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In WiFi Explorer, you can quickly filter scan results to help diagnose or troubleshoot specific wireless networks or environments. There are many ways to filter scan results in WiFi Explorer, including filtering by keywords or specific network attributes. WiFi Explorer also offers advanced filter options such as pre-defined and custom filters, automatic filters, and keyboard shortcuts.

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Filter networks using keywords

You can filter networks by name (SSID), BSSID, channel, signal strength (RSSI), annotations, mode, vendor, access point name, band, country code, security, encryption type, or whether certain capabilities are supported using the Filter field.
  • To filter networks by name (SSID), annotations, vendor, or access point name, type the text in the Filter field. If you need to filter using an exact match, use quotation marks for the keywords, e.g., “ABC School.”
  • To filter networks by BSSID, type either :XX or XX: where XX is an octet of the BSSID. You can also extend the text with more octets (e.g. XX:XX, XX:XX:XX) to search for more specific BSSIDs.
  • To filter networks by signal strength (RSSI), type a comparison operator (<, >, <=, or >=) and the signal strength level in the Filter field. For example, to display only networks with a signal strength greater than or equal to -65 dBm, type >=-65. To use signal strength as a percentage, type >=50%.
You can also permanently filter and hide networks with weak signals by adjusting the scan operation’s sensitivity. To change the sensitivity, choose WiFi Explorer > Settings > General, then select the desired scan sensitivity level.
  • To filter networks by channel number, type the channel number in the Filter field. You can also specify ranges, for example, the filter 2-5 shows all networks on channels 2, 3, 4, or 5.
  • To filter networks by band, type the band (e.g., 2.4GHz, 2.4ghz, 24ghz, 5ghz, 6ghz) in the Filter field.
  • To filter networks by generation, use wifi4, wifi5, or wifi6.
  • To filter networks by mode, type the letter or letters that identify the mode: a, b, g, n, ac, ax, or be. You can also prefix the letter(s) with 802.11, 80211 or just 11. For example, type 11b to display only networks that support 802.11b, or ax to display only networks that support 802.11ax.
  • To filter networks by security or encryption type, enter the acronym for the security or encryption type in the Filter field. For example, type WPA2 to display only networks that are configured with WPA2.
  • To filter networks by capability, enter the capability in the Filter field. The following capabilities are supported: Wi-Fi Protected Setup (use wps) and BSS Fast Transition (use ft). For example, type wps to display only networks that support WPS.
  • To filter networks by hidden SSID, enter hidden in the Filter field.

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Filter networks using specific network attributes

You can also filter networks by specific attributes. These attributes map to available columns in WiFi Explorer and are identified with the prefix dot11.net., as shown in the table below. For example, to show only networks with a US country code, use the filter dot11.net.country_code == US.
Control-click a field in the Networks Table and choose Apply as Filter to filter by the selected network attribute or New Filter to create a new custom filter based on it. Control-click and press Option to choose Apply as Filter and Negate or New Filter and Negate to negate the selected filter.
If you filter only by the attribute name, for example, dot11.net.country_code, then only the networks that include this attribute are displayed.

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Compare values

You can use the following operators to compare values when filtering using network attributes:
If the value you’re comparing contains spaces, then you must use quotation marks. For example, dot11.net.ssid == “Guest Network”.
It is optional to include the units (MHz, GHz, dBm, etc.) when comparing numerical values. For example, the filter dot11.net.snr > 15 is equivalent to dot11.net.snr > “15 dB”.

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Combine multiple filters

You can combine filters using “OR” or “AND.” For example, if you want to filter networks so that only 2.4 GHz networks with a network name (SSID) starting with School are shown, use the filter 24ghz AND School. If you want to display only networks on channels 1, 6, or 11, use the filter 1 OR 6 OR 11.
You can use parenthesis to group filter expressions and change the order of evaluation of the OR and AND operators. For example, the filter (2.4GHz AND 40MHz) OR (5GHz AND 160MHz) will show 2.4 GHz networks using a 40 MHz channel width or 5 GHz networks using a 160 MHz channel width.

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Negate filters

You can negate a filter with “NOT.” For example, to list all networks that do not have the word School as part of their names, enter NOT School.

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See also