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Wireless & Mobility · Foundational

Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI)

A measurement of received signal power, usually reported in dBm by Wi-Fi radios.

Definition

RSSI is defined loosely in 802.11 as a relative 0-255 value, but most vendors report it in dBm. Because each chipset measures differently, RSSI readings vary between devices. Typical design targets are -67 dBm for voice and real-time applications and -70 to -75 dBm for data.

Example

A laptop reports an RSSI of -58 dBm to its AP.

Exam tip

RSSI values are vendor-specific and not directly comparable across different client devices.

Don't confuse it with

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