Requirements
No app to install. Wireless Toolbox is used from the web browser already on your phone, tablet or computer. Connect to the device, open a page, and you are working.
Supported browsers
| Browser | Minimum | Runs on |
|---|---|---|
| Chrome | 87 or newer | Windows, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS, Android |
| Edge | 87 or newer | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android |
| Firefox | 85 or newer | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android |
| Safari | 14.1 or newer | macOS |
| Samsung Internet | 14 or newer | Android |
| iPhone & iPad | iOS / iPadOS 14.5 or newer | any browser — see below |
On Android, Chrome and Samsung Internet update themselves through the Play Store independently of the phone’s operating system, so an older handset is usually fine — it is the browser’s age that matters, not the phone’s.
On iPhone and iPad, the browser you choose does not matter. Apple requires every browser on iOS — Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Safari alike — to use Apple’s own engine, so what governs is the iOS version, not the browser’s version number. Installing a different browser on an old iPhone will not help; updating iOS will.
Placement and range
The Wireless Toolbox communicates with your phone or computer over Wi-Fi, and for some features it also connects to your own Wi-Fi network. Both links work best over a short distance.
- Your phone or computer and the Wireless Toolbox. Keep the phone or computer you are viewing on within about 30 feet (10 metres) of the Wireless Toolbox, ideally in the same room. Walls, floors and metal furniture shorten that distance. If the page is slow to update or loses contact, move closer.
- The Wireless Toolbox and your Wi-Fi access point. When a feature needs your own network, place the Wireless Toolbox within about 30 feet (10 metres) of your router or access point as well.
Most tools measure at the Wireless Toolbox itself, not at your phone or computer. Where you put the Wireless Toolbox is what the measurement describes; where you stand only affects how well you can see the results.
Floor Plan Survey is the exception: the Wireless Toolbox stays beside your router, and you carry the phone or computer around the space you are surveying.
Which features need your network
Most of the Wireless Toolbox works with no internet connection at all: Network Discovery, NetSurveyor, WifiSurveyor, Channel Performance, AirHORN, Touchstone-Pro, Signal Watchdog and Clear Waves.
These features need the Wireless Toolbox to be connected to your own Wi-Fi network:
| Feature | What it needs |
|---|---|
| Remote Monitoring | Your Wi-Fi network, with internet access |
| Checking for and installing updates | Your Wi-Fi network, with internet access |
| Emailing a diagnostics report to support | Your Wi-Fi network, with internet access |
| First-time setup | Your Wi-Fi network, with internet access, once |
| Floor Plan Survey | Your Wi-Fi network. It measures that network, so internet access is not required |
Also worth knowing
- JavaScript must be enabled. The measurement displays are live and update as the device works.
- Any screen from about 360 px wide — every current phone, in portrait.
- One client device (i.e. phone / PC) at a time. The Wireless Toolbox appliance serves a single phone or computer; a second user would see an “In Use” warning until the first finishes. This is deliberate: the measurements are of one radio, and two users driving the appliance would get conflicting results.
- On your client device (i.e. phone / PC) browse to
http://toolbox.local(rather than typing an IP address) to access the Wireless Toolbox’s main menu. - Portable power for mobility. To use the Wireless Toolbox away from a power outlet, power the appliance with a portable battery pack, such as those available from Adafruit or Vilros. Expect around 6 hours of runtime per charge, depending on the battery pack and connected devices.
- Use the supplied USB extension cable and dock for the external Wi-Fi adapter. Connect the adapter using the USB extension cable and dock that shipped with your device, and plug the cable into the appliance’s black USB 2.0 port.
- Do not use a USB hub. The appliance does not provide sufficient USB power for multiple devices connected through a hub.
- Shut down before disconnecting power. Select Shutdown at the bottom of the main menu’s three-dot (kebab) menu and allow the system to shut down before unplugging the appliance. To power-cycle the appliance, disconnect the power cord, then reconnect it to turn the appliance back on. After reconnecting power, allow approximately 2 minutes for the boot process to complete.