Interpreting Signal Values - measurements-signal-strength-quality/Interpreting-Signal-Values

Measurements of Signal Strength and Quality

NetCloud Feature
Connectivity > Cellular WAN
ft:locale
en-US
ft:sourceName
Paligo_Prod
Document Type
Article

Additional Disclaimers: There is no specific answer to what constitutes a successful connection. It is possible to disconnect with green (high) values – or connect with red (low) values for several reasons, including:

  • Modems may vary.

    Not all modems have the same ranges of acceptable values, which can affect your connection.

  • You must factor in both signal strength and signal quality.

    It is possible to have excellent RSSI but disconnect because of poor quality (and vice versa).

  • Signal strength and signal quality values do not hold constant.

    The variance of a signal is a significant factor in the success of a connection. A particular reading represents one moment, but these values may vary dramatically over time. A stable connection requires consistency. This sample graph of RSSI values shows how much the values can jump (from https://cradlepointecm.com): 

    Interpreting Signal Values
  • Environmental factors can affect all of the above values.

    Everything from other network hardware to heavy machinery to the weather can have any affect on RSSI, SINR, Ec/Io, RSRP, and RSRQ.

  • Other factors can cause issues, such as tower load, signal going through a repeater or booster, and so on.

    Some factors that don't show up in the signal strength and quality values can greatly impact a connection.