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MEASURE WIFI SIGNAL STRENGTH HOW TO
To get a better idea as to where your WiFi is underperforming and how you can fix it, follow the steps below on how to both check and test your WiFi signal strength. A weak WiFi signal- when left unfixed- can lead to the dropouts, slower speeds, and unreliable connection that we could all use a bit less of nowadays, especially if you’re working from home. And read about the science of wi-fi.If your WiFi has been an added source of frustration lately with longer load times or dropped Zoom calls, your WiFi signal strength is likely the issue.
MEASURE WIFI SIGNAL STRENGTH MAC
Mac connects to the wrong wi-fi network? Learn how to give your network priority. If you find you need to do this frequently, you might need to move closer to the router. Just click the wi-fi menu and Turn Wi-Fi Off. Having trouble? Sometimes the quickest way to solve a problem is disconnecting and reconnecting. If moving closer gives you both higher internet speeds and/or Tx rates, you’ll need to address the wi-fi situation, not the internet provider. If the test site shows 5 mbps and your Tx rate is 5 mbps, the ISP can’t help you because your internal network is at fault. Confirm this by moving closer to the wi-fi router and test again. So if the speed test site shows only 5 mbps and your wi-fi Tx rate is 250 mbps, you’re getting a strong wi-fi signal but the modem isn’t up-to-speed. Your speed is affected by what the ISP (Comcast, CenturyLink) delivers to your building at the modem, and also the internal wired or wi-fi connection between the modem and your computer or device. What about internet speed tests? Sites like Flash), the better simple your internet speed. All modern Apple equipment can use 802.11ac or 802.11n, so if a particular network never offers them it’s time to get a new router. 802.11b is primitive wi-fi from the early 2000s. If you see 802.11g, there are either too many obstructions between you and the wi-fi router, you’re too far away, or your computer or router are over 6 years old. PHY mode – 802.11ac is the latest & fastest type, although this matters most when you’re doing computer-to-computer transfers within the building.It can be as high as 1300 mbps in ideal conditions. If you’re transferring files from one computer to another or backing up over wi-fi, we’d like the Tx rate to be closer to 600 mbps. When the number falls below your internet provider’s speed, you’re not able to get the speed you’re paying for and it’s not the ISP’s fault. We’d expect this to be at least 200 mbps. Transmission (Tx) rate – your speed to the router (circled in the screenshot).Lower than 25 results in poor (slow) connections. For example, 80 – 35 = 45 is excellent SNR. Take the noise level and subtract the RSSI. Signal to Noise ratio – not shown but it’s easy to calculate.Or see if you can get your neighbors to change their channels to a channel at least 3 channels higher or lower than yours. If possible, have your wi-fi router changed to channel 36 or higher. Eliminating interference will help lower this number. –80 is a good noise level –40 may not be. We want less noise, so a lower negative number. Moving closer to the router should give you a stronger signal. –35 is a good signal strength while –75 would be poor. This is a negative number, so closer to zero is stronger. It’s OK to use a low-channel (below 36) once in a while but you shouldn’t have to rely on it every day. Newer wi-fi routers support multiple channels simultaneously, so your device could connect with one channel or another depending on signal strength. The channel is determined by the wi-fi router so you may need help changing it. These channels are prone to interference from other nearby wi-fi systems, microwave ovens and others. Channel – channels 1–11 use the older 2.4 GHz frequencies, which can travel farther but result in slower connections.Don’t use a neighbor’s or a public or Xfinity wi-fi channel – they may not be secure or provide access to printers, computers, iPhones & other devices on your own network. Be sure your own network is checked here. To check your wi-fi signal, hold the option key as you click the wi-fi menu in the upper-right corner. You’ll see information that can help diagnose any issues.
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