Wi-Fi Channel Usage

Hello! I am using Vista Ultimate 64-bit and am looking for a way to easily
identify the wi-fi channels that are in use by routers within range. My
router keeps dropping the connection (I have tried a different router) so I
suspect interference with another router using the same channel. I would like
to identify channels that everyone else in my neighborhood is using so that I
can use another one. When Vista gives me a list of available networks, it
does not tell me what channel they are each using.

First, does anyone know how to access this information in Vista?

Second, if Vista does not provide it, does anyone know of a utility I could
download to find out this information? On another laptop I used to have, the
Netgear card came with a utility that scanned for available networks and then
reported back WEP/WPA status as well as the channel being used by each which
made it easier to avoid conflicts.

Thanks in advance!

Kevin

On Wed, 16 May 2007 08:33:02 -0700, Kevin <Kevin@discussions.microsoft.com>
wrote:

>Hello! I am using Vista Ultimate 64-bit and am looking for a way to easily
>identify the wi-fi channels that are in use by routers within range. My
>router keeps dropping the connection (I have tried a different router) so I
>suspect interference with another router using the same channel. I would like
>to identify channels that everyone else in my neighborhood is using so that I
>can use another one. When Vista gives me a list of available networks, it
>does not tell me what channel they are each using.
>
>First, does anyone know how to access this information in Vista?
>
>Second, if Vista does not provide it, does anyone know of a utility I could
>download to find out this information? On another laptop I used to have, the
>Netgear card came with a utility that scanned for available networks and then
>reported back WEP/WPA status as well as the channel being used by each which
>made it easier to avoid conflicts.
>
>Thanks in advance!
>
>Kevin

Kevin,

Have you tried the "netsh" subcommand
wlan show networks mode=bssid
<http://blogs.msdn.com/stevecla01/archive/2006/10/04/Vista_3A00_-poor-man_2700_s-NetStumbler.aspx>
http://blogs.msdn.com/stevecla01/arc...tStumbler.aspx

--
Cheers,
Chuck, MS-MVP [Windows - Networking]
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/
Paranoia is not a problem, when it's a normal response from experience.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck mvps org.

Chuck:

That was exactly what I needed! Thanks so much for your assistance!

Regards,

Kevin


"Chuck" wrote:

> On Wed, 16 May 2007 08:33:02 -0700, Kevin <Kevin@discussions.microsoft.com>
> wrote:
>

>
> Kevin,
>
> Have you tried the "netsh" subcommand
> wlan show networks mode=bssid
> <http://blogs.msdn.com/stevecla01/archive/2006/10/04/Vista_3A00_-poor-man_2700_s-NetStumbler.aspx>
> http://blogs.msdn.com/stevecla01/arc...tStumbler.aspx
>
> --
> Cheers,
> Chuck, MS-MVP [Windows - Networking]
> http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/
> Paranoia is not a problem, when it's a normal response from experience.
> My email is AT DOT
> actual address pchuck mvps org.
>

On Wed, 16 May 2007 13:06:01 -0700, Kevin <Kevin@discussions.microsoft.com>
wrote:

>"Chuck" wrote:
>

>Chuck:
>
>That was exactly what I needed! Thanks so much for your assistance!
>
>Regards,
>
>Kevin

Kewl! Thanks for the feedback!
<http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/05/how-to-post-on-usenet-and-encourage.html#Followup>
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/2005/0....html#Followup

--
Cheers,
Chuck, MS-MVP [Windows - Networking]
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/
Paranoia is not a problem, when it's a normal response from experience.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck mvps org.

To bad netsh wasn't update in XP for this command.

"Chuck" wrote:

> On Wed, 16 May 2007 08:33:02 -0700, Kevin <Kevin@discussions.microsoft.com>
> wrote:
>

>
> Kevin,
>
> Have you tried the "netsh" subcommand
> wlan show networks mode=bssid
> <http://blogs.msdn.com/stevecla01/archive/2006/10/04/Vista_3A00_-poor-man_2700_s-NetStumbler.aspx>
> http://blogs.msdn.com/stevecla01/arc...tStumbler.aspx
>
> --
> Cheers,
> Chuck, MS-MVP [Windows - Networking]
> http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/
> Paranoia is not a problem, when it's a normal response from experience.
> My email is AT DOT
> actual address pchuck mvps org.
>

You might check out network stumbler

"Kevin" <Kevin@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:6C957FB5-77BB-455F-BFF9-7C182AE6DEA8@microsoft.com...

> Hello! I am using Vista Ultimate 64-bit and am looking for a way to easily
> identify the wi-fi channels that are in use by routers within range. My
> router keeps dropping the connection (I have tried a different router) so
> I
> suspect interference with another router using the same channel. I would
> like
> to identify channels that everyone else in my neighborhood is using so
> that I
> can use another one. When Vista gives me a list of available networks, it
> does not tell me what channel they are each using.
>
> First, does anyone know how to access this information in Vista?
>
> Second, if Vista does not provide it, does anyone know of a utility I
> could
> download to find out this information? On another laptop I used to have,
> the
> Netgear card came with a utility that scanned for available networks and
> then
> reported back WEP/WPA status as well as the channel being used by each
> which
> made it easier to avoid conflicts.
>
> Thanks in advance!
>
> Kevin

Thank you for the tip

"Joe Guidera" wrote:

> You might check out network stumbler
>
> "Kevin" <Kevin@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:6C957FB5-77BB-455F-BFF9-7C182AE6DEA8@microsoft.com...

>

On Wed, 16 May 2007 21:55:12 -0500, "Joe Guidera" <jguidera@remove.msn.com>
wrote:

>"Kevin" <Kevin@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>news:6C957FB5-77BB-455F-BFF9-7C182AE6DEA8@microsoft.com...

>You might check out network stumbler

Joe,

Please don't go to the NetStumbler forum and ask for help about this one.
<http://www.netstumbler.org/showthread.php?t=21558>
http://www.netstumbler.org/showthread.php?t=21558

They aren't too friendly there in general, and for a question that they say
"Don't ask here", they are positively nasty.

In short, no, NetStumbler and Vista aren't ready for each other yet.

--
Cheers,
Chuck, MS-MVP [Windows - Networking]
http://nitecruzr.blogspot.com/
Paranoia is not a problem, when it's a normal response from experience.
My email is AT DOT
actual address pchuck mvps org.