Wireless signal strength tips

[Markverhyden]

This is from Metageek, the company who provides inSSIDer, Wi-Spy and other great tools. It discusses the various signal measurements reported and what they mean, with some tips and tricks. You'll also see other links related to the WiFi ecosystem. Good info for someone starting out with WiFi networking and devices.

https://www.metageek.com/training/resources/wifi-signal-strength-basics.html

 

[Diggs]

...and for those that haven't discovered it yet I like to use WiFi Analyzer on my Android (only) phone for a quick look at WiFi networks and strengths when onsite.

@ add - I should mention because it's not obvious but if you touch on the upper left corner outside the graph (above the -30) it will switch between 2.4G and 5G. I've know people that have had it for a very long time and complain it doesn't do 5G - heh.

 

[nerd2u]

The problem I have always found with doing Wi-Fi signal analyzing has been the Db level you get back is very subjective to the device being used to run the testing.

 

[Diggs]

The problem I have always found with doing Wi-Fi signal analyzing has been the Db level you get back is very subjective to the device being used to run the testing.

Agreed! But it's nice to see at a glance what WiFi networks are present (including printers) and the actual SSID of those networks and what channel they are on. Signal strength is subjective and relative.

 

[HCHTech]

for a quick look at WiFi networks and strengths when onsite

We use this to do onsite surveys to judge where new APs are needed. Even though the strengths detected are device dependent, it's still a good relative scale. You can see where the signal drops off, where it increases, where a neighbor's AP on the same channel has a stronger signal, etc. My only complaint on this usage is that you have to stand and wait several seconds at any particular spot for the graph to update / settle down if you are using the graph with the parabolas of all detected networks - it isn't instantaneous. Seems to be worse when there are a lot of detected networks, which makes sense I guess.

There used to be an IOS version but Apple kicked them out of the store - I assume for looking like a hacker tool.

 

[Markverhyden]

The problem I have always found with doing Wi-Fi signal analyzing has been the Db level you get back is very subjective to the device being used to run the testing.

True. Antennas are a huge part of the equation. But I don't rely on absolute DB values that much. As long as the survey is done using the same device that's valuable. My preference is to use a laptop. But I also use mobile devices as well as they are so much more common these days.

 

[Diggs]

My only complaint on this usage is that you have to stand and wait several seconds at any particular spot for the graph to update / settle down

Remember you can change the scan interval in the settings but it's set to the second fastest by default I think.