Scan Wi-Fi networks with iw (the modern wireless tool)
Use iw — the successor to the deprecated iwconfig — to see SSIDs, channels, and signal strength of nearby networks.
Run `sudo iw dev wlan0 scan | grep -E 'SSID:|signal:|freq:'` to list nearby networks with signal strength and frequency.
01Command
Command
$ sudo iw dev wlan0 scan | grep -E 'SSID:|signal:|freq:'02What it does
iwconfig belongs to the removed wireless-tools stack; `iw dev DEV scan` is the nl80211-native way to enumerate nearby APs. The raw output includes everything — supported rates, security suites, AP MACs — so grepping for SSID, signal (dBm, closer to 0 is stronger), and freq narrows it to what matters. Find your interface name first with `iw dev` (bare), and note a scan momentarily pauses an active association on that card.
03Risk
04Undo
✓No undo needed — this command does not change persistent state.
05Sources
- iw(8) — show / manipulate wireless devices and their configurationEvidence: Documents `iw dev DEV scan` to scan for available networks and report frequency, signal, and SSID.
Last verified: 2026-09-17 · Category: Network