How do I test the strength of my cellular signal?

Article Topics

• Testing Cellular Signal Strength Using an iPhone
• Testing Cellular Signal Strength Using an Android Phone
• Testing Cellular Signal Strength Using a Computer

Testing Cellular Signal Strength using an iPhone

IMPORTANT! Before you test your cellular signal, go to your iPhone settings and make certain that you have your WiFi turned off. This way you won't misread your WiFi signal strength for your cellular signal strength. 

1. Stand next to the machine that you plan to connect via cellular. 
2. Using an iPhone connected to your AT&T network, enter *3001#12345#* on you keypad and then hit the call button. 
3. Select LTE from the Main Menu.
4. Select Serving Cell Measurements.
5. Look at the value for rsrp0. (This is the value for the cell tower closest to your location.) If the value is greater than -90, this means you have a viable cell connection. If the value is anywhere between -80 and -30 dBm, you have a strong cellular signal. If the value for rsrp0 is less than -90, it is considered a 'poor signal.' If your value is -90 or less, you may need to consider mounting an external cellular antenna or purchasing a signal booster.

Testing Cellular Signal Strength using an Android Phone

IMPORTANT! Before you test your cellular signal, go to your settings and make certain that you have your WiFi turned off. This way you won't misread your WiFi signal strength for your cellular signal strength. 

1. Stand next to the machine that you plan to connect via cellular. 
2. Pull up the Android's menu, scroll down and select About Phone, then select Status.
3. On this screen you should see a section labeled Signal Strength. This section will measure your signal strength in dBm as well as ASU. (ASU is a representation of the rate at which the phone is able to update its location by connecting to the towers near it.) It basically measures the same thing as dBm, but on a more linear scale. You can convert ASU to dBm with this formula: dBm= -113+(2*ASU).
4. dBm is the power ratio in decibels of the radio power per one milliwatt. A signal of -60dBm is nearly perfect, and -90 or less is very weak. If you're above about -80 dBm, Android will report a full 4 bars of signal and your machine connectivity should be fine. 
5. If the value is greater than -90, this means you should have a viable cell connection. If the dBm is less than -90, you may need to consider mounting an external cellular antenna or purchasing a signal booster.

Testing Cellular Signal Strength using a Computer

IMPORTANT! If you plan to test your cellular signal strength using a computer, it is recommended that you move the computer next to each machine you plan to connect via cellular and run an individual test for each and every machine. For obvious reasons, a laptop would be more convenient than a desktop in this regards. Testing the cellular signal in your back office, or only in one section of your shop floor environment may not give you a full picture of the actual signal strength available at each machine. 

1. Plug in the Cellular Modem that was shipped to your along with your Edge Device into your computer's USB port. If your computer does not have a USB port, you may need to use a USB adapter. 
2. Wait for the Cellular Modem's external light to turn on
3. Open a web browser on your computer, and in the search bar type in 192.168.1.1 - this will bring you to the modem’s home screen. If your browser returns an error indicating the page is unreachable, check that your computer’s connection to the internet is in fact being run through the USB Cellular Modem, (as opposed to WiFi or a wired ethernet connection.) If you confirm the ethernet connection is to the Cellular Modem, it might be necessary to clear your browser’s cache, especially if you have used the browser to configure a different router’s settings.
4. On the modem’s home screen, there will be a section labeled “Signal Strength” which will display the type of network connection, as well as the signal’s strength measured in dBm.
5. If the Cell Modem says -110 dBm or better, the cell connection will is viable - as long as the cellular modem is mounted to the outside of the machine cabinet. If the dBm is less than -110 dBm you may need to consider mounting an external cellular antenna or purchasing a signal booster.