How do I address a low Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR)?
What is Signal to Noise Ratio?
Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is a measure that compares the strength of a Wifi signal to the strength of background noise that can interfere with the signal. Measured in decibels (dB), low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) values indicate that there is either a high noise level in the environment or low signal strength coming from the network, or both.
What is a good SNR?
K4Community devices require an SNR of at least 25 dB. Anything above 25 dB is acceptable but the higher the better. SNR values from 25 dB - 40 dB are considered good. Above 40 dB is considered excellent. SNR values below 25 dB are considered degraded and below 18 dB are considered critically low.
Possible causes of low signal strength:
- The controller is too far away from the router or access point.
- Physical interferences like thick walls, floors, or other appliances.
- Too many controllers trying to connect to one access point.
Some possible causes of high noise values:
- Refrigerators
- Microwaves
- Cordless phones
- Wireless video cameras
How to address low SNR
To address a low SNR value, see if you can improve either the noise environment or the network signal strength. In most cases moving the device to a different location closer to the signal source and/or further from interfering devices can help a lot. In some cases it might be necessary to have the IT team review the network settings to ensure optimal signal strength is being provided from the network.