Signal strenth for 4G LTE

[318sugarhill]

So we all know the "bars" on the screen are not to be trusted on any phone on any carrier for a true signal. Under "about phone" in settings you can view you actual signal strength. But up until I installed the Global RUU, LTE is signal was not listed, it still gave you the CDMA 3G signal strength. Today I forgot that I didn't shut off LTE when I checked my signal. To my surprise, there were two numbers. The first was -105 dbm and the second was -15 db. Anyone know what these numbers mean, and how to interpret it? When on 3g only the network will say CDMA and only give one number, but when it switches to LTE, I now get two numbers under Signal strenth.

 

[acejavelin]

There is an app that is called Network Signal Info I believe, free in the Play Store, that gives you some neat (and colorful) info on mobile data and WiFi signal strength.

You should only have one signal strength indication for mobile data network strength, the other one maybe an indication of something else, signal strength should be a -XX dBm value, not a db value. The numbers you show confuse me a little bit... "Perfect" signal strength for any mobile signal in a phone should be around -60 to -65 dBm, with good considered -75dBm to -88dBm, and -125dBm or worse considered no signal (higher numbers, closer to 0 are better). So -105dBm is pretty poor signal, and I am not sure what the -15db is a representation of, by comparison, I have -66dBm sitting in my bedroom in front of the computer, and the VZW tower is about 1/3 of a mile away from me in clear sight.

 

[318sugarhill]

There is an app that is called Network Signal Info I believe, free in the Play Store, that gives you some neat (and colorful) info on mobile data and WiFi signal strength.

You should only have one signal strength indication for mobile data network strength, the other one maybe an indication of something else, signal strength should be a -XX dBm value, not a db value. The numbers you show confuse me a little bit... "Perfect" signal strength for any mobile signal in a phone should be around -60 to -65 dBm, with good considered -75dBm to -88dBm, and -125dBm or worse considered no signal (higher numbers, closer to 0 are better). So -105dBm is pretty poor signal, and I am not sure what the -15db is a representation of, by comparison, I have -66dBm sitting in my bedroom in front of the computer, and the VZW tower is about 1/3 of a mile away from me in clear sight.

But is your phone on 3G or 4G? I'm only seeing the two sets of numbers when on 4g, and under network it clearly says LTE where I get the signal strength. I didn't know what the -15 db was either, that's why I posted it. I know all about the lower number being better. -100 dBm to -105 dBm is normal for me at work. It sucks. Certain periods of the day I turn off the mobile data when I don't need it just to save some battery. Again, I get only 1 number in -dBm when using CDMA, but the LTE gave the two numbers. Very odd and it didn't show that when I was on the .10 ICS leak. Only since I ran the Global RUU is this showing.

 

[acejavelin]

But is your phone on 3G or 4G? I'm only seeing the two sets of numbers when on 4g, and under network it clearly says LTE where I get the signal strength. I didn't know what the -15 db was either, that's why I posted it. I know all about the lower number being better. -100 dBm to -105 dBm is normal for me at work. It sucks. Certain periods of the day I turn off the mobile data when I don't need it just to save some battery. Again, I get only 1 number in -dBm when using CDMA, but the LTE gave the two numbers. Very odd and it didn't show that when I was on the .10 ICS leak. Only since I ran the Global RUU is this showing.

4G: -66dBm
3G: -68dBm

I still am not sure what the db number is for, but my best guess is it is the RSRQ value, it is in the proper range of -3db to -19.5db, and is an indication of signal quality determined mathematically from signal strength (RSRP) and noise/interference in the connection (RSSI).

 

[CmdrQob]

I'm on the Global RUU, and while on LTE under signal strength I have the following:

While in my basement, I have 3 bars showing in the notification bar and strength of:
RSRP(dBm): -103 RSRQ(dB): -9
(Also, my weather widget shows "New York" for my location, that's 400 miles away).

When I go outside, I go to 4 bars and:
RSRP(dBm): -86 RSRQ(dB): -9
(And my weather widget jumps to "Rochester" where I actually am)

Does LTE signal strength work differently? I have a cell tower about a mile away.

Bill

 

[dplane]

No need to sound the alarm bell folks. To put it simply; LTE does indeed typically use a different scale (RSRP) of having its signal strength measured (in newer roms and leaks) and will show a dbm number roughly 20 points higher than the 3G scale. In other words..the OP's 105dbm would be equivalent to about 85dbm in 3G land.

 

[jvolstad]

?68 dbm here at my favorite Starbucks in Burlingame, CA. Very fast as well. The in house Wifi is dirt slow.

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