**License: Pro** - Requires a Pro or Enterprise license.

WiFi Signal Strength Probe#

Overview#

The WiFi Signal Strength probe monitors wireless network connectivity quality by measuring signal strength and link quality. It automatically detects WiFi connections and collects metrics about signal level, SSID, and access point information.

Quick Start#

Basic Configuration#

probes:
  - name: wifi_signal_strength
    params:
      interval: 60

Minimal Configuration#

probes:
  - name: wifi_signal_strength

Key Metrics#

Platform Support#

• Windows - Uses netsh wlan show interfaces (Signal strength %)
• Linux - Uses iwconfig (Signal strength dBm, Link quality %)
• macOS - Not supported
• BSD - Not supported

Auto-enable: Probe only starts if WiFi is actively connected.

Configuration Parameters#

Note: No additional configuration required. Probe auto-detects WiFi connection.

Signal Strength Interpretation#

Windows (Percentage)#

Linux (dBm)#

Tags#

Each metric includes these tags:

Monitoring Integration#

PRTG#

storage:
  - name: http
    params:
      endpoints: ["prtg"]

Access: http://localhost:8080/api/{key}/prtg/metrics

PRTG Channels:

• WiFi Signal Strength (%, dBm)
• WiFi Quality (%) - Linux only

Nagios#

storage:
  - name: http
    params:
      endpoints: ["nagios"]

Returns: OK - WiFi connected | signal=85% quality=90%

Grafana#

Query: wifi_signal_strength{ssid="CompanyWiFi"}

Dashboard Panels:

• Signal strength timeline
• Signal heatmap by SSID
• Connection quality gauge

Use Cases#

1. WiFi Performance Monitoring#

Objective: Track WiFi connection quality over time

Metrics: wifi_signal_strength, wifi_quality

Alert: Signal <60% (Windows) or <-70dBm (Linux)

Benefits:

• Identify coverage dead zones
• Detect access point issues
• Monitor roaming behavior
• Track interference patterns

2. Remote Worker Connectivity#

Objective: Monitor home office WiFi quality

Configuration:

probes:
  - name: wifi_signal_strength
    params:
      interval: 30  # More frequent checks

Alert Rules:

• Signal <50% → Warning (ask user to move closer)
• Signal <30% → Critical (connectivity issues)

3. Mobile Device Monitoring#

Objective: Track WiFi stability on laptops/tablets

Metrics: Signal strength + packet loss (Gateway probe)

Combined Setup:

probes:
  - name: wifi_signal_strength
    params:
      interval: 60
  - name: ping_gateway
    params:
      interval: 30

4. Access Point Performance#

Objective: Compare signal strength across multiple access points

Metrics: Signal strength by BSSID tag

Analysis:

• Group by BSSID to compare APs
• Identify weak access points
• Optimize AP placement

Troubleshooting#

Probe Not Starting#

Symptom: Probe doesn’t collect metrics

Cause: No active WiFi connection detected

Diagnosis:

# Windows
netsh wlan show interfaces

# Linux
iwconfig

Solution: Connect to WiFi network first

Windows: “Error checking WiFi connection”#

Symptom: Probe fails on Windows

Possible Causes:

1. WiFi adapter disabled
2. No WiFi hardware
3. Permission issues

Solutions:

# Enable WiFi adapter
netsh interface set interface "WiFi" enabled

# Check adapter status
netsh wlan show interfaces

Linux: “Command not found: iwconfig”#

Symptom: Probe fails on Linux

Cause: wireless-tools package not installed

Solution:

# Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt-get install wireless-tools

# RHEL/CentOS
sudo yum install wireless-tools

# Arch Linux
sudo pacman -S wireless_tools

Linux: Alternative with nmcli#

If iwconfig is not available, probe falls back to nmcli:

# Check WiFi status
nmcli radio wifi

# Enable WiFi
nmcli radio wifi on

No Signal Strength Data#

Symptom: Probe runs but returns no metrics

Windows:

# Check netsh output manually
netsh wlan show interfaces
# Look for "Signal" line

Linux:

# Check iwconfig output
iwconfig
# Look for "Signal level=" line

Unstable Signal Readings#

Symptom: Signal fluctuates rapidly

Possible Causes:

1. WiFi interference (microwaves, Bluetooth)
2. Moving laptop/device
3. Multiple access points with same SSID
4. Distance from access point

Solutions:

• Move closer to access point
• Switch to 5GHz band (less interference)
• Use wired connection for stability
• Check for interfering devices

Alert Thresholds#

Windows (Percentage)#

Linux (dBm)#

Performance#

• CPU: <0.1% (command execution overhead)
• Memory: ~5MB
• Network: None (local command execution)
• Collection Time: ~100-500ms per interval

Best Practices#

Collection Interval#

Combined Monitoring#

For complete connectivity monitoring, combine with:

1. Gateway Ping - Network latency and packet loss
2. Network Probe - Interface traffic and errors
3. WebApp Ping - Internet connectivity

Example Configuration:

probes:
  - name: wifi_signal_strength
    params:
      interval: 60
  - name: ping_gateway
    params:
      interval: 30
  - name: ping_webapp
    params:
      interval: 60
      url: "https://www.google.com"

Dashboard Design#

Essential Panels:

1. Signal Strength Gauge - Current signal level
2. Signal Timeline - Trend over time
3. SSID Table - Connected networks
4. Quality vs Strength - Correlation chart (Linux)

Alert Examples#

Basic Signal Alert#

alerts:
  - name: Weak WiFi Signal
    condition: wifi_signal_strength < 60  # Windows
    duration: 5m
    severity: warning
    action: notify_user

Linux Signal Alert#

alerts:
  - name: Weak WiFi Signal
    condition: wifi_signal_strength < -70  # Linux dBm
    duration: 5m
    severity: warning
    action: notify_user

Quality Alert (Linux Only)#

alerts:
  - name: Poor WiFi Quality
    condition: wifi_quality < 50
    duration: 3m
    severity: warning
    action: check_interference

SSID-Specific Alert#

alerts:
  - name: Office WiFi Weak
    condition: wifi_signal_strength < 60 AND ssid == "OfficeWiFi"
    severity: warning
    action: notify_admin