Glossary  >  Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI)

Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI)

Noun

Definition of Received Signal Strength Indicator: Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) is a performance metric used to indicate the strength of the signal your phone is getting from your carrier’s cell tower, and whether it’s strong enough to support a good wireless connection.

RSSI is measured in decibel-milliwatts (dBm) from 0 to -120 dBm, where values closer to 0 indicate better signal quality. For example, if your phone receives -60 dBm, then you have good reception. However, if your RSSI is around -110 dBm, then you probably need to invest in a cell phone signal booster.

Signal Strength Rating Description
-30 dBm Amazing This is the max achievable signal quality. This is only possible when the client is next to the AP.
-67 dBm Very good Minimum acceptable quality for reliable and timely delivery of packets.
-70 dBm Okay Minimum signal quality for consistent packet delivery.
-80 dBm Poor Minimum signal quality for basic connectivity. Unreliable packet delivery.
-90 dBm Unusable Little usability, if any.

Example of Received Signal Strength Indicator in a sentence

"Higher received signal strength indicator figures denote good performance over Wi-Fi."

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