Wi-Fi signal strength plays a crucial role in determining data transfer speeds. If you’re using a Windows device, there are five different methods to assess the Wi-Fi signal quality in your area. If you find that the signal is weak, often a simple adjustment in the laptop’s position or moving just a few steps away can significantly enhance connectivity.
1. Taskbar Icon Display. In the lower-right corner of your screen, next to the time and date—along with the battery icon on laptops—you’ll see the Wi-Fi icon. Click on this icon, and a menu will pop up showing your current Wi-Fi signal strength as well as the status of available networks in your vicinity. You can access more details by clicking the right-facing arrow next to the Wi-Fi connection name.
Just a couple of clicks in the taskbar lets you access a window showing both the current Wi-Fi signal and other nearby networks.
2. Windows Settings. Access the Start menu and navigate to “Settings.” Click on “Network & Internet,” then select “Wi-Fi.” Next to “Properties of [Wi-Fi name],” you’ll see an icon that indicates the signal strength. More solid black arches represent a stronger signal.
Within the Windows Settings, you can also check your current Wi-Fi signal strength.
3. Using the Control Panel. Type “control” in the taskbar’s search bar and click on “Control Panel.” In icon view, go to “Network and Sharing Center,” or in the category view, navigate to “Network and Internet” followed by “Network and Sharing Center.” You will find a green icon indicating the Wi-Fi network’s reception strength. For a closer look, click the link showing your Wi-Fi name, where the signal quality icon is displayed prominently.
In the Control Panel, both a compact and an enlarged view of Wi-Fi signal strength can be accessed.
4. Command Prompt. Type “cmd” into the search field and open the “Command Prompt.” Type the command netsh wlan show interfaces and hit “Enter.” You’ll find the signal strength displayed next to “Signal.” A signal between 80% and 100% is excellent, while rates around 70% provide adequate performance. Values below 60% reflect a weak signal.
The Command Prompt displays the Wi-Fi signal strength as a percentage.
5. Using PowerShell. You can also check the Wi-Fi signal strength using PowerShell. Open the taskbar search box, type “powershell,” and select “Windows PowerShell.” Enter the command (netsh wlan show interfaces) -Match ‘^\s+Signal’ -Replace ‘^\s+Signal\s+:\s+’,” and confirm with “Enter” to see a percentage value. Alternatively, you can use the command for the Command Prompt as well: simply type netsh wlan show interfaces to get the measurement.
PowerShell provides an easy way to view Wi-Fi signal strength as a straightforward percentage.