Make the AirPort menulet reveal more

The AirPort menulet in Mac OS X Leopard provides convenient access to wireless network information. You can turn Apple AirPort on or off, view and connect to nearby wireless networks or access your Mac’s wireless network options. But did you know you could make the AirPort menulet reveal additional Wi-Fi details? Here’s how.

The next time you wish a quick peek at your Wi-Fi settings, there’s no need to run the Apple AirPort Utility. The AirPort menulet, like so many other Mac menus, will toggle “hidden” menu items when you Option+Click instead of just Click.

current wireless connection

Opening the AirPort menulet with a Click will show the name of the current wireless connection, along with a checkmark indicating an active connection.

But when you open the AirPort menulet with Option+Click instead, then the following additional details will display beneath the name of the current wireless network.

• MAC address (AirPort ID)
• Channel frequency
• Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI)
• Transmit Rate

nearby wireless connections

Opening the AirPort menulet with a Click displays the names of any nearby wireless networks but no extra information is revealed when the mouse is hovered over the network names.

But if you open the AirPort menulet with Option+Click, then hovering your mouse over the names of nearby wireless networks or the current wireless connection will reveal the RSSI and the type of wireless security used.