ST. LOUIS – A Saint Louis University professor and a doctoral student have launched an app to help everyday users manage their wireless networks and learn about cybersecurity.

Flavio Esposito, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Computer Science at SLU, and his doctoral student Alessandro Sangiorgi launched WeeNet, a comprehensive network utility application for Android, earlier this fall. The free app, the first from the duo’s Spaghetti Code Lab LLC, has had more than 5 million downloads since its launch.

WeeNet addresses crucial network-related questions such as unauthorized Wi-Fi access, network security assessment, slow network performance, wireless network reachability issues, and verifying network speeds provided by ISPs.

“Many times, the Wi-Fi will get slow and people don’t know why so they blame their computer, their phones, or they blame their Internet provider,” Esposito said. “Our app will identify potential efficiency and network security issues.”

Features of the WeeNet app include:

• Scanning nearby wireless networks with filter options.
• Graphical display of occupied channels by nearby wireless networks.
• Scanning all devices connected to local networks with details like Hostname, MAC, and IP addresses.
• Network Speed test for checking download and upload speeds.
• Wake On Lan, Ping, TraceRoute, Port Scanning.
• WHOIS and DNS lookups, Custom Subnet and VPN hosts scanning.
• Diagnosis of Wireless Access Points for security and interference.

Watch an explainer video of the app’s features 

“This app is useful for those who already have a basis in network security, but it also educates users who want to learn more about keeping their data secure,” Sangiorgi said. “It will show you how to make your Wi-Fi more secure.”

Esposito said working with Ph.D. students that also have an entrepreneurial mindset is great, since there are many opportunities to connect with local business advisors and innovation hubs in St. Louis.

“Transitioning research to practice with mobile apps is different from other research areas, for example in clinical trials, where you need years of testing before you can share your product with the public,” Esposito said. “We can continue to test and polish the features while millions of people download the app – it’s a fun way to bring research to life.”

Both Esposito and Sangiorgi had launched mobile applications before. This is their first app together as “Spaghetti Code Lab.” The duo met in 2018 when Sangiorgi visited SLU while working on his master’s thesis. The pair stayed connected and Sangiorgi enrolled at SLU as a doctoral candidate in January. 

Sangiorgi said the supportive team in Esposito’s lab works well together in and outside the lab, creating a positive workspace.

“This is why I get up in the morning,” Esposito said. “It’s the dream of every faculty member to be able to work with great minds and see new approaches from students. We will continue to build cybersecurity educational apps to teach ethical hacking for the greater good.”

About Saint Louis University

Founded in 1818, Saint Louis University is one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious Catholic institutions. Rooted in Jesuit values and its pioneering history as the first university west of the Mississippi River, SLU offers more than 15,200 students a rigorous, transformative education of the whole person. At the core of the University’s diverse community of scholars is SLU’s service-focused mission, which challenges and prepares students to make the world a better, more just place. For more information, visit slu.edu.