Signal strength

How it is used

Used by engineers and users alike: weak signal strength, full bars. Engineers measure signal strength in site surveys and check RSSI values in logs. Strong signal alone isn't enough; interference and noise also affect quality.

Example sentences

1. Signal strength in the basement is around -85 dBm, which is too weak for video calls.

2. The site survey showed good signal strength everywhere except the stairwells.

Common collocations

• weak signal strength
• measure signal strength
• signal strength in dBm
• improve signal strength
• site survey

Related terms

• Wi-FiThe common name for wireless local networks based on the IEEE 802.11 standards, which connect devices to a network by radio, mainly in the 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz bands.
• access pointA device, usually mounted on a ceiling or wall, that sends and receives Wi-Fi signals and connects wireless devices to the wired network.
• interferenceUnwanted radio signals that disturb a wireless connection, coming from other access points, neighbouring networks, microwave ovens or other devices that use the same frequencies.
• base stationThe radio equipment and antennas, usually on a mast or rooftop, that connect mobile phones and other devices in a particular area to an operator's mobile network.
• attenuationThe gradual loss of signal strength as a signal travels along a cable or through the air, measured in decibels (dB), often per kilometre for fibre.

More terms: Wireless and Mobile Networks

• SSID
• 5G
• roaming
• handover