Information

This document coves Wi-Fi reception which can be a frequent customer issue. Since internet speed is a somewhat subjective issue it may be helpful to gather empirical data to help analyse the issue to use the rule of thumb values below to judge whether there is Wi-Fi reception issue.

Measurements

Two measurements are of interest here RSSI and Noise. The RSSI will be the most useful unless the case is marginal and there is also a lot of noise in the RF environment.

RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indication)
Measured in decibels (dBm -120 to 0 dBm). A figure closer to 0 is best and -120 weakest.

RSSI signal levels and indicative comment:
• RSSI < -90 dBm: signal extremely weak, at the edge of what a receiver can receive.
• RSSI -67dBm: moderate signal level.
• RSSI > -55dBm: very strong signal.
• RSSI > -30dBm: excellent signal, probably right next to Wi-Fi transmitter.

Noise (any signal or interference that is not Wi- Fi traffic such as cordless phones, microwaves) radar, etc.
Measured in decibels (dBm -120 to 0 dBm) a figure closest to -120 represents the least amount of noise, therefore values closer to 0 have less noise in them.

For practical purposes the RSSI is the most useful figure to work by though if the RSSI is good and there are still issues it may be helpful to look at the noise figure and calculate a signal to noise ratio.

Collecting data

1. Press and hold the option key and then left click the Wi-Fi symbol in the menu bar (top right).
2. A menu drop down will show details Wi-Fi status.
3. Make a note of the RSSI and Noise figures shown.