Class 11 Assignment - Report Your WiFi Signal Strength In Dbm

Multiple AP's here at work so I couldn't go too far...

Is there a mobile app that can act as a Wi-Fi signal strength / dBm meter?

I am using 2 wi-fi analyzers to compare the products on SSID Digital1.  We are using an Ubiquitis system to upload video from our vehicles.

Xirrus and NetSpot are the 2 wifi-analyzers

The distance between vehicle #1 and vehicle #7 is 117 feet with trees in line of sight to vehicle #7. Distance from Ubiquitis antenna to vehicle #1 is approx. 250 feet ground to roof.

Vehicle #1

Vehicle #7

Conclusion:

From these reading of signal strength comparing location vehicle #1 to vehicle #2

#1 at -59dBm and #7 -58dBm and -55dBm there is no significant issue of signal strength between these vehicles and their approx. location to antenna.

What I can take away from this exercise is:

When issues of vehicles not  (ie #7 farthest away) automatically uploading videos covering a daily shift and #1 has no issues, confidently I can say it is not due to signal strength.

I'm using my phone to do this homework using the "Net Analyzer" app for android.

I was following the "JemiGuest" SSID signal.
I started as near as possible and took pictures at certain increments.

At about 20ft from initial position it dropped from -29 dBm to -44 dBm.

After another 10-15ft it dropped from -44 dBm to -48 dBm.

The more drastic change happened when I went another 30ft and through 2 doorways.
It jumped from -48dBm to -71 dBm.

 Seeing this makes me realize that this is just another aspect that needs to be taken into consideration when setting up wireless infrastructure. Not only distance, but obstacles.

I used the Xirrus Wi-Fi Inspector tool on my laptop.

I tested in my home.

I used the Xirrus Wi-Fi Inspector on my lab network router SSID: NETTOT5

This connection is via the 5Ghz band.

Following screen shot shows strong signal at -28dBm with router in very close range

Next, signal strength measured at -55 dbm at about half distance from the router to the edge of the office building (in next screen shot)

Next we have about -69 to -70 dBm reading at the farthest end of the office building as shown below.

For this assignment I'm using NetSpot.

This is from the couch about 5 feet from the router

This is upstairs in my home office. Its upstairs (one level) and about 30 feet to the left.

Used Wifi Signal Pro iphone app at my house. Router Netgear Nighthawk AC1900 R7000

1st Floor Back office (next to router)   -31 dBm

1st Floor Front of house                     -57 dBm

2nd Floor front of house                    -70 dBm

Basement front of house                   -73 dBm

Outside front yard                            -74 dBm

Starting next to the router and moved to several different spots and it doesn't change. I refreshed, restarted and even closed the application and it stays the same. I went as far as I could without walking in the street.

So I started at the far end of my house from the router, walked to it, and then walked back. I'm shocked at how it changed.

I used Windows WiFi Analyzer:

This is about a foot away from router:

This is in the bedroom same floor, about 40 feet away:

Lastly this out back on my deck, about 75 feet away:

I used Wi-Fi inspector on a Laptop running Windows.  The first reading was in Floor 2 directly above the Xfinity AP. The second reading was standing within 2 feet of the AP. 

#1 - Note: I found that the radar Graph did not accurately represent the distance impact between the two locations that were tested. The history graph looked like a better representation and shows -.35 dBm signal strength -See below

# 2 - Signal Level -.65 dBm

I had to use just a single Access Point for this test, which meant disabling the others.

As expected, the signal is better the closer you are to the signal, except for the anomaly in the centre of the building, which is explained by the amount of RF interference that happenes at that desk.

The software used for this, was the Android App, Wifi Analyzer by farproc. I have always favoured this app as it is accuate, takes advantage of the 2.4GHz/5GHz in my phone and is free.

I used my mobile phone as a hotspot for this test. With the phone set within one foot of my lap top the test came back at -26dbm. I moved the phone one meter away and this jumpred immediately to -55dbm. I wasn't expecting such a jump. I moved it three meters away and got a strange result, the signal increased to -51dbm. Next I moved the phone outside the room to more than five meters away and the result increased again to -49. Then it fluctuated between -48 and -52.

I used the Xirrus Wi-Fi Inspector on my laptop, from various points throughout my home.

Wifi Signal Pro (iPhone app)

EnGenius Wireless Access Point (EWS360AP)

Connected via iPhone to the 2.4GHz signal feed

Directly underneath WAP =-35dBm (Excellent)

15' away = -53dBm (Good)

45' away = -23dBm (Excellent)

100' away = -65dBm (Reliable)

Very interesting that my best signal strength was at 45' away from the WAP.

Here were my results.

The below pictures are starting off closest to the access point at my work and gradually getting farther away.

-57dBm to -68dBm to -72dBm

I am using a Linksys WRT-3200ACM with DD-WRT firmware. 

Used Net Analyzer on my Samsung phone. Network = 5TKTH4

At 3 feet aware from the access point, the signal strength was -55dBm. in the basement, the analyzer showed -76dBm - this was directly underneath the access point. 

Wi-Fi signal pro on iPhone offers a lot of great tools to du your wifi survey and more..

I can't move my computer.

Neat application. My computer is in the same room with a newer AC Router. my SS is -36db

I chose to do this assignment at home with my wireless router using the 2.4GHZ 802.11n WLAN. I used the Xirrus WiFi Inspector. The router is located at the front of the house on the 1st floor.

I started in the same room as the router and the signal strength was ~ -40 dBm

I then moved to a bedroom on the same floor. It is at the back of the house about 30 feet away and the signal strength was ~ -60 dBm

The 3rd location was in the basement at the back of the house (the furthest from the router) and the signal strength was ~ -70 dBm

While in the basement I did a 4th test directly below the router and the signal strength was back around ~ -40 dBm

Below is the graph showing the varying signal strength as I wandered about my house. The strength never went below -70 dBm or above -30 dBm. I wish that I was able to connect to the 5 GHZ network with my laptop because it would have been interesting to compare the signal strength for both networks throughout the house. 

Scanned network is "DSS" on the top.

The first was taken at the front entrance about 35 feet distance. 

Second reading taken about 20 feet from the router.

Used Wifi Analyzer:

First Reading:

Second Reading Further away:

Right beside my home router the signal is at its strongest at -39 dbm

In my living room the signal is -69 dbm

As I move away to the bathroom, the signal drops significantly to -84 dbm as there are several concrete walls in the way:

Using WIFI Analyzer app on phone

-20dBm next to the router

-30dBm at 5 ft from router

-40dBm at 10ft from router

-50dBm at 15ft from router

-60dBm at 20 ft from router

The app shows it in graph form so I rounded

In this example I used the AirPort Utility Wi-Fi Scan app on my iPhone. I've found this tool to be accurate with the other software/downloadable tools which I've used in the past. the nice thing is that it's free + you do not have to register it like 3rd party software and worry about a bunch of spam email.