A quick question about my workflow.
Can I start a project in NetSpot for Android and then continue working on it in the desktop version? I just want to make sure I understand this correctly. So, if I conduct a survey in the free Android version, will I be able to export the project and open it later in the licensed desktop version of NetSpot? Or do I still need to purchase the Android version first?
Yes — you can do the survey on free NetSpot for Android, export the project, and then open it in NetSpot Home / Pro / Enterprise on desktop, where you continue the analysis.
@Ok-Image6120 And one more thing: if I scan on Android and then open the project on desktop, will all the desktop heatmaps still be available there, or only the Android ones?
yes, once the project is on desktop, you’re working with the desktop version’s heatmap set, not just whatever Android shows on the phone.
You shouldn’t compare NetSpot on Android and PC as direct competitors. They simply have different purposes:
The Android version is a data collection tool. It’s convenient for walking around the room and measuring signal strength.
The desktop version (PC) is the analytics center. It processes the project, creates detailed heat maps, and conducts in-depth analysis.
@man_from_Dallas Great, thanks! This is exactly what I needed clarification on. I really didn’t want to walk around the entire site with my smartphone, only to find I’d gotten myself into a bind and couldn’t analyze anything properly on my computer.
Oh, I almost forgot to add that the graphs on your computer are generated only based on the data actually collected during the measurement. Exporting a project from an Android device will not create measurements that weren’t originally recorded. Therefore, maps such as signal strength, SNR, SIR, download speed, frequency coverage, QoAP, secondary signal strength, wireless transmission speed, and related troubleshooting visualizations will be displayed. However, maps such as download speed, noise level, PHY mode coverage, high noise level, low download speed, and iPerf-related visualizations will not be available if the data was collected on an Android device.
@man_from_Dallas I’d just like to correct this slightly: Android is now far from just a “data collector”. If you have the paid version of the app, you can view the baseline heatmaps (signal level, SNR, and SIR) directly on your phone screen without downloading them to your computer. Plus, the Android version features a Planning Mode. This means you can virtually place access points directly on your smartphone and estimate the resulting signal and interference coverage (SIR).
But if we’re talking specifically about the free Android workflow, then yes — it’s fair to treat it mostly as a convenient data collection step.