Mode Wi Fi networks

Wi-Fi networks: the access points around you, from the beacons they broadcast.

Group	IoT & sensors
Default frequency	2437 MHz
Default sample rate	20 Msps
In the mode list	Beacons, 2.4 GHz

Step-by-step: Tutorial-Wi-Fi-networks

What Wi-Fi networks is

Wi-Fi access points announce themselves in beacon frames. OnAir lists the networks like a phone does, from the beacons alone.

Frequencies and settings

2.4 GHz access point beacons on channels 1 - 13 (802.11b DSSS, 1 Mbit/s DBPSK, Barker-11), one channel at a time or hopping, 20 Msps.

Setting	Value
Start frequency	2437 MHz
Tuning range of the mode table	2400 to 2500 MHz
Sample rate asked	20 Msps
Lowest working rate	20 Msps
Channel width	20 MHz

OnAir takes any frequency you type; the numbers above are the mode's starting point and the range its table describes. In the app the shortcut label is Beacons, 2.4 GHz.

What OnAir shows

What a phone's Wi-Fi list shows: SSID (hidden networks as hidden), BSSID with the vendor, channel, security (open, WEP, WPA, WPA2, WPA3, enterprise), supported rates, beacon interval, level history and last seen, and a beacon log. Passive: only beacons and probe responses are read; data frames are counted, never decoded; it never transmits, probes or joins. Access points that beacon only at OFDM rates (802.11g / n only) are not heard.

The mode's own tab has these screens: Networks, Beacons. The other tabs (Overview, Receiver, Scan, History) are described on the Main window page.

Tips and caveats

• Checked with generated signals and impairments; recordings of real signals welcome.
• Which radio: No: this mode needs a radio that samples at 20 Msps or more, and an RTL-SDR reaches about 2.4 Msps.
• Try it without a radio: most modes include a built-in synthetic test signal, so you can open the screen and try the controls first.
• Receiving and the law: This mode is passive. It only receives, never connects, pairs or joins networks, and never decrypts payloads. Check the rules where you live. See Legal.

Related pages

• All modes, IoT & sensors
• Supported radios, Troubleshooting, FAQ
• More in IoT & sensors: ISM sensors, LoRaWAN, Meshtastic, MeshCore, Bluetooth LE, Zigbee / 802.15.4, Wi-Fi HaLow (802.11ah), ANT+ sensors, DECT cordless phones, Wi-SUN FAN, LoRa (raw)