OT: Improving laptop wifi reception

[Bob Goodwin]

On 25/08/11 10:43, Marko Vojinovic wrote:
> On Thursday 25 August 2011 13:24:00 Bob Goodwin wrote:
>> I suspect that receiver quality is a bigger factor that transmitter
>> power output. I am presently using a Linksys E3000 running DD-WRT which
>> displays some receiving data [SNR, signal to noise ratio]. I have no way
>> of verifying these numbers but have no reason to doubt them either. I
>> have also noticed that signal quality affects the data rates. Good
>> signal, faster transfers ...
>>
>>>              Wireless Nodes
>>>
>>>          Clients
>>>          MAC Address 	Interface 	Uptime 	TX Rate 	RX Rate 	Signal
>>>          Noise 	SNR 	Signal Quality
>>>          00:1E:52:86:4B:C3 	eth1 	N/A 	N/A 	N/A 	-42 	-88 	46
>>>          64%
>>>          B8:FF:61:35:AC:CC 	eth1 	N/A 	N/A 	N/A 	-52 	-88 	36
>>>          52%
>>>          00:1F:1F:A5:D6:84 	eth1 	N/A 	N/A 	N/A 	-62 	-88 	26
>>>          39%
>>>          00:AA:BB:CC:DD:10 	eth1 	N/A 	N/A 	N/A 	-67 	-88 	21
>>>          33%
>>>          0C:EE:E6:84:F3:A9 	eth1 	N/A 	N/A 	N/A 	-55 	-88 	33
>>>          48%
>>>          00:11:85:8C:CC:25 	eth1 	N/A 	N/A 	N/A 	-61 	-88 	27
>>>          40%
>>>          00:02:6F:9B:BA:C4 	eth1 	N/A 	N/A 	N/A 	-42 	-88 	46
>>>          64%
>>>          00:1D:73:C9:11:94 	eth1 	N/A 	N/A 	N/A 	-57 	-88 	31
>>>          45%
> I'm confused --- there is the "Signal" column, the "Noise" column, and the
> "SNR" column which apparently has nothing to do with the ratio between signal
> and noise. In addition, how is the "Signal Quality" estimated?
>
> Little help, please? :-)
>
> Best, :-)
> Marko
>

        I'm sorry, the lines were "wrapped" messing up the formatting.

        There are four numbers of interest, Signal, Noise, SNR, and
        Signal Quality.

        Signal quality is expressed as a percentage. For instance the
        first line shows the series
        -42 -88 46 64%

        The received signal level -42 dbm

        The receiver noise level -88 dbm

        Signal to noise ratio 46

        Signal quality 64%

        I did not create the system, I am merely a user but that's is
        how I interpret it.

        Bob