Do you ever find yourself in a situation where your cell phone signal is too weak to make a call or use the internet? If so, you’re not alone. Many people struggle with poor WiFi signal strength.
Poor signal strength doesn’t only affect your cell phone or computer; it can affect your home surveillance system, too! However, there are ways to improve your signal strength without having to rely on your carrier. In this blog post, we’ll discuss one method called RSSI and how it can help boost your signal.
What Is RSSI?
RSSI is an acronym that stands for Received Signal Strength Indicator. The RSSI meaning is a measure of how strong the signals are coming in from radio waves. Simply put, RSSI measures how well your router or access point can detect your home security devices. This measurement ranges from -100 to 0, and the closer to 0, the better signal strength.
How Do I Find The RSSI?
Most people have never checked their RSSI. There are a few ways you can find out what your RSSI is, but the easiest way is from your smartphone while you are at home connected to your network. Here’s how to check from your smartphone:
iPhone: Settings → Airport Utility → toggle on Wi-Fi Scanner → go to Airport Utility App → click Start Scan → Scan Duration: 20 seconds. dBm measurements expressed as RSSI.
Android: Settings → About Phone → Status or Network → view Signal Strength
What Is A Good RSSI?
RSSI is measured in negative numbers below 0. Keeping that in mind, a good RSSI is -55 or higher toward 0. Generally speaking, the received signal strength indication WiFi measurement will ensure good quality streaming and video recording. Occasionally, anything below -55 is still good enough for security cameras, and anything higher than -55 can still have issues.
What Is A Bad RSSI?
There’s a good chance that an RSSI level meaning of -60 to -100 will have low signal strength and may cause issues to your security camera video footage. Problems such as low-quality video and/or audio, gaps in recorded video, and disconnected live views can occur.
Why Is My RSSI Low?
If your RSSI has a low measurement, then you might be having trouble with your security footage or your home security devices might be having trouble connecting. Here is a quick list of the most common issues causing a low RSSI:
- Obstructions: Things like walls, doors, or furniture between the router and the device can block the connection.
- Distance: If the router and the device are too far apart, then they are likely having a hard time connecting.
- Multiple Devices: If there are multiple devices streaming and trying to connect, then the router and devices can act confused on where to connect.
- Outdated Router: If the router is old and outdated, then the devices may not understand where and what to connect to.
How Can I Fix Or Improve My RSSI?
If you’re having trouble with your RSSI level, there are some simple things you can do to try to increase and improve the signal strength.
- Move Devices and Router Closer Together: One of the things you can try is to move the router or the home security devices so there are fewer obstructions in between the two.
- Install a WiFi Extender: Another way to improve signal strength is to move the access point and the devices closer together or simply install a WiFi extender.
- Remove Unused Internet Devices From Network: If there are any devices that are no longer being used or not used often, try removing or disconnecting them from the network.
- Upgrade Existing Router: One of the most common ways to improve signal strength is to upgrade your old and outdated router.
- Consider Hard-wired Home Security: If you’ve tried everything and still have a low RSSI, then you may need to switch to a hard-wired home security system. This will ensure that your security cameras and automation devices always have good connectivity.
Wireless or Wired Home Security With SafeStreets
If you’re having trouble with your RSSI, SafeStreets’ professionals can help protect your home with many wired and wireless options available. Never worry about your home protection again with our custom home security systems. SafeStreets home security uses the latest HD video technology and 24/7 monitoring to help protect your home. We have everything you need to help protect what you value most. Get a free quote today!
