Wireless Network Watcher is a free utility that lets you view all the devices connected to your wireless network in a readable, easy to understand manner.
Installation & Requirements
The standard setup doesn’t include any kind of adware and after the short process is complete you can start using Wireless Network Watcher.
The program runs on Windows 2000, XP, Server 2003, Server 2008, Vista, 7 and 8.
Interface
Just to be clear, Wireless Network Watcher cannot scan a wireless network unless your computer is connected to it. As soon as you open the application, it will automatically scan your network and list all computers and devices that are connected to it.
For each detected machine, Wireless Network Watcher will display related information, namely IP & MAC addresses, the device’s name, network adapter company, device information, user text, the date when the device was first detected and how many times has it been detected. In the device information column the program will let you know which of the devices is your router and which one is your computer.
You can start a new scan and/or stop it at any time. The device list’s appearance can be customized for a better view, with features such as showing grid lines & tooltips and marking odd/even rows. Moreover, the Column Settings menu allows you to select for display only the columns you want.
In the Options menu, the MAC address format can be changed, the program can be set to run in the system tray, automatically start hidden and run a background scan. The background scan is slower than the regular scan thus less resource consuming, but it will run automatically to discover when new devices connect to the network. With the background scan turned on, users can set audio and pop-up notifications whenever a new device connects to the wireless network. The Device Options menu lets you turn the default beep on/off, disable it or replace it with your own audio file for the currently selected device.
The Advanced Options menu offers the possibility of manually changing the wireless network adapter. It can be useful, since according to the developer, in rare cases the program might not detect the correct one. In the same menu, you can also change the IP addresses range for the scan process, replace the default beep notification with another audio file, activate the audio and tray balloon notifications only if a device is detected for the first time and set a background scan interval. Moreover, several commands are offered for execution when a new device is detected.
Pros
– Free application with no adware or third-party applications included.
– Scans your wireless network and lists all connected computers and devices.
– The device list can be customized in both appearance and functionality.
– Audio and pop-up notifications can be set to alert the user when a new device connects to the network.
– The “background scan” will search for new devices continuously.
– HTML reports can be created for all/selected items.
Cons
– The Help link sends the user to the homepage of the official website not the program’s page.
Conclusion
Wireless Network Watcher gives even inexperienced users, the possibility of staying informed at all times about which devices are connected to the wireless network. While it does include a few advanced options and command-line support, most of the program’s features can be easily used by a beginner.
