How Much Wi-Fi Signal Is 'Good Enough' in dBm

🔧Step-by-Step Fixes

Understanding dBm Measurements

Let's start with what dBm actually means and why it seems backwards:

What Is dBm?

• dBm = decibels relative to one milliwatt of power
• It measures radio signal power as received by your device
• Always a negative number for Wi-Fi because your device receives less power than was transmitted
• Closer to 0 is stronger - think of it as measuring signal loss, not signal strength
• Logarithmic scale - each 3 dBm change represents a doubling or halving of power

The Wi-Fi Signal Strength Scale

Here's what different dBm values mean in practice:

-30 dBm to -50 dBm: Excellent

• Maximum performance - you'll get the fastest speeds your router can deliver
• Perfect for: 4K streaming, large file downloads, video calls, online gaming
• Typical location: Same room as router, within 10-15 feet with clear line of sight
• Bars showing: 4 out of 4 bars

-50 dBm to -60 dBm: Very Good

• Still excellent performance - minor speed reduction, usually not noticeable
• Perfect for: Everything - streaming, gaming, video calls, browsing
• Typical location: One room away or 15-30 feet from router
• Bars showing: 3-4 out of 4 bars

-60 dBm to -67 dBm: Good

• Solid performance - you'll notice slightly slower speeds compared to closer to the router
• Good for: HD streaming (1080p), web browsing, email, social media, casual gaming
• May struggle with: 4K streaming, competitive gaming, large downloads
• Typical location: Two rooms away or 30-50 feet with some walls
• Bars showing: 3 out of 4 bars

-67 dBm to -70 dBm: Okay/Fair

• Adequate for basic use - noticeably slower than being near the router
• Good for: Web browsing, email, SD streaming (480p), light app use
• Struggles with: HD streaming, video calls (may drop quality), gaming, simultaneous users
• Typical location: Far side of house or different floor from router
• Bars showing: 2-3 out of 4 bars

-70 dBm to -80 dBm: Poor

• Minimal usable performance - frequent buffering and slowdowns
• Can handle: Basic web browsing, email (slowly), minimal video streaming
• Struggles with: Almost everything - streaming will buffer, downloads are slow, pages take time to load
• Typical location: Edge of house, basement, or behind major obstacles
• Bars showing: 1-2 out of 4 bars

-80 dBm to -90 dBm: Unusable

• Barely connected - may show connected but nothing will load
• Frequent disconnections and timeouts
• Typical location: Beyond your property or with extreme interference
• Bars showing: 1 bar or disconnected

How to Check Your Wi-Fi Signal Strength

On Windows:

1. Open Command Prompt
2. Type: netsh wlan show interfaces
3. Look for the line that says "Signal"
4. It will show a percentage (translate: 100% = -30 dBm, 50% ≈ -75 dBm, 25% ≈ -85 dBm)
5. For exact dBm, use a third-party app like NetSpot or inSSIDer

On Mac:

1. Hold the Option key
2. Click the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar
3. Look for "RSSI: -XX dBm" (RSSI = Received Signal Strength Indicator)

On iPhone:

1. iPhone doesn't show dBm natively
2. Download a Wi-Fi analyzer app like "Airport Utility" (enable Wi-Fi Scanner in settings) or "Network Analyzer"
3. These apps show signal strength in dBm

On Android:

1. Download a Wi-Fi analyzer app (many free options)
2. Popular choices: "WiFi Analyzer," "Network Analyzer," "WiFiman"
3. These show real-time dBm readings

What Signal Strength You Need for Different Activities

Streaming Video:

• 4K streaming: -50 dBm or better
• 1080p HD: -60 dBm or better
• 720p: -67 dBm or better
• SD (480p): -70 dBm might work

Video Calls:

• HD video calls (Zoom, Teams): -60 dBm or better
• Standard video calls: -67 dBm or better
• Audio-only calls: -70 dBm usually fine

Online Gaming:

• Competitive gaming: -55 dBm or better (consistency matters more than raw strength)
• Casual gaming: -65 dBm or better

Web Browsing and Email:

• Fast, responsive: -60 dBm or better
• Acceptable: -70 dBm

Why Signal Strength Varies

Your signal strength changes constantly based on:

Distance:

• Signal drops roughly 6-8 dBm for every doubling of distance
• 20 feet away might be -45 dBm, 40 feet might be -53 dBm

Obstacles:

• Drywall: -3 to -5 dBm loss per wall
• Wooden door: -4 to -6 dBm
• Brick wall: -10 to -15 dBm
• Concrete/metal: -15 to -25 dBm (can be nearly impenetrable)
• Floors: -10 to -15 dBm per floor

Interference:

• Neighbor Wi-Fi networks on the same channel
• Bluetooth devices, microwaves, wireless cameras
• Baby monitors and cordless phones (2.4 GHz band)

Frequency Band:

• 2.4 GHz: Longer range, better wall penetration, but slower speeds
• 5 GHz: Faster speeds but shorter range and worse wall penetration
• 6 GHz (Wi-Fi 6E): Fastest but shortest range

How to Improve Your Signal Strength

Immediate Fixes:

1. Move closer to the router - obvious but effective
2. Reposition your router - central location, elevated, away from walls and metal
3. Change Wi-Fi channels to avoid neighbor interference (use a Wi-Fi analyzer app to find the least crowded channel)
4. Switch to 5 GHz band if you're close to the router (faster speeds with less interference)
5. Update router firmware - sometimes improves transmit power and efficiency

Long-term Solutions:

• Add a mesh Wi-Fi system or additional access points for whole-home coverage
• Upgrade to a newer router - Wi-Fi 6 has better range and handling of multiple devices
• Use ethernet for stationary devices - gaming consoles, smart TVs, desktop computers
• Install Wi-Fi extenders in problem areas (mesh systems are better but extenders are cheaper)