you don’t need to change much. For most of us, signal will be lower than we want it to be, depending on where the wireless router is stored in relation to our computer gear.
Here are some tips to try out and to improve signal strength, keep an eye on the signal as you make adjustments:
- Tweak the physical antennas on the wireless router and aim them in different directions
- Move the wireless router away from walls, fireplaces, etc – even just a foot or two of space can make a big difference
- Move the wifi router away from TV’s, microwaves, refrigerators, and other electronics that may interfere with signal
- Relocate the Mac in relation to the router, this is obviously easiest with a MacBook Air or Pro
Once you have arrived at a reasonable compromise to how your hardware is physically configured and signal strength, enjoy your newly optmized wifi network.
Some important things to remember here: not all internet connections are capable of transferring data at optimum wireless speeds, so you may not notice much of a difference in internet connectivity speed if any at all with these adjustments. This basically means that a weaker wireless signal may be more than adequate to transfer data at your ISP’s maximum bandwidth. Regardless, you’ll want the noise level to be as low as possible, since large amounts of wifi network noise can result in lost packets, reduced speeds, quirky behavior, random wireless connection dropping, and a variety of other problems.
If a wireless network is configured well and you continue to have problems with connectivity, check out some of our past articles on resolving such issues:
- Solution to common Mac OS X Lion wi-fi problems
- Tips to troubleshoot & fix dropping Wi-Fi connections in OS X Lion
- General guide on Mac wireless network troubleshooting
Using Wi-Fi Diagnostics I discovered my wireless signal to be much weaker when keeping the wifi router out of sight behind an LCD TV, simply moving the router away from the TV a few feet dramatically boosted signal strength. Run the app yourself and see what kind of performance boost you can get by adjusting your own wifi network.
Nice.
Thank you!
Glad you pointed out that a lower signal won’t necessarily effect the quality of the internet connection, because beyond 802.11g the broadband itself becomes the limiting factor. That said, higher is always better and you can always reduce noise. Regarding noise, if you have no obstructions then try switching channels on the router until you find a clear one.
Oh and the reason you got a signal boost from moving the router away from a TV set is all that metal scatters and reflects the microwaves :]
I can only get 19-20 Mbps on 802.11g but get 45-50 Mbps on 802.11n.
Kickass app, this should be in the Utilities folder and not in Core Services don’t you think?
this is why i love OSX DAILY!! wooo
great tip
Strange, I am on the Mac Mini and I share Internet with another Mac, through wifi, but I don’t see the chart of the signal… (only the one of the noise)……
Hmm, when I run the app, the “Monitor Performance” is grayed out. So is “Capture Raw Frames.”
I can only choose “Record Events” and “Turn on Debug Logs.”
Any ideas?
Yes, you must turn your wi-fi on!
Have latest lion os, cant find the utility, how do i get to it? Info from article didnt find it, thanks
Jas
Wow this is a great tip – I didn’t know about this. Also be sure to check out NetSpot App – its the same idea but has a bit more features.
http://www.netspotapp.com/ via http://lifehacker.com/5864464/netspot-for-mac-makes-diagnosing-wi+fi-signal-problems-quick-easy-and-free
Thanks guys!
Another Great Tip!! Thx guys!
Also keep in mind that while internet access might not benefit much from tweaking wifi, local transfers can indeed benefit (copying files to/fro NAS, etc.).
Thx. Very helpful.
Now I would like to know if you have any suggestions on how to optimize browser and web page loading. Periodically, they’ll just load slo-o-o-wly or even completely hang. Very annoying.
Any suggestions in that arena?
If you use an AirPort Station (Time Capsule, Express, or Extreme), then you can check the signal strength in the AirPort Utility, too.
This article motivated me to optimize the location of my network devices and I could improve the signal strength – so thanks!
@Amigalander: Make sure your computer’s Airport is turned on and connected to a signal before launching.
I’m running OSX Lion 10.7.2 and when I open up the launch pad there is no Wi-Fi Diagnostic app. Just to make sure I hit command+shift+G and all I get is a sound. Any help would be appreciated because my wifi needs tweaking.
You have to enter the path into the Command+Shift+G window and drag Wi-Fi Diagnostics out of CoreServices and into Launchpad
[...] Via | OsX Daily [...]
[...] ferramentas legais para configuração e gerenciamento do serviço de diretórios. Navegando pelo OSXDaily, vi que existe essa ferramenta para monitorar redes wireless, que, por ter um ícone bem parecido [...]
Had the same problem as Perry, solved by Naru, got what seemed like odd result, virtually straight line yellow at 50,
virtually straight line green at bottom. Not sure if that’s good or bad, or if I need to take further steps.
[...] How to Check Wireless Signal Strength and Optimise WiFi Networks in Mac OS X Lion [...]
This is such a great tip but I must say I am shocked that Michael Steeber hasn’t taken this one yet??? He must be on vacation.
Great tool! Thanks. Here’s an odd one, having opened this app.
My brand new 27 inch iMac in the UK shows FR as the country code in the diagnostic report. How did that happen, and can I somehow change this to the UK?
Maybe connected, but my Mac cannot automatically find my location.
Confirm your region settings, go to System Preferences > Language & Text > Formats and select United Kingdom
Thanks, but I don’t believe this impacts on the country code of the wifi in the iMac. It was actually already set as UK in the language & text settings, but the wifi diagnostics tool tells me the country is FR. Presumably France.
Odd! Seemingly no way to reset either.
[...] you’re a perfectionist, you could then run the Wi-Fi Diagnostics tool and get the optimal signal for the network, but in a brief hotel or airport situation, the the [...]
[...] How to Check Wireless Signal Strength and Optimize WiFi Networks in Mac OS X Lion [...]