Network Master - Speed Test is a free app that doesn't just test speeds. It provides the user with a variety of ways to ensure their wi-fi connection is stable, reliable, and safe, and even allows the user to turn their phone into a mobile router, extending the range of a WiFi hotspot they're connected to so their friends can chat or their laptop can download a file. It even helps save on data.

A fully-featured wireless aide

As noted above, Network Master - Speed Test does a variety of things. It provides multiple monitors: two for bandwidth and one for security, with others that might count built into the app as well. For example, Network Master can see which of your apps is using the most data at one time, and allocate more of your bandwidth for downloads or games, so they're faster. It can also see how much data is being consumed by your apps, and provide a warning when you are reaching your data limit – as well as how much data is left with pinpoint accuracy. All of these features work as intended, as long as the user knows how to work them. The most obviously useful features, like the speed test or the security features, take very little know-how to start using, while the monitors and optimizers require more knowledge.

Just Austere Enough

As noted above, Network Master does a lot of things and monitors a lot of things. It accomplishes these by a set of separate features. To do one thing, you'll want the speed test; to do another thing, you'll want the bandwidth optimizer. This takes some getting used to, as each individual function is given its own space in the app. Ultimately, this is sensible, as any given user may have specific purposes in mind for the app, but it makes it much more of a toolbox than-a suite, neatly integrated together. It is also possible to cause some problems with Network Master: although the app is not malicious, it can for example be used to stop chat apps from using data in the background. Doing this can affect how the apps themselves work (in this example, preventing you from receiving messages in real-time unless the app is open), and may even break some apps depending on how they are made. It is important to be delicate with the app and not go overboard trying all of its features at once.

If you like WiFi, you want this

Overall, although Network Master - Speed Test has some flaws in what it allows the user to do, these flaws are inherent to the wireless connections it uses, and not something any app could reasonably be expected to remedy. Slowness resulting from the app's mobile router feature, for example, is due to the wireless traffic being routed through the user's device and then to the original access point being used. As long as the user doesn't expect miracles from Network Master, they won't be disappointed.