How to check Wi-Fi signal strength on a Mac (RSSI and noise)
How to read Wi-Fi signal strength in dBm on a Mac by Option clicking the Wi-Fi icon, what good RSSI and noise values are, and how to improve them.
How do I see Wi-Fi signal strength on a Mac?
Hold Option and click the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar. The connected network shows RSSI (signal), Noise, channel and Tx Rate.
In Terminal:
system_profiler SPAirPortDataType | grep -E "Signal / Noise|Channel|PHY Mode|Transmit Rate"What is a good Wi-Fi signal strength in dBm?
| RSSI | Meaning |
|---|---|
| -30 to -60 dBm | Strong, full speed |
| -60 to -70 dBm | Good for most use |
| -70 to -80 dBm | Weak, slower and less stable |
| Below -80 dBm | Unreliable |
How do I improve it?
Move closer or remove walls between the Mac and router, prefer 5 GHz when close, and change channel if noise is high. Mac Wi-Fi slow when other devices are fine goes further.
Common questions
What is a good RSSI on Mac?
Above -60 dBm is good, -60 to -70 is fine, below -70 slows down.
How do I check Wi-Fi strength on MacBook?
Option click the Wi-Fi icon and read RSSI and Noise.