Wifi strength /power level

[Jane]

Where can I get any useful info about measuring a level ( power) of a Wifi signal? What equipment to use? Network analyzer or spectrum analyzer?
What kind of antenna? etc.
Thanks

[Curious.George]

Re: Wifi strength /power level

Where can I get any useful info about measuring a level ( power) of a Wifi signal? What equipment to use? Network analyzer or spectrum analyzer?
What kind of antenna? etc.
Thanks

For what do you want to use the information? Are you trying to quantify the outputs of different devices? Figure out why you're not getting "good signal" at some place in your home? Check if a transmitter is defective? etc.

[Jane]

Re: Wifi strength /power level

Thanks for the reply.
I would like to measure a power( level) of an incoming Wi-Fi signal alias wifi AP( access point) and strength/power ( or waveforms) of backscatter signals from that WiFi AP.
Do you have any idea what method/measurement device to use?
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[llonen]

Re: Wifi strength /power level

Well you could certainly use a spectrum analyser and while it will give you information about signal level, you are going to have a hard time identifying devices, oh and to cover 2.5ghz and 5ghz they are rather expensive. Ultimately not that useful, for planning and installing wireless networks and measuring approximate signal strength I tend to use inSSIDer which is useful for measuring signal strength and to identifying active wireless channels around you

[diif]

Re: Wifi strength /power level

Transmit power is set on the device. You're measuring the strength of the signal on a receiving device. All are different.
I use my spectrum analyser when customers complain of poor signal. It show's what else is in the 2.4Ghz spectrum, cordless phones and baby monitors being the big offenders with a cheap Chinese video sender being the worst. I used a laptop with IIRC heatmapper on it, when I did a site wide survey of a college.

[Jane]

Re: Wifi strength /power level

@diif: What kind of spectrum analyzer do you use?

[CapLeaker]

Re: Wifi strength /power level

It depends on how serious you want to get and how much $$$ you want to spend. 30 Grand is no problem to spend for professional gear. Rigol, Agilent / Keysight, IFR etc.

If I’d be you, I would look into an SDR like HackRF One. That should fit the bill and and it does a lot of other things too for other projects. You can always borrow a calibrated signal geni and get some base points to see where exactly that SDR is at that frequency that you want to measure.

[Jane]

Re: Wifi strength /power level

HackRF could be a good idea.Maybe LimeSDR is even better.Do you have any experience with either?

[Curious.George]

Re: Wifi strength /power level

Thanks for the reply.
I would like to measure a power( level) of an incoming Wi-Fi signal alias wifi AP( access point) and strength/power ( or waveforms) of backscatter signals from that WiFi AP.
Do you have any idea what method/measurement device to use?

If you're interested in backscatter, then the signal levels will typically be much lower than typical transmit power. So, you'll either have to live with a lot less certainty in your measurement(s) OR plan on using more expensive instrumentation.

What is your eventual goal (passive WiFi?)? Or, is this just a data collection exercise? I.e., how much do you want the data...?

[diif]

Re: Wifi strength /power level

@diif: What kind of spectrum analyzer do you use?

A first gen Wi-Spy, only good for 2.4Ghz.

[Jane]

Re: Wifi strength /power level

@Curious.George

What is your eventual goal (passive WiFi?)? Or, is this just a data collection exercise? I.e., how much do you want the data...?

First just a data collection exercise and depending on results, I will see what next.

So, you'll either have to live with a lot less certainty in your measurement(s) OR plan on using more expensive instrumentation.

Do you mean any particular instrumentations( brands)?

[Curious.George]

Re: Wifi strength /power level

Do you mean any particular instrumentations( brands)?

My only experiences with this are FCC certifications of "intentional radiators". And, there, the equipment used has tended to be expensive and the procedure very specific (to satisfy the guberment).

I was thinking that a better idea of your overall goal might bring other options to light and/or help qualify the type of data you'd need.

E.g., instead of measuring tensile strength of a material and numerically deciding if it is suitable for use in suspending a particular load, you could fabricate a piece and actually try suspending the load!

[CapLeaker]

Re: Wifi strength /power level

My question is: why is that 2.4Ghz WiFi signal that important?

If the owner has a ham ticket and is within his frequency allocation at 2.4Ghz, he is allowed to run higher power too.
If you think one of these public WiFi tower causes electromagnetic something, because it is right next to you, good luck, because you are going to need certified gear and the FCC and even then it may not go very far in court.