Tools for scanning/managing WiFi

[robert rottermann]

On 02/08/2014 01:13 PM, Chris Green wrote:
> Is there anything better than Network Manager for checking for WiFi
> signals?
>
> Network Manager is fine for when I'm at home where the laptop and tablet
> simply connect to the home router but as soon as there's any
> difficulty deciding what to connect to it's pretty useless:-
>
>      There's no control over [re-]scanning so you can't move to
>      different positions and request a re-scan to see if there are
>      different WiFi signals and/or signal strength has changed.
>
>      The signal strength indication is no help in optimising the signal,
>      one needs a more accurate level indicator to tell if moving this way
>      or that improves the signal.
>
>      There's no indication of the type of encryption on signals which
>      have encryption keys.  This is a real killer sometimes when somoene
>      knows the password/key but not what *type* of key it is.  I had this
>      problem at my wife's office recently.  Windows XP reports the
>      encryption type so surely Linux should be able to.
>
>
> Are there any tools specifically for scanning/characterising WiFi
> signals and/or are there any replacements for Network Manager that make
> handling WiFi connections easier?
>
>
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