Hi everyone,
What is the meaning of the 'Cellular modem signal strength' status record found under 'Engine Measurements' section? Additionally, what are its possible values (such as dBm or RSSI ranges) and their meanings regarding network quality?
Thanks in advance!
You need to be logged in to reply to this post and participate in the Geotab Community discussions.
The "Cellular modem signal strength" status record under the Engine Measurements section is basically the strength of the signal the device is receiving. In context of a cellular phone, as a similar example, this would relate to the amount of signal bars you have on your cellular phone.
In regards to the possible values and their meanings, this gets a little more tricky- Reason being, values may fall in completely different thresholds depending on the generation of the tech, as well as the network provider. However, generally speaking, the easiest way to look at it is that the LOWER the (ABSOLUTE) number is, the BETTER the signal is (to make it easy to remember, consider that the values are expressed in negative numbers, so -1 is actually more than -100).
(I've compiles some more Geotab-specific info below for reference)
Values and Network Quality Range
Geotab GO devices typically report this measurement directly in dBm (decibels relative to one milliwatt). Because cellular signal strength is measured as a negative value, a smaller negative number indicates a stronger, healthier signal.
Here is a general breakdown of how to interpret the dBm values regarding network quality:
dBm Range,Signal Quality,Description
-50 to -70 dBm, Excellent,"Perfect signal strength. The device has a strong, stable connection and will upload telemetry data in near real-time without issue."
-70 to -85 dBm, Very Good / Good,Solid connection. Plenty of signal for reliable data transfers and normal operations.
-85 to -95 dBm, Fair,"Acceptable connection. Data will still transmit fine, but the device may occasionally experience slight delays if the signal dips lower."
-95 to -110 dBm, Poor,"Weak signal. The device might experience delayed packet updates, dropped connections, or intermittent live tracking updates."
-110 dBm or lower, No Signal / Dead Zone,Extremely weak or completely disconnected. The GO device will log and store its telemetry data on its internal flash memory until it reconnects to a stronger network.
I hope this helps! Thanks!
The "Cellular modem signal strength" status record under the Engine Measurements section is basically the strength of the signal the device is receiving. In context of a cellular phone, as a similar example, this would relate to the amount of signal bars you have on your cellular phone.
In regards to the possible values and their meanings, this gets a little more tricky- Reason being, values may fall in completely different thresholds depending on the generation of the tech, as well as the network provider. However, generally speaking, the easiest way to look at it is that the LOWER the (ABSOLUTE) number is, the BETTER the signal is (to make it easy to remember, consider that the values are expressed in negative numbers, so -1 is actually more than -100).
(I've compiles some more Geotab-specific info below for reference)
Values and Network Quality Range
Geotab GO devices typically report this measurement directly in dBm (decibels relative to one milliwatt). Because cellular signal strength is measured as a negative value, a smaller negative number indicates a stronger, healthier signal.
Here is a general breakdown of how to interpret the dBm values regarding network quality:
dBm Range,Signal Quality,Description
-50 to -70 dBm, Excellent,"Perfect signal strength. The device has a strong, stable connection and will upload telemetry data in near real-time without issue."
-70 to -85 dBm, Very Good / Good,Solid connection. Plenty of signal for reliable data transfers and normal operations.
-85 to -95 dBm, Fair,"Acceptable connection. Data will still transmit fine, but the device may occasionally experience slight delays if the signal dips lower."
-95 to -110 dBm, Poor,"Weak signal. The device might experience delayed packet updates, dropped connections, or intermittent live tracking updates."
-110 dBm or lower, No Signal / Dead Zone,Extremely weak or completely disconnected. The GO device will log and store its telemetry data on its internal flash memory until it reconnects to a stronger network.
I hope this helps! Thanks!