Уровень сигнала Wi-Fi влияет на качество вашего интернет подключения. В Windows вы можете определить текущее значение уровня сигнала Wi-Fi подключения несколькими способами. Я попробовал разобраться, как с помощью PowerShell определить текущий уровень сигнала Wi-Fi; вывести уведомление, если качество сигнала упало; и вывести список всех доступных беспроводных сетей с их техническими параметрами.
Обычный пользователь Windows 10 может оценить уровень сигнала Wi-Fi для текущего подключения по иконке беспроводной сети в таскбаре. Щелкните по иконке и перед вами появится список доступных Wi-Fi сетей.
У каждой Wi-Fi сети есть иконка с полосками. Чем больше полосок, тем лучше уровень сигнала точки доступа. Три полоски говорят о том, что уровень качества сигнала находится в диапазоне от 75 до 100%. Если у подключения две полоски, значит качество приема сигнала Wi-Fi между 50 и 75%, и т.д.
Вы можете получить более точное значение качества сигнала из командой строки. Все параметры текущего беспроводного подключения можно вывести с помощью команды:
netsh wlan show interfaces
На скриншоте выделен уровень сигнала подключения к Wi-Fi точке доступа (Signal: 72%).
С помощью PowerShell можно получить только значение уровня сигнала в процентах:
(netsh wlan show interfaces) -Match '^\s+Signal' -Replace '^\s+Signal\s+:\s+',''
С помощью простого PowerShell скрипта можно вывести всплывающее уведомление пользователю, если уровень Wi-Fi сигнала стал менее 30%.
$cur_strength=(netsh wlan show interfaces) -Match '^\s+Signal' -Replace '^\s+Signal\s+:\s+','' | Out-String
If ($cur_strength.replace('%','') –le 30)
{
Add-Type -AssemblyName System.Windows.Forms
$global:balmsg = New-Object System.Windows.Forms.NotifyIcon
$path = (Get-Process -id $pid).Path
$balmsg.Icon = [System.Drawing.Icon]::ExtractAssociatedIcon($path)
$balmsg.BalloonTipIcon = [System.Windows.Forms.ToolTipIcon]::Warning
$balmsg.BalloonTipText = “Уровень Wi-Fi сигнала менее $cur_strength Вернитесь к точке доступа!”
$balmsg.BalloonTipTitle = "Внимание $Env:USERNAME"
$balmsg.Visible = $true
$balmsg.ShowBalloonTip(10000)
}
Такой PowerShell цикл можно запустить в бесконечном цикле и проверять состояние сигнала раз в 10 секунд, или сделать из него службу Windows, чтобы она уведомляла вас об плохом Wi-Fi подключении.
Также с помощью netsh вы можете вывести список всех доступных беспроводных сетей в зоне действия вашего беспроводного адаптера (а не только список сохраненных wi-fi сетей). Для этого используется команда:
netsh wlan show network mode=bssid
Следующий PowerShell скрипт сканирует все доступные Wi-Fi сети (в том числе точки доступа на Windows), выводит их имена, уровень сигнала, каналы (полезно для поиска свободных каналов), и стандарты (802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11g и т.д.), на которых они работают.
$logs=@()
$date=Get-Date
$cmd=netsh wlan show networks mode=bssid
$n=$cmd.Count
For($i=0;$i -lt $n;$i++)
{
If($cmd[$i] -Match '^SSID[^:]+:.(.*)$')
{
$ssid=$Matches[1]
$i++
$bool=$cmd[$i] -Match 'Type[^:]+:.(.+)$'
$Type=$Matches[1]
$i++
$bool=$cmd[$i] -Match 'Authentication[^:]+:.(.+)$'
$authent=$Matches[1]
$i++
$bool=$cmd[$i] -Match 'Cipher[^:]+:.(.+)$'
$chiffrement=$Matches[1]
$i++
While($cmd[$i] -Match 'BSSID[^:]+:.(.+)$')
{
$bssid=$Matches[1]
$i++
$bool=$cmd[$i] -Match 'Signal[^:]+:.(.+)$'
$signal=$Matches[1]
$i++
$bool=$cmd[$i] -Match 'Type[^:]+:.(.+)$'
$radio=$Matches[1]
$i++
$bool=$cmd[$i] -Match 'Channel[^:]+:.(.+)$'
$Channel=$Matches[1]
$i=$i+2
$logs+=[PSCustomObject]@{date=$date;ssid=$ssid;Authentication=$authent;Cipher=$chiffrement;bssid=$bssid;signal=$signal;radio=$radio;Channel=$Channel}
}
}
}
$cmd=$null
$logs|Out-GridView -Title 'Scan Wifi Script'
Перед вами должна появится вот такая таблица Out-GridView с информацией о параметрах всех доступных беспроводных сетях.
На это скриншоте видно, что в моем окружении популярен 13 канал, поэтому мне не стоит запускать свою точку доступа на этом канале.
Are you keen on knowing the Wi-Fi signal strength on your Windows 10 PC? Well, the signal strength of a wireless network being received on a PC depends on various factors. Although the distance between the computer and the WiFi router is considered the primary factor, other variables are also responsible for the signal’s strength.
Low WiFi signal reception on a Windows 10 laptop could hamper your work a lot. It can become frustrating when the signal strength is low, even when your PC is placed near the Wireless network router.
So, what are the other factors that could cause the wireless network signal strength to be weak? Well, Wireless network devices make use of radio waves for communicating data. And as we know, radio wave interference could be caused due to various factors. This includes interference from other electronic devices, walls, partitions, solid objects, or even the Wireless network router’s orientation.
Whatever the reason be behind weak Wi-Fi signal reception from the router, it is crucial to find a place where your Windows 10 PC is getting ample Wireless network signal from the router.
So, what could you do about it? If you have a laptop, the best thing that you can do is move around with it around the router to various spots and check for the best Wi-Fi signal strength that it can receive. But the question is, how to check the wireless network signal strength on Windows 10 desktop?
We will take a look at several methods through which you can determine the signal strength of a WiFI network on your PC.
Table of Contents
#1 – Check Wi-Fi Signal Strength or WiFi Signal Quality From Taskbar
One of the best ways to check Wi-Fi signal strength is through the Windows 10 Taskbar. The Taskbar is located at the bottom of the screen. Go to the extreme right of the Taskbar and click on the WiFi icon. This will open the list of wireless networks that your PC’s wireless adapter can detect. Here, you can vi the strength of the wireless network you are connected to along with the power of the other wireless networks around you.
As you can see in the above screenshot, the signal strength bars of various wireless networks vary, and it is quite visible through the signal bars present along with the wireless networks’ names.
The signal bars give you an approx overview of the WiFi signal strength on Windows 10 PC. But what if you need an exact figure of signal strength? We find out in the following method.
#2 – Check WiFi Signal Strength or WiFi Signal Quality in Command Prompt
To view an exact figure of the wireless network signal strength, we recommend using the Command Prompt interface. Go through the steps provided below and find out how to:
Step 1: Launch the Command Prompt window on your Windows 10 PC. For this, press the Win + R keys. As the Run box opens, type cmd and click on the Ok button.
Step 2: As the Command Prompt interface opens, type the command provided below in it, then press the Enter key:
netsh wlan show interfaces
After running the above command, you will view a bunch of information regarding the wireless connection your PC is connected to. At the bottom of this information, there’s a section named Signal. You will view the exact WiFi Signal Strength in percentage on Windows 10 PC in front of this field.
Any percentage that is above 80% can be considered as good signal strength.
#3 – Determine Wi-Fi Signal Strength in Settings App
Here’s another way to check Wi-Fi Signal Strength or Signal Quality on your PC. It is a bit different from conventional methods but does the job. To view the signal strength, we will be using the Windows 10 Settings app. Here are the steps for you to follow:
Step 1: Launch the Settings app on your PC. To do so, you can press the following shortcut keys: Win + I
Step 2: In the Settings app, click on the option that says Network & Internet.
Step 3: When the Network & Internet settings window opens, click on the Status option present on the panel on the left. After the click, go to the right panel. Here, check the wireless connection icon. The number of solid bars in the signal icon represents the strength of the Wireless network signal. The lower the number of solid bars in the icon, the weaker is the network signal strength on Windows 10.
#4 – Use Control Panel to Check WiFi Signal Strength or Signal Quality
You can also access the Network and Sharing Center in the Control Panel of Windows 10 to check Wi-Fi signal strength. Go through the steps provided below to find out how:
Step 1: Press Start + R shortcut keys to launch the Run box. In the Run box interface, enter the control panel and press the Enter key to open Control Panel app.
Step 2: The Control Panel interface will open. Here, click on the option that reads Network and Internet.
Step 3: On the next window that loads, click on the Network and Sharing Center option.
Step 4: On the Network and Sharing Center window, you will get a bunch of options. Here, look for the WiFi icon present along with the WiFi network name (refer to the screenshot below). You can determine the wireless network signal strength through the wireless icon.
Step 5: If you want a clear view of the network signal strength, you can make a double-click on the wireless network’s name on the previous Control Panel screen. The following new window will open where you can view the signal strength.
#5 – Check WiFi Signal Strength on Windows 10 in PowerShell
Windows PowerShell is another tool in Windows 10 that will help you check wireless signal strength in Windows 10. Just like Command Prompt, all you need to do is enter a command, and you will be able to view the signal strength of the Wireless network you are connected to on your Windows 10 PC. Here are the steps to access signal strength in PowerShell:
Step 1: Launch the PowerShell interface on your PC. For this, press the Start button. Here, enter Powershell. From the search result, select the option that says Windows PowerShell.
Step 2: When the PowerShell interface opens, type the following command, then hit the Enter key:
(netsh WLAN show interfaces) -Match ‘^\s+Signal’ -Replace ‘^\s+Signal\s+:\s+’,”
As you can see, after executing the above command, the PowerShell window shows the strength of the Wireless network signal you are connected to in percentage.
Alternatively, you can also use just the netsh WLAN show interfaces command in PowerShell, just like you did in Command Prompt, to view signal strength or signal quality along with various other information related to the wireless network you are connected to.
(Image credit: Windows Central)
On Windows 10, when you connect a device to the internet to work from home or office using a Wi-Fi adapter, the quality of the signal will dictate the overall performance of the connection. In part, it’s because wireless technology uses radio waves to connect a device to the access point, and similar to other radio signals, it has limited range and problems with interference as well as traveling through solid objects (such as walls).
Understanding the signal strength of the Wi-Fi connection on your laptop or desktop PC can help to determine if the slow connectivity is a signal problem and not an issue with your Internet Service Provider (ISP) or wireless access point (usually, your router).
You may be able to find many third-party tools, but Windows 10 includes several ways to check the signal strength of a wireless connection from the taskbar and using the Settings app, Control Panel, taskbar, Command Prompt, and even using PowerShell.
In this Windows 10 guide, you’ll learn five ways to determine the signal strength of your Wi-Fi connection.
- How to check Wi-Fi signal strength using taskbar
- How to check Wi-Fi signal strength using Settings
- How to check Wi-Fi signal strength using Control Panel
- How to check Wi-Fi signal strength using Command Prompt
- How to check Wi-Fi signal strength using PowerShell
How to check Wi-Fi signal strength using taskbar
To determine the signal strength of a Wi-Fi connection on Windows 10, use these steps:
- Click the network icon in the notification area of the taskbar.
- See the wireless icon next to the network. (The higher the number of solid bars means the stronger the signal.)
When looking at the wireless icon, one solid bar indicates that the signal is weak, two bars mean the signal is acceptable, and three and four bars represent the best signal you can get.
How to check Wi-Fi signal strength using Settings
To find out the wireless signal strength using Settings, use these steps:
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- Open Settings.
- Click on Network & Internet.
- Click on Status.
- Under the «Network status» section, the wireless icon will indicate the current signal strength. (The higher the number of solid bars, the stronger the signal.)
Alternatively, you can also check the signal strength from the Wi-Fi settings page.
Check signal quality from Wi-Fi settings
To check the wireless signal from the Wi-Fi settings, use these steps:
- Open Settings.
- Click on Wi-Fi.
- Under the Wi-Fi section, the signal strength will be represented on the wireless icon. (The higher the number of solid bars, the stronger the signal.)
Once you complete the steps, you’ll have a better understanding of wireless connection quality to the access point.
How to check Wi-Fi signal strength using Control Panel
To find out the signal quality of a wireless connection using Control Panel, use these steps:
- Open Control Panel.
- Click on Network and Internet.
- Click on Network and Sharing Center.
- Under the «View your active networks» section, the wireless icon next to «Connections» will indicate the signal quality.
- (Optional) Click the connection name to check the signal quality as well as speed, SSID, and other information.
After you complete the steps, you’ll know if you have a strong or weak Wi-Fi connection.
How to check Wi-Fi signal strength using Command Prompt
To check the signal strength of a Wi-Fi connection using Command Prompt, use these steps:
- Open Start.
- Search for Command Prompt and click the top result to open the app.
- Type the following command to view the Wi-Fi signal strength and press Enter:
netsh wlan show interfaces - See the Signal field to determine the signal quality. (If the output number is equal or higher than 80, then the strength of the signal is good.)
Once you complete the steps, you’ll quickly find out the quality of the Wi-Fi signal.
How to check Wi-Fi signal strength using PowerShell
To view the signal strength of a Wi-Fi connection using PowerShell, use these steps:
- Open Start.
- Search for PowerShell and click the top result to open the app.
- Type the following command to view the Wi-Fi signal strength and press Enter:
(netsh wlan show interfaces) -Match '^\s+Signal' -Replace '^\s+Signal\s+:\s+',''Quick tip: Similar to Command Prompt, in PowerShell, you can also run thenetsh wlan show interfacescommand to view signal quality. - See the signal quality output. (The percentage goes from 0 to 100, where 100 percent indicates excellent signal quality.)
Once you complete the steps, if you see a signal quality between 80 and 100 percent, then the connection is reliable. If you see a signal above 70 percent, it’s still good for light web browsing and managing emails. Anything below 60 percent means that you have a weak signal, and you should consider moving the device closer to the access point or relocating the access point to the middle of the house or office.
If you’re trying to determine the perfect placement on the house or office for the best signal, run the above command where you typically use your computer, then move around to another place or room, and re-run the command to find out the signal strength in the new location.
In the case that you’re viewing the Wi-Fi icon to find out the performance of the connection, consider that each bar (including the dot) represents around 25 percent of signal strength. This means that three and four bars indicate a good signal quality and anything below indicates a weak signal.
Mauro Huculak has been a Windows How-To Expert contributor for WindowsCentral.com for nearly a decade and has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides. He also has an IT background and has achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft, Cisco, VMware, and CompTIA. He has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years.
Quick Links
-
Use the Taskbar for a Quick Answer
-
Or, Check the Settings App
-
Use the Control Panel for More Accuracy
-
Use Windows PowerShell for Precision
If you’re having issues with your Wi-Fi connection, the strength of your Wi-Fi signal may be poor.There are many different ways to check your Wi-Fi signal strength in Windows 10 to find out how good or bad the signal quality is.
Use the Taskbar for a Quick Answer
Your PC’s taskbar (the bar at the bottom of the screen) has several icons on it. One of these is for your wireless networks, and you can use this icon to find your Wi-Fi signal strength.
To do this, click the wireless icon on your taskbar. It appears in the notification area to the left of the clock.
If you don’t see the wireless icon, the taskbar might have hidden it. Click the up-arrow icon on the taskbar to reveal all hidden icons.
Find your Wi-Fi network in the list. It’s the network that Windows says you are «Connected» to.
You’ll see a small signal icon next to your Wi-Fi network. This icon represents the signal strength of your network. The more bars this icon has, the better your Wi-Fi signal is.
If you’re wondering how the strength of your Wi-Fi signal changes in different places throughout your home or another building, you can walk around with a laptop and see how the signal changes in different areas. The strength of your signal depends on many factors, including the placement of your router and where you are located relative to it.
You can also check the signal quality of other Wi-Fi networks using this menu. Just look at the signal icon for any network.
Or, Check the Settings App
The Settings app displays the same taskbar-like bars for your Wi-Fi signal strength.
To use this method, open the «Start» menu, search for «Settings,» and click the app in the results. Alternately, press Windows+i to quickly launch the Settings app.
In Settings, click «Network & Internet,» as this contains your wireless network information.
Here, under the «Network status» section, you’ll see a signal icon. This icon shows your current Wi-Fi network’s signal strength. Again, the more bars that this icon has, the better your signal is.
Use the Control Panel for More Accuracy
Unlike the Settings app and Windows taskbar, the Control Panel shows a five-bar icon for your Wi-Fi signal quality, which provides you with a more accurate answer.
To get to that signal icon, launch the «Start» menu, search for «Control Panel,» and click the utility in the results.
Here, click «Network and Internet.»
Click «Network and Sharing Center» on the right pane.
You’ll see a signal icon next to «Connections» that shows the quality of your current Wi-Fi signal. The more bars that are highlighted in this icon, the better your signal is.
Use Windows PowerShell for Precision
The methods above only give you a rough idea of your Wi-Fi network’s signal strength. If you need a more precise answer, you should use Windows PowerShell.
The
netsh
command built into Windows 10 shows your network’s signal strength in percentage form, which is much more accurate than any of the other methods listed in this guide.
To get this accurate answer for your network, access the «Start» menu, search for «Windows PowerShell,» and click the PowerShell app shortcut in the results.
Copy the following command from here and paste it into your PowerShell window. Press «Enter» to run the command.
(netsh wlan show interfaces) -Match '^\s+Signal' -Replace '^\s+Signal\s+:\s+',''
PowerShell only displays a single line output, which shows your current Wi-Fi signal strength in percentage form. The higher the percentage is, the better your signal is.
To view more information about your network (such as the network channel and the connection mode), run the following command:
netsh wlan show interfaces
Or, Use Command Prompt
You can also run the netsh command in a Command Prompt window if you prefer that interface. In its full form, the command also shows more details about your network, like the SSID (network) name and the authentication type.
To begin, open the Command Prompt by launching the «Start» menu, searching for «Command Prompt,» and clicking the utility in the results.
In your Command Prompt window, type the following command and press «Enter.»
netsh wlan show interfaces
The output displays much more information than what you’re looking for here, so look toward the field that says «Signal.»
The percentage next to «Signal» is your Wi-Fi signal strength.
If these methods indicate that your Wi-Fi signal strength is poor, one way to improve the signal quality is to bring your devices and routers closer to each other. Also, make sure that there are no hard objects (like a wall, for example) between your router and your devices. These objects often hinder the quality of your Wi-Fi signal.
There are other methods that allow you to check your Wi-Fi network’s signal strength more precisely. You may want to use one of those methods if the measurements above don’t work for you, or if you’d prefer to check signal strength using an iPhone, iPad, Android device, or Mac.
Before you unload your anger on your internet service provider, check your WiFi signal strength first to determine whether your performance issues are not caused by your router.
- NetSpot
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There are not many things more frustrating than using a computer with a weak WiFi signal. When websites take ages to load and online video and audio streaming is interrupted every few seconds, then anger and frustration are quick to set in.
The good news is that measuring WiFi signal strength is easy, and you definitely don’t need to be an expert or own specialized equipment. All you need to do is pick one of the methods described in this article and follow our detailed step-by-step instructions.
Jump to…
How to Check Wi-Fi Signal Strength Using the Taskbar Icon (Windows 10 & 11)?
The quickest way to check WiFi signal strength on Windows 10 and Windows 11 is to open the action center and look at the WiFi status icon. Here’s what you need to do:
On Windows 10
Step 1
Click the action center icon located right on the taskbar.
Step 2
Click the WiFi icon at the bottom.
Step 3
Count the number of bars.
On Windows 11
Click the “Quick Settings” area (the combined icons for network, volume, and battery), then expand the available Wi-Fi networks.
Make sure you are connected to the correct Wi-Fi network. The number of bars indicates your signal strength:
- Four bars: excellent signal.
- Three bars: good signal, usually stable.
- Two bars: fair signal, potential speed drops.
- One bar or a single dot: very weak signal, possible disconnections.
How to Check Wi-Fi Signal Strength Using Settings?
Windows 10 (and newer versions like Windows 11) comes with a new settings menu where you can control all aspects of your operating system and, among other things, check your Wi-Fi signal strength. Here’s how:
Step 1
Open “Settings”.
- Windows 10: Click Start→ Settings (gear icon).
- Windows 11: Click Start → Settings (in an English OS) or the localized equivalent.
Step 2
Launch the Settings app and go to Network & Internet.
Step 3
Click “Wi-Fi.”
In Windows 10, you’ll see a left-hand menuIn the left pane, select Status and count the number of bars to determine the approximate strength of your signal.
In Windows 11, it may look a bit different but follow the same principle to find the Wi-Fi settings.
Step 4
Locate your network name. The Wi-Fi icon next to it shows how many bars are filled, indicating signal strength.
Alternatively, you can also go to the Wi-Fi section, where you can also access your Wi-Fi adapter’s hardware properties and other useful settings.
How to Check Wi-Fi Signal Using Control Panel?
This method is for those Windows users who prefer to use the traditional Control Panel instead of the new Settings app. Because the WiFi signal strength meter in the Control Panel is very basic, don’t expect to see detailed information about your WiFi.
Works for both Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Even though Windows 11 features a revamped Settings interface, the Control Panel remains available and works similarly to how it does on Windows 10.
Step 1
Open the Start menu and type “control panel”.
Step 2
Launch the Control Panel app and go to Network and Internet.
Step 3
Select View network status and tasks.
Step 4
Click the name of your WiFi network to see its signal quality, speed, and other information.
From the Network and Sharing Center, you can also troubleshoot network problems or set up a new connection.
How to Check Wi-Fi Signal Using Command Prompt?
Believe it or not, but you can check the status of your WiFi network using the might Command Prompt, a command line interpreter application available in Windows 10 and Windows 11. Learning how to check WiFi signal strength using Command Prompt is surprisingly simple since the whole process involves just one command:
Step 1
Open the Start menu and type “command prompt”.
Step 2
Hit the Win + R shortcut, enter cmd, and then press Enter.
Step 3
Run the Netsh Command. After launching Command Prompt, type the following command and hit Enter : netsh wlan show interfaces.
Step 4
Check the “Signal” Value. Look for the line labeled Signal. You will see a percentage value.
- 75% is fairly good.
- Values of 80–100% are considered excellent.
By reviewing the Signal percentage, you can quickly gauge the strength of your Wi-Fi connection and decide if you need to move your router, update drivers, or take other steps to improve the signal.
How to Check Wi-Fi Signal Using PowerShell?
You can think of PowerShell as a supercharged version of the Command Prompt. It consists of a command-line shell and a powerful scripting language, enabling sophisticated task automation and configuration management. But don’t worry: checking WiFi signal using PowerShell doesn’t require any scripting.
Step 1
Press Windows + X and select Windows PowerShell.
For Windows 11
Use the keyboard shortcut Win + R, enter powershell, and press Enter to launch the PowerShell window.
(On Windows 11, you can also open Windows Terminal and choose PowerShell.)
Step 2
Then, execute one of the following commands:
netsh wlan show interfaces | Select-String ‘^\s+Signal’
or
(netsh wlan show interfaces) -Match ‘^\s+Signal’ -Replace ‘^\s+Signal\s+:\s+’,”
Your signal strength will be displayed near the bottom. Ideally, you want it to be between 80 and 100 percent. Anything less than that and tasks such as web browsing or video chatting are guaranteed to become less than satisfying.
How to Check Wi-Fi Signal Using NetSpot?
All the above-described methods on how to check WiFi signal strength provide only very basic information. That may be fine if all you need is to quickly determine if a weak WiFi signal is the source of your connectivity issues, but real troubleshooting requires a different approach: a comprehensive WiFi signal strength app like NetSpot.
Besides being our go-to Windows WiFi signal strength meter, NetSpot is also one of the best apps to measure WiFi signal strength on Mac, making it incredibly easy to visualize, manage, troubleshoot, audit, plan, and deploy your wireless networks.
There are two ways to check WiFi signal using NetSpot: you can collect every detail about surrounding WiFi networks using Inspector Mode, or you can outline your real-life WiFi data on a map using Survey Mode.
How to check WiFi signal using NetSpot’s Inspector Mode
Step 1
Launch NetSpot and switch to Inspector Mode.
Step 2
Wait a short while for the Wifi signal strength app to gather information about surrounding WiFi networks.
Step 3
Double-click the network you’re interested in to see real-time information about its signal strength, channel overlap, and more.
NetSpot’s Inspector Mode is perfect for quickly and easily obtaining a comprehensive view of all wireless activity in your local area, which is essential when troubleshooting issues with WiFi signal interference and other problems.
How to check Wi-Fi signal using NetSpot’s Survey Mode
Step 1
Launch NetSpot and switch to Survey Mode.
Step 2
Click the Create new… survey button.
Step 3
Name your project and either load a map of the area you want to survey from a file or create one from scratch.
Step 4
Click on two points on the map, and then input the actual distance between them in the box at the bottom of the window.
Step 5
Walk to one corner of your space and click the point on the map that corresponds to where you are standing.
Step 6
Continue moving and scanning until you have covered the whole area of the map that you wish to scan.
Step 7
When done, stop the scan. NetSpot will visualize signal strength across the entire area.
Step 8
Use the heatmap to identify low-signal zones and optimize router or repeater placement.
This method is particularly helpful for large homes or offices where Wi-Fi coverage must be maximized.
NetSpot offers more than 20 heatmap visualizations to help troubleshoot just about any WiFi-related problem. The app can, for example, visualize signal-to-noise ratio, signal level, noise level, frequency band coverage, wireless transmit rate, and more.
You can download NetSpot for free from its official website and purchase a Home, Pro, or Enterprise license only when you’ve spent enough time evaluating the app to know that it can meet your needs and requirements. Organizations can purchase a discounted company-wide license, and there’s also an Android version of NetSpot that comes in handy whenever you don’t have access to a laptop.
What to Do if the Signal is Weak?
If your signal is around 50–60% (or even lower), try these steps:
- Move your router closer to your primary workstation. Walls, metal, and other electronics can weaken signals.
- Update the Wi-Fi adapter driver on your PC and the router’s firmware. Newer versions can resolve stability issues.
- Switch to a 5 GHz band if your router and device support it; it often suffers less interference but has a shorter range.
- Use a Wi-Fi extender or Mesh system if you have a large space or many obstructions.
- Check for interference from microwaves, Bluetooth gadgets, cordless phones, etc., especially on the 2.4 GHz band.
- Perform a full survey using NetSpot’s Survey Mode to visually pinpoint dead zones and reposition your router accordingly.
Conclusion
Measuring your Wi-Fi signal in Windows 10 and Windows 11 is straightforward, whether you use built-in tools like the Taskbar, Settings, or more advanced methods such as NetSpot. If your signal is too weak, try moving the router, updating drivers, or boosting coverage with a repeater or Mesh.
Remember: strong Wi-Fi equals stable internet, higher speeds, and smoother overall productivity. By diagnosing and addressing weak spots, you can enjoy a seamless connection at home or in the office.
NetSpot
Wi-Fi Site Surveys, Analysis, Troubleshooting runs on a MacBook (macOS 11+) or any laptop (Windows 7/8/10/11) with a standard 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax wireless network adapter.
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4.8
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- Wi-Fi Site Surveys, Analysis, Troubleshooting
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FAQ
Can I check the Wi-Fi signal strength without admin rights?
Yes, most built-in tools (Taskbar, Settings, Control Panel) do not require admin privileges. However, certain PowerShell or CMD commands might need to run as administrator depending on your system setup.
Why does my phone show a stronger signal than my laptop?
Different devices use different Wi-Fi adapters and may display signal levels differently. Phones might show more bars due to more optimized hardware or lower sensitivity thresholds.
Will upgrading to Windows 11 improve my Wi-Fi?
Upgrading alone does not boost the physical range of your wireless signal, but Windows 11 may provide better driver compatibility and performance optimizations.
Is there any difference between checking signal strength on a desktop PC and a laptop?
The process is the same. Just ensure your desktop has a working Wi-Fi adapter (internal or USB) to detect wireless networks.
Get NetSpot for Free
Wi-Fi Site Surveys, Analysis, Troubleshooting runs on a MacBook (macOS 11+) or any laptop (Windows 7/8/10/11) with a standard 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax wireless network adapter.
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4.8
- 969 User reviews
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