


The closer to zero the dBm reading is, the stronger the cell phone signal. What is a good signal strength for a cell phone? On a signal strength meter, dBm is typically expressed as a negative number-such as -88. Signal strength for cellphones is calculated using dBm (or decibel milliwatts) as its standard unit of measure. How is cell signal strength measured accurately?ĭecibels offer a more accurate and useful measure of cell phone signal strength.
#WIRELESS SIGNAL STRENGTH TEST HOW TO#
However, to make sense of this reading, let’s get an understanding of how signal strength is measured and how to do a cell phone signal strength test. Just like a car’s gas gauge, signal bars can only provide a general idea of signal strength- not an exact measure.Ĭhecking your mobile phone’s actual signal strength is better than relying on bars alone. This means the two signal bars showing on your model of iPhone may actually show that your phone is receiving more signals than your friend’s Android phone that’s currently displaying three signal bars. Some phones assign different values to each bar graphic. And isn’t entirely representative of signal strength. The truth is, the number of bars you see on your phone can vary greatly and often depend on the manufacturer and model. On your iPhone or Android-along with any other cellphone or cellular-connected device in between-the signal bars are mostly there to provide a visual representation of cell signal strength. But it hardly provides a complete picture. It’s an easy to understand point of reference. If you ask most people about the current quality or strength of their phone’s cell signal, regardless of their carrier, and they’ll probably give you one of the following responses:
