The Best of Both Phone, and TabletCNET Editors' review
AirRadar is a utility that can help you scan for, track information on, and join wireless networks. Like similar apps (some of which are free), AirRadar provides much more information than you'd otherwise get through the Mac OS AirPort status menu. Whether you're testing your signal strength at home or trying to find free Wi-Fi on the road, AirRadar will list all open and closed networks in range, along with information such as signal strength (current, average, and max), type of encryption, MAC address, and channel--and you can also sort networks into smart groups, such as all open networks. AirRadar can keep scanning at any interval you set, automatically join the best open network (or a network of a specified minimum strength), and notify you of new networks in a variety of ways, including through Growl messages and by speaking network names out loud (dorky but neat!). AirRadar also has a Network Assistant that can help choose the best channel for a network.
This basic functionality is more than enough for most users, but you can also have AirRadar provide more than two dozen different pieces of live data for a given network, and even track noise and signal strength in graphs.
Publisher's Description
From Koingo Software:
Scanning for wireless networks is now easier and more personalized. AirRadar allows you to scan for open networks and tag them as favourites or filter them out. View detailed network information, graph network signal strength, and automatically join the best open network in range. Whether you are driving around looking for wireless networks, stuck in traffic, sitting on the beach, or if you are curious how strong your wireless signal is at home, AirRadar provides a more linear approach to network hunting. Setup a scan frequency, and have new open or closed networks have their name spoken, play alerts, or display notifications. Various other options allow you to customize your network list further, including assigning colors to best open networks and sound cues. Download it today, and take the hardship out of getting an internet connection at a critical time.
What's new in this version: Fixed joining networks on Snow Leopard with API mode.
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All versions:
2.6 starsout of 5 votes
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Current version:
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"Finds all the networks and gives me stats"
Version: AirRadar 2.1
Pros
Ratings of the signal strength and channels
Cons
Seems to not always update in real time
Summary
Cannot seem to find another product that will do as much.
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"Works as advertised."
Version: AirRadar 2.0.8
Pros
Good level of detail about WiFi AP's in the neighborhood and their relative signal strengths. In AP dense areas, like some business parks, it has helped me troubleshoot interference issues.
Cons
When viewing details about a network, active scanning will undo any folder disclosures you've opened to see additional detail at that lower level, each time the scanner updates.
Summary
Useful tool to have in your arsenal if you do any WiFi network troubleshooting.
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"Not as good as Mac's Network preferences"
Version: AirRadar 1.2.5
Pros
Informative display
Cons
Only picked up 2 out of 3 available networks, while Mac OS 10.6 Airport displayed all 3.
Summary
The big problem for me is that it does not find all available networks, even when next to the router. But the display is nice.
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"This product does not work under Snow Leopard"
Version: AirRadar 1.2.5
Pros
This product does not work under Snow Leopard
Cons
This product does not work under Snow Leopard
Summary
This product does not work under Snow Leopard
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"Flexible signal strength indicator"
Version: AirRadar 1.2.1
Pros
Easy install. Simple user interface. Accurate information.
Cons
Probably over priced at $20, however, it is the only product that works with Snow Leopard. Also does not give an absolute rating of signal strength, only a "percentage"??????
Summary
Given that the Mac OS doesn't provide a signal strength indicator (other than the bars on the radar icon) if you have intermittent service interruptions, you need a separate app to give you the information the OS doesn't. None of the free options works with Snow Leopard at this point (9/27/09), this was the only option. The only drawback, as noted, is that it gives the user a "percentage" as an indication of signal strength. While that is fine if you are trying to look at the relative signal strength of one network versus another, it doesn't really help you trouble shoot whether your airport/time capsule/wireless router is operating per specs or needs to be replaced.
My bad. There is an option in the Preferences window to enable results to be shown as absolute signal strength.
Updated on Oct 2, 2009 -
"Another \"1\" for being totally disingenuous in th..."
Version: AirRadar 1.1.7
Summary
...
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
The developer certainly has every right to start charging for his product but doesn't have the right to continue calling it "free" in the product description area of VersionTracker through two update cycles.
A response from VT admin said the developers write the descriptions and upload them so there's absolutely no doubt where the blame lies. -
"Developer is a liar ? this app is NOT free, nor a..."
Version: AirRadar 1.1.7
Summary
...g
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
This developer says his product is free, but it isn't. How can he get away with writing in its description that "The best part ? AirRadar is absolutely free!" but then setup its installer to inform us that it costs $9.95 after the 15-day trial??? Are our standards of decency so low that we'll put up with this duplicity?
There are at least 2 or 3 much better and truly free wireless scanner/stumbler apps currently available, like AP Grapher (available at VersionTracker.com and MacUpdate.com) and KisMAC (only listed at MacUpdate.com). Seriously, check out their descriptions and you'll quickly determine that they're vastly superior to Airradar, and you can easily download and try them out because they don't require you to pay money just to evaluate their capabilities and long term stability.
Should we teach this developer and others like him a lesson by boycotting not only AirRadar but also Koingo Software's other apps, like Data Guardian, MacPilot, Image Smith, Display Maestro, Amnesia, MacCleanse, Librarian Pro, Digital Sentry, and Alarm Clock Pro? IMHO, lately some software developers (and many other types of business) have been behaving greedier and greedier ? perhaps as a result of the recession, but that does not excuse the trend. I feel now is a good time to remind businesses of all kinds that consumers respond best to high quality products, reasonable pricing, generous customer support, and responsible environmental stewardship. Maybe a broad and concerted effort like that, when money is tight, could turn around or at least limit the tendency of businesses to cut corners, move offshore, unjustifiably raise prices, and otherwise behave like pigs. -
"New fee but no new features!"
Version: AirRadar 1.1.7
Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
AirRadar is a simple and unsophisticated app which tells you just a little bit more than what you'll get from the built-in apple software. It has nowhere near the power of apps such as Kismac and APGrapher (which I recommend), both of which are both free.
The developer has added a fee to this product but not provided a single new feature. Even worse, installing overwrites the previous version, then asks you to pay for it after the fact, so I can't review this release at all because there is no trial period. And I can't revert to the previous release because it's been overwritten.
Ultimately, I don't care. There are way better programs out there that don't cost a dime. But my one-star review (and many others I'm sure) will send this program to the bottom of the Versiontracker junk pile. -
"Signal Strength read right, again"
Version: AirRadar 1.0.9
Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
At least the signal strength read proper percents, again. -
"Back to unusable signal strength"
Version: AirRadar 1.0.8
Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
1.0.7 Fixed the signal strength problem in Tiger which would display the signal strength as -65,000%
1.0.8 is back to the bad signal strength which is unusable.
Go back to 1.0.7 if you can
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