What is a good RSSI Signal Strength and Can it be Affected by Interference?

What is a good RSSI Signal Strength and Can it be Affected by Interference? 

Keyword: What is a good RSSI signal strength?

Description: What is a good RSSI signal strength? Can it be affected by interference? And what is the difference between RSSI and dBm? We will discuss everything in detail in this article.

What is a good RSSI signal strength? Can it be affected by interference? And what is the difference between RSSI and dBm? We will discuss everything in detail in this article.

What is a Good RSSI Signal Strength? 

A good RSSI signal strength depends on your needs and the type of wireless network you are using. Generally, the higher the RSSI value, the better the signal quality and the faster the data rates. However, different devices and manufacturers may have different scales and interpretations of RSSI values, so it is not a universal or absolute measure of signal strength.

According to some sources, here are some common ranges of RSSI values and their meanings:

RSSI < -90 dBm: this signal is extremely weak, at the edge of what a receiver can receive. You may experience poor performance, slow speeds, or dropped connections.

RSSI -90 dBm to -80 dBm: this signal is very weak, and may not be reliable enough for most applications. You should try to improve your signal strength by moving closer to the router or access point, or using an extender or repeater.

RSSI -80 dBm to -70 dBm: this signal is weak, but still usable for some applications. You may experience some interference, packet loss, or reduced data rates.

RSSI -70 dBm to -67 dBm: this signal is fair, and suitable for most applications that require reliable and timely delivery of data packets, such as VoIP, video streaming, or online gaming.

RSSI -67 dBm to -30 dBm: this signal is good to excellent, and can support high data rates and performance. You should have no issues with your wireless connection.

RSSI > -30 dBm: this signal is too strong, and may indicate that your device is too close to the router or access point. This can cause saturation or distortion of the signal, and reduce your performance. You should move your device further away from the router or access point.

Can Interference Affect RSSI? 

Since we already know “what is a good RSSI signal strength” we can learn about whether it can be affected by interference. And the straight answer is, yes. Interference can affect RSSI in several ways. Interference is any unwanted signal that overlaps with the desired signal and makes it harder to decode or receive. Interference can come from various sources, such as other Wi-Fi networks, Bluetooth devices, microwave ovens, cordless phones, or radio transmitters.

Here are some ways in which interference can affect RSSI:

Increasing the overall signal power at the receiver, but not the desired signal power. This means that the RSSI value of the total received signal (desired + interference) will be higher than the RSSI value of the desired signal alone. However, this does not mean that the signal quality or performance is better because the interference also increases the noise and distortion in the signal.

Reducing the signal-to-interference ratio (SIR), which is a measure of how much stronger the desired signal is than the interference. A lower SIR means that the interference is more dominant and can interfere with the decoding or reception of the desired signal. A lower SIR can result in lower data rates, higher packet loss, or dropped connections.

Causing frequency or channel overlap, which means that the desired signal and the interference are using the same or adjacent frequency bands or channels. This can create more congestion and collision in the wireless medium, and reduce the available bandwidth and throughput for the desired signal.

What is the difference between RSSI and dBm? 

RSSI and dBm are both measures of signal strength, but they have different scales and meanings. RSSI is a relative index that varies depending on the chipset manufacturer, and it can range from 0 to 255 or 0 to 127. The higher the RSSI value, the stronger the signal. dBm is an absolute measure of signal power in milliwatts, and it is a logarithmic scale. The closer to 0 dBm, the better the signal is. To convert between RSSI and dBm, you need to know the RSSI maximum value and the formula for each chipset.

Wrap Up 

Learning about RSSI is like having advanced knowledge about your Wi-Fi connectivity. It helps you understand the Wi-Fi signal on a deeper level. We have discussed what is a good RSSI signal strength and how it can be affected by interference in this article. Hope you have learned some useful information from this.