The more WiFi signal bars the cell phone or tablet has, the faster the Internet will be . That is, the higher the signal strength , the better connection speed you will have. That is why it is important to optimize the range or coverage of our wireless network , so that the signal reaches the whole house in a healthy way , in addition to considering other parameters such as interference from other WiFi networks ..
APP to see the quality of the WiFi
Images above: Strength of the WiFi signal at that moment, in addition to the graph to see how the signal fluctuates over time.
All of this can be easily reviewed with a simple mobile app. There are several WiFi "analyzers" on Google Play that all work in a similar way, like this one . One of the first screens in this APP is the signal strength, which you can see for the 2.4GHz band, as well as for 5GHz, and which in any case is measured in dBm. As they are negative values, the LOWER the value, the stronger the signal. For example, and you can use this as a reference, a signal of -50 dBm or stronger (-40, -30, etc.) is excellent, while a signal of -80 dBm or weaker (-90, -100, etc.) is lousy.
Another information panel is the one that indicates which channels are most recommended to use for WiFi and which channels are not. The channel is simply the "avenue" through which the wireless signal travels and if there is another Wi-Fi network nearby using the same transmission channel (or an adjacent channel), there is a certain type of congestion (interference) that deteriorates the performance of the network. For example, in the screenshots above you can see how the "disconnected" network channel overlaps with the "RONY" network channel (bad idea because this causes interference). Under this scenario, the application suggests configuring the Wi-Fi network using less "congested" channels..
It is worth taking a look at this section of channels, to see if the ones our router is choosing are the most optimal. Remember that generally routers are configured by default to automatically choose the transmission channel to be used. You can enter the router's configuration to manually choose which channel to use, but the router should be automatically selecting the best channel, so this should not be necessary.
This is generally the information offered by all WiFi analyzers or monitors on Google Play, varying slightly from one to another. For example, I like the analog signal monitor and sound system that beeps at a higher frequency the stronger the signal of this application . It can be very useful to check the amount of signal as the router is moved, when it is being relocated at home to a more ideal position, that radiates the signal more directly to the devices, avoiding obstacles.
Speaking of optimization, you also have to consider intruders that may be connected stealing your internet or network bandwidth. Some applications like these, including the previous one, also allow you to see who is connected to the Wi-Fi network . If this is the case, you will have to secure the router , changing the password first..
How to know if your WiFi is secure and if the computers in your house could be hacked from the Internet
Increase the WiFi signal by installing other firmware on the router
Cellular APPS for site survey (predicting WiFi coverage)