Introduction to Network Survey
Network Survey is a free, open source Android app for surveying wireless networks. Walk or drive around and it records what the phone’s radios see, with every record stamped with where you were. Network engineers use it to check coverage, RF teams use it for site surveys, and hobbyists use it to learn how the networks around them work.
How it works
Section titled “How it works”You run one survey at a time, with one Start survey and one Stop survey on the Survey tab. Before you start, you answer two questions on the same screen:
- What should it survey? Pick the record types.
- Where should the data go? Turn on one or more destinations.
Every destination you turn on gets the same record types, as long as it can take them. The app has four tabs: Survey, Signals (live Cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GNSS views), Map, and More (destinations, tools and Settings). See Finding your way around.
What it records
Section titled “What it records”| Record type | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Cellular | Serving and neighbor cells: GSM, CDMA, UMTS, LTE and 5G NR |
| Phone state | What the radio is doing. On by default whenever Cellular is |
| Wi-Fi | Access points nearby |
| Bluetooth | Classic and BLE devices |
| GNSS | Satellites. Uses the most battery |
| Call records | Calls and tower changes, plus texts in the CDR build (see below) |
For technical details, see the Network Technologies overview.
Where the data can go
Section titled “Where the data can go”| Destination | What it does |
|---|---|
| Log files | CSV files on this phone, one file per record type (one per technology for cellular) plus device status |
| NS Analytics | Uploads to your team’s NS Analytics workspace |
| MQTT stream | Streams live records to an MQTT broker you choose |
| gRPC stream | Streams live records to a gRPC server |
| Community databases | Contributes cellular records to OpenCelliD and BeaconDB, and Wi-Fi records to BeaconDB |
Call records only go to Log files. The Community databases only take Cellular and Wi-Fi.
Two builds
Section titled “Two builds”Network Survey comes in two builds. They differ in tracking and in what call records can include:
- The Google Play build (also called “regular”) includes Firebase Analytics and Crashlytics. Its call records cover calls and tower changes, but not text messages (SMS and MMS) or the other party’s phone number, because Google Play does not allow the permissions those need.
- The CDR build has no Firebase or other tracking libraries, and its call records can also include text messages (SMS and MMS) and the other party’s phone number, once you allow the extra permissions it asks for.
Installation lists which build each store carries. Build variants has the details.
Privacy
Section titled “Privacy”Survey records stay on the phone unless you turn on a destination that sends them somewhere else: NS Analytics, an MQTT or gRPC stream, or the Community databases. The Map tab downloads map tiles and tower locations over the internet. The Google Play build also sends crash reports and usage analytics to Firebase; the CDR build does not. See the Privacy Policy for the full picture.
What’s next?
Section titled “What’s next?”- New to the app? Install it, then go through first run and your first survey.
- Coming from version 1.x? Read Upgrading from 1.x.
- Questions? Check the FAQ.