HttpWatch vs inSSIDer

HttpWatch is a Windows desktop tool for recording and examining browser network activity. It captures requests and responses to help analyze performance and diagnose website problems. The product works with Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge version 105 or later, on Windows 10 or later and Windows Server 2016 or later. Its logs include request headers, cookies, query strings, timing data, browser-cache activity, and console output. Logs can be saved as HWL files or exported as HAR, XML, or CSV. An automation interface and API collect performance data from automated website tests. HttpWatch also checks for potentially weak SSL configurations and certain cookie-security problems, including missing Secure or SameSite attributes. Suspected password fields are masked in saved logs. The free Basic Edition records activity but limits detailed information to certain sites. Paid licenses include one year of maintenance and priority support.

inSSIDer is Wi-Fi analysis software that visualizes nearby networks and helps show how they affect a local connection. For access points, it displays channel, channel width, signal strength, Wi-Fi generation, maximum data rate, and security. Its Channels Table shows channel occupancy to help users identify a relatively quiet option. The software can scan a local network for connected devices and identify the type and name of many of them. It also checks Wi-Fi configuration and describes what is working well, what could improve, and what needs fixing. The free download provides Wi-Fi scanning and visualization and requires a free Oscium account. MetaGeek Plus adds packet capture, RF spectrum analysis, network snapshots, client traffic analytics, cloud sync, and team collaboration; Plus features are currently Windows-only. The free scanner uses the Wi-Fi adapter in a Windows laptop, while inSSIDer is listed for Windows and macOS. A Wi-Fi scanner cannot directly see interference from non-Wi-Fi devices such as Bluetooth, microwaves, or cordless phones. MetaGeek Plus costs $200/yr.