.WDMON File

A WDMON file contains Wi-Fi performance scan results captured by Wireless Diagnostics, an app bundled with macOS used to analyze a user's network performance. It stores information about the connection of a network to the Internet, which includes the data transfer rate and signal quality, over a specified period of time.

WDMON file open in Apple Wireless Diagnostics 1

Users typically utilize Wireless Diagnostics when they are experiencing difficulties performing Internet-related tasks, such as browsing the web, streaming content, or sending and receiving emails while connected to a Wi-Fi router. After collecting network performance data with Wireless Diagnostics, a user can analyze the data himself or share the results with an IT specialist.

The information stored in a WDMON file is displayed as a graph in Wireless Diagnostics. It includes measurements of the following types of information:

• Rate - Transmission rate over time in megabits per second (Mbps).
• Quality - Signal-to-noise ratio over time in decibels (dB), with lower quality numbers resulting in devices disconnecting from the router.
• Signal - Signal (RSSI) and noise measurements over time, with high signal and low noise measurements indicating optimal performance.

To create a WDMON file with Wireless Diagnostics follow these steps:

After closing the window the WDMON file will appear on the desktop.

[YYYY.MM.DD_HH-MM-SS-TZA].wdmon - A WDMON file is named according to the time in which it is created. For example, a WDMON file saved at 1:13:43pm on July 10, 2020 in the Central Daylight Time (CDT) zone will be named 2020.07.10_13-13-43-CDT.wdmon.

How do I open a WDMON file?

You can only open WDMON data files with Apple Wireless Diagnostics in macOS. To open a WDMON file with Wireless Diagnostics, select File → Open. Alternatively, you can also double-click the WDMON file and it will open automatically in Wireless Diagnostics if the file type is associated with the program.