What's New?

version 5
version 4
version 3
version 2
version 1

V5.0 build 1002 17/July/2020

  • Added channel width, dropouts, vendor and max RSSI to summary log
  • Fixed an issue when loading some WirelessMon project files where the map would not initially be redrawn correctly after loading
  • Fixed a bug in the 64bit build of WirelessMon where the signal strength of an AP when using the hexagon mapping function did not update correctly and all samples were the same

V5.0 build 1001 28/May/2020

  • Spectrum analyser graphs, changed to better represent the signal spectrum in use by an access point including channel widths.
  • Added missing 5ghz channel 144 to graphs.
  • Changed congestion graph on summary tab to take channel widths into account.
  • Export to CSV, added channel width to exported information.
  • Changed "Supported Rates" summary column to "Max Rate Supported" and only displays the highest rate the AP is capable of.

V5.0 build 1000 19/May/2020

  • Added new contour mapping function that predicts the signal strength around the sample point based on signal strength. This new method can also predict signal strength losses based on obstructions on the map when a suitable map and a base station location is used.
  • Added new spectrum analyser graphs to see channel use and their overlap of other channels.
  • Changed how the access point list is maintained so that logging, list updates, drawing and sorting are much faster.
  • Added new Auto logging option in general options and /ALOG command line parameter to start logging when starting WirelessMon.
  • General options, added auto calibrate options for min/mix signal settings.
  • Added ability to apply a filter to the summary list of access points, currently to display unsecure access points only.
  • Added "Check for new version" function.
  • Fixed SSID Unicode characters not being converted properly.
  • Removed standard/professional edition. Registered version is now equivalent to professional edition.

V4.0 build 1009 19/March/2015

  • Added support to display when a network is 802.11AC
  • Increased size of "Select AP" dialog window so maximum SSID names and MAC address can be displayed without the need for scrolling/resizing the window
  • Decreased memory use when saving a signal strength image to try and prevent out of memory errors when working with very large maps
  • Fixed a display/synchronisation issue with the access point list occasionally assigning the wrong status icon to an entry if rapidly sorting the list
  • Improved information element processing when scanning for networks to improve extra information reported (such as 802.11N speeds)
  • Corrected a typo of "Lattitude" instead of "Latitude"
  • Added an error message when no network cards are detected

V4.0 build 1008 26/June/2013

  • Added support for the newest version of the MetaGeek Wi-Spy DBx
  • Added support for connecting to hidden networks when SSID is known
  • Added support for sending security passphrase from WirelessMon during the connection process in Vista/7/8 rather than requiring windows to display the key entry dialog in the system tray.
  • Fixed a bug that was preventing connection to access points when specifying a MAC address
  • Changed behaviour where if an access point was set to use WEP/WEP64 WirelessMon was displaying WEP-104/WEP128. This is due to observed behaviour in Windows Vista/7 that only WEP (key of any length length) is reported by Windows (not WEP-40 or WEP-104) no matter what WEP setting is used in the router. Now WirelessMon will only display "WEP" unless extra information is available.

V4.0 build 1007 30/July/2012

  • Changed the connection process to correctly connect to an open network by MAC address (Vista/Win7)
  • Fixed a bug where after connecting to an access point that shared an SSID with others WirelessMon could display the channels of the other access points in the summary screen

V4.0 build 1006 18/June/2012

  • Added delimiting characters to the SSID field when exporting the access point summary list to CSV to prevent SSIDs with ',' characters breaking the format
  • Fixed a bug where the "Other" tooltip count for the channel use was incorrect
  • Fixed a bug where the sorting of the list view was affecting the output of the access point log
  • Fixed a bug where removing SSIDs from the SSID filter list would not be applied until Wirelessmon was restarted
  • Fixed a bug where a dropout could be logged incorrectly each sample
  • Fixed a bug where sometimes some sample areas would not be filled in during interpolation
  • Fixed a bug where KML files were being output in double byte format
  • Fixed a bug where the KML version of the connected node log was outputting the GPS co-ordinates in the wrong location
  • Fixed a case where the GPX version of the connected node log could be created without the correct header

V4.0 build 1005 6/July/2011

  • Fixed a bug with the project file save where some fields (security, latitude, longitude) were not being saved correctly

V4.0 build 1004 6/June/2011

  • Some changes were made to the installer to prevent "Cannot save to configuration file" error in some instances
  • Renamed "Strongest RSSI" column to "Max RSSI" to save some screen space
  • Some changes made to UI elements during resizing to fit within the bounds of main window
  • Un-installer is now digitally signed

V4.0 build 1003 9/May/2011

  • Fixed a crash when saving or printing the signal strength map
  • Fixed a bug with the USB/Serial option radio buttons

V4.0 build 1002 15/April/2011

  • Added a new eraser button to the map tab toolbar that allows a single sample to be removed at a time
  • Added the network type and MAC to the KML format access point log
  • Made some changes to the map sample process when clicking to take a sample to prevent long pauses that could occur in some situations
  • Fixed a bug in the MAP calibration screen when using set point1/2 function, higher than standard DPIs would result in the mark being placed below the cursor
  • Changed the layout of some windows to fit better on small resolution/high DPI screens
  • Minor changes to the palette dialog window to make it slightly smaller

V4.0 build 1001 23/March/2011

  • Fixed a bug with the key entry window that sometimes prevented keys being pasted correctly
  • Fixed a bug with the access point log in WirelessMon (CSV) format where the supported data rates field was not being correctly processed, breaking the expected CSV format
  • Fixed a crash in the connected node log when using GPX format

V4.0 build 1000 7/March/2011

  • Added USB support for Garmin GPS
  • Added some extra error messages if WirelessMon cannot load a map image due to memory limitations
  • Added Import and export functions for MAC address when choosing access points to display on Map tab
  • Added right to left signal strength graph style on summary tab
  • Added "dropouts" count and column to summary view, tracks how often an access points is seen in one sample and lost in the next
  • Added KML (Google maps) log format options to access point and connected node logs
  • Added GPX format to connected node logs
  • Added "Export List" option to right click menu options on summary tab list, will open a dialog that allows the detected access points to be exported to CSV or Google Maps (KML) format
  • Added "Strongest RSSI, Latitude and Longitude" columns to summary view. Latitude and longitude are available when a GPS is configured and records the GPS position of the strongest RSSI value
  • Added an option to manually enter the GPS locations for two arbitrary points on the map during GPS calibration
  • Moved current GPS location to bottom status bar
  • Added auto save project file to log options
  • Added encryption types (WEP-40/WEP-104, TKIP, AES) where applicable for security column. In XP due to WirelessMon using passive scanning, this will only be available when the required information is captured by the network card. The longer WirelessMon is run in the same area the higher the chance of this information being displayed.
  • Added Maximum supported N speed to supported rates. As with the encryption types this information is not always captured by the network card but will be built up over time
  • Changed Channel use on summary tab from A to A/N, and B/G to B/G/N
  • Changed MAC address format to XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX
  • Changed format of supported rates in list
  • Column locations and current sort order now saved in the config file
  • Fixed a bug that could cause certain elements on the summary tab to overlap at some resolutions and DPI settings.

V3.1 build 1005 11/June/2010

  • Fixed a possible bug when using the "Reload network cards" button, if more network cards were found (eg adding a USB network card) the counters might not be initialised correctly for the new card
  • Added some extra checking when loading the GDI+ library to prevent failure on some Vista and Win7 machines.
  • Network statistic counters should now be loaded correctly in non-English versions of Windows

V3.1 build 1004 23/December/2009

  • Changed connected node log to include SSID, MAC address and channel information to help track when a network card changes access points (roams) during the logging
  • Fixed a crash in Vista/Win7 with long SSID names

V3.1 build 1003 18/November/2009

  • Fixed a crash that could occur in Windows7 and Vista when the OS reports a large number of network devices
  • Changed error message about missing network counters and will now automatically open the WirelessMon FAQ

V3.1 build 1002 25/September/2009

  • If WirelessMon is started and detects a Wi-Spy attached but the config option is not already selected WirelessMon will now prompt if you want to enable the Wi-Spy
  • Added the option to switch between a percentage display on the map scale or the dBm value (in map options). If the map is
    in access point mode or channel mode with no Wi-Spy the min/max values for the network card are displayed, if it is channel mode and a Wi-Spy is connected the appropriate Wi-Spy values are displayed.
  • Changed position of text for map scale to be to the left of the scale rather than being drawn on the colours of the scale
  • Changed black background around map (if image was smaller than the WirelessMon window) to a white background to allow for better viewing of the map scale
  • Updated Wi-Spy help page to contain more information about where the Wi-Spy data is used
  • Fixed a bug where the colour representing the signal level was incorrect when first adding a sample using the Wi-Spy in channel mode on the map tab (subsequent redraws used the correct value)
  • Fixed a possible crash when loading a project file if the map path was corrupted

V3.1 build 1001 1/September/2009

  • Made some changes when loading network counters for detected network cards
  • Fixed crash when adding access points to list on map tab
  • Fixed a bug where clicking the add all button in some cases could add duplicate entries

V3.1 build 1000 28/July/2009

  • Added support for MetagGeek Wi-Spy DBx, 2.4x and 2.4i devices. They can be used with the map tab in channel mode to get signal strengths for possible devices causing interference that don't show up as access points
  • Added channel mode to map tab, can display signal strengths based on channel rather than just access point
  • Added Wi-Spy mode to channel graph on summary tab showing the average and peak signals for the channels at that moment
  • Changed summary channel graph to use a drop down list for selecting different options
  • Added indication in summary list if access point is running in A, B, G or (Vista+ only) N mode
  • Improved speed of summary list updating
  • Removed most of the redraw flicker on summary tab after updating the list
  • Fixed a bug where some non-english versions of windows would report the "Could not find performance counters" error message
  • Fixed a bug in the interpolation function where it could sometimes use the wrong sample point (offset by 1) when calculating the average for interpolated values
  • Fixed a bug where WirelessMon could freeze during taking sample on the map tab
  • Fixed a crash that could occur on the graph tab when switching between access points and the current network card

V3.0 build 1002 21/July/2008

  • Added new boundary checks and warning messages when entering in GPS co-ordinates in DMS format
  • Updated help file with information about requirement of maps to be north aligned for correct calibration and mapping when using GPS co-ordinates
  • Fixed a bug where "Unable to move old config file.." error was shown when WirelessMon was installed on a different drive to the Windows system directories
  • Fixed a bug where some GPS messages were being read incorrectly and not updating the position

V3.0 build 1001 20/May/2008

  • Improved stability in Vista and Vista SP1
  • Fixed a crash when using the mapping and GPS function, if the GPS returned a 0 (no position) value a crash could occur when updating the last GPS position indicator on the map
  • Fixed a bug with the General options window having the window title incorrectly set
  • Fixed Tab order for connection manager dialog and access point connection dialog
  • Fixed an error message displayed about a missing Wirelessmon file when connecting to an access point in Vista
  • Fixed a bug where the saved connections file could be held open by WirelessMon
  • Fixed a bug with some supported rates not displaying correctly
  • Fixed a crash in Vista caused when the access point currently connected to went out of range

V3.0 build 1000 29/April/2008

  • Added full support for WPA connections in Windows XP
  • Added a connection manager to store and retrieve connection details and passwords
  • Added ability to connect correctly to AdHoc networks
  • Added a new graph type (with 3 view options) to the summary tab
  • Added option to show A networks for channel graph with radio button to switch between A and B/G
  • Added GPX output option for access point log
  • Changed mini window to use the selected palette when running in multi colour mode
  • Updated help file to newer HTML browser based format
  • Updated channel graph draw method to match new shaded graph type
  • Updated icons with "Vista" style icons
  • Fixed a bug in the graph tab where if an SSID was selected in the source drop down and new SSIDs were detected when on another tab an incorrect SSID would be selected when clicking back on the graph tab
  • Fixed a memory leak in the sample process
  • When loading a project file networks that were no longer in range displayed "Last seen" instead of "Last signal", this has been changed to be consistent with normal entries
  • Fixed a possible crash when loading project files
  • Fixed a bug with the logging options window where WirelessMon could prompt for a connect node log filename when this log was not selected
  • Fixed problem in Vista with SSIDs with the same name not displaying properly in list
  • Fixed crash caused when starting WirelessMon with no wireless network cards present
  • Fixed a bug that could prevent a timer from being created resulting in WirelessMon exiting and the error message "Could not start timer in update thread - exiting"

v2.1 build 1001 8/November/2007

  • Added option for Min and Max signals to allow dBm to percentage and vice versa calculations to be tweaked for different network cards. Also changed calculation of these values slightly
  • Fixed several crashes in vista
  • Fixed a bug where graphing the connected access point would show no signal
  • Fixed bug where clicking on a hexagon on the map tab would fill in the incorrect hexagon
  • Fixed bug where a hexagon could be filled in by clicking on an invalid part of the map display

v2.1 build 1000 18/October/2007

  • Config file has been moved to Application Data folder to be more Vista friendly
  • Added "connected" instead of "available" status and different color icon for connected access point in summary tab list
  • Added connection speed to summary screen
  • Added new option to load a new map if map is missing from project file, if map is the same map in a different location or a new map with the same dimensions then the samples in the project file wont be lost
  • Added interpolation function on the map tab to calculate signal strengths for blank areas of a signal strength map
  • Added reload cards button next to network card selection to reload the wireless cards in case configuration has changed
  • Added security method in use to Security column on summary tab for Vista if known
  • Changed behavior when loading a new map in the map options, if map is same size current samples are no longer reset
  • Changed sorting behavior slightly of access point list on summary tab and fixed a bug causing some columns to be sorted incorrectly
  • Fixed a crash in Vista that could occur when removing and adding USB wireless cards
  • Fixed bug when connecting to a SSID with a shorter name could leave old characters from the old name in the SSID description
  • Fixed bug where WirelessMon would try to auto-connect when an access point was open but SSID was hidden when selecting "Connect to access point". Now dialog will be displayed so SSID can be entered
  • Fixed a crash that could be caused by changing between available cards
  • Fixed some error messages when reconnecting to an access point after a resume
  • Fixed a bug where the wrong MAC address could be used when reconnecting after a resume
  • Fixed an error message when installing in Vista preventing WirelessMon from running at the end of the install process

v2.0 build 1013 17/May/2007

  • Added some changes to keep user interface more responsive when the network card is queried for information. Particularly noticeable in Windows Vista.

v2.0 build 1012 3/May/2007

  • Fixed memory leak in vista
  • Updated warning message about missing performance counters
  • Updated help file for location of the debug file in Vista
  • Fixed a bug where connecting to an access point in Vista with no MAC address could cause a crash
  • Fixed bug where using the minimise on startup and minimise to system tray options was always showing the mini window when WirelessMon was first started

v2.0 build 1011 26/March/2007

  • Fixed a bug where the 128 bit WEP key could be sent incorrectly.
  • Added more vista compatibility changes.

v2.0 build 1010 2/February/2007

  • Fixed a bug when getting the performance counters for some non-english versions of Windows
  • Fixed a bug with the signal strength map displaying the same (incorrect) color.
  • Fixed a bug with the map tab not automatically selecting the "All" option sometimes for the access points.

v2.0 build 1009 18/January/2007

  • Added support for GPRMC message for GPS units that don't support the GPGGA message.
  • Vista support, correct shutdown/startup of necessary wireless services, performance counters for network cards should be loaded correctly and WirelessMon should run at the appropriate administrator user level.
  • Fixed a crash caused when opening a new map that was a smaller size than a previous map

v2.0 build 1008 23/November/2006

  • Changed all references to “db” to correctly read “dBm”
  • Fixed a bug where WirelessMon would crash when closing after entering a professional key
  • Fixed a bug with the connected node log where some combinations of options had missing data fields
  • Fixed an error where non English version of Windows could not initialize the network counters properly

v2.0 build 1007 13/October/2006

  • Increased the number of network cards that WirelessMon can display in the Select Network Card drop down list from 4 to 12
  • Fixed a bug where SSIDs containing 32 characters caused a crash

V2.0 build 1006 29/September/2006

  • Added default tab to general options allowing a tab to be specified when WirelessMon starts
  • Some changes to the way the connected node log is written and some bug fixes

V2.0 build 1005 22/September/2006

  • Changed access point connection button so it will display the dialog even if no items are selected in the list
  • Fixed a bug where clicking on a hexagon repeatedly on the map tab was not recalculating the transparency correctly.
  • Fixed a bug where clicking on a hexagon while zoomed in or out on the map tab could select the wrong hexagon.
  • Fixed a bug where is there were no access points in the list the reported signal strength for the connected AP could be wrong.
  • Fixed a bug where if there was no connected access point a signal strength would still be shown for some network cards
  • Some more debugging information added.
  • Added more information to some error messages.

V2.0 Build 1004 1/September/2006

  • Fixed a bug with some radio buttons on the map options dialog
  • Fixed a bug where an unconverted GPS value could be logged
  • Added some extra debug log information

V2.0 Build 1003 3/July/2006

  • Fixed a bug where WirelessMon window could open offscreen and not be displayed.
  • Fixed a bug where .png files were not appearing when all supported image types was selected when loading a map.
  • Fixed a bug where some network cards weren't displaying the list of available access points.

V2.0 Build 1002 20/June/2006

  • Fixed a bug with non-english versions of Windows being unable to load network card performance counters correctly.
  • Added a new warning message when the gdiplus.dll is detected as missing and now opens a link to the Microsoft download page.
  • Fixed a bug where columns in the summary tab list view could disappear.

V2.0 Build 1001 13/June/2006

  • Fixed some display issue using high DPI settings
  • Column sizes on the summary tab should now be retained and not reset when resizing the main window
  • Mini window location will now be saved in the configuration file so it's position will be remembered between sessions
  • Fixed bug where clicking the "Show mini window" menu item would remove the WirelessMon icon from the system tray

V2.0 Build 1000 23/May/2006

Major version release

  • GPS support added
  • Redesigned user interface, added toolbar and menus, removed the buttons from the bottom of the window.
  • Ability to connect to an access point from within WirelessMon. Right click on an access point in the list on the summary tab and select the "Connect to AP" option from the menu.
  • New channel graph on summary tab showing the channel usage of all detected access points.
  • Graphs for "Signal strength (db) vs time" and "Signal strength percentage vs time" and can now be done based on access point rather than just network card.
  • WirelessMon window is now re-sizable.
  • Configuration tab has been removed and replaced with a Configuration menu. The new menu is in three sections of general, logging and map options.
  • Added "minimize on close" to the general options.
  • A Map tap has been added, this is for displaying an image and drawing a visual representations of sampled access point signal strengths. The samples can be taken by either clicking on the image or using GPS coordinates.
  • SSID filter list has been added the logging options. If something is entered in this list only SSIDs that match the contents of the list will be logged.
  • Added "MapPoint" format options to the access point log and connected node log. This will save these logs in a format ready to import into MapPoint.
  • Added a way to customize the color corresponding to signal strength for the graph on the summary tab and the display of signal strength on the map tab.

V1.0 Build 1004 16/June/2005

Patch release

  • Corrected an initialization bug related to Windows XP with no Service Packs applied.

V1.0 Build 1002 27/May/2005

Patch release

  • Improved the shutdown and startup of the Microsoft Wireless Configuration Service (wzcsvc). If wzcsvc is running when WirelessMon starts, wzcsvc must be shutdown by WirelessMon, however on exiting WirelessMon, wzcsvc was not fully returned to its initial state. This has been corrected.

V1.0 Build 1000 26/April/2005

First official release.