What is RSRP in WiFi?

What is RSRP in WiFi?

Today, we’re going to dive into the concept of RSRP, specifically in WiFi. If you’ve already come across RSRP in the context of LTE, you might be familiar with its role in measuring signal strength. But what about WiFi? You might wonder how this term fits into the WiFi world. Let me explain how it works and why it’s important.

Understanding RSRP

RSRP stands for Reference Signal Received Power. It is a key measurement used in mobile networks like LTE to indicate the strength of the received signal from a base station. But in WiFi, the term RSRP is not commonly used in the same sense. Instead, WiFi networks usually refer to signal strength in terms of RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator). However, let’s draw a parallel and understand how these measurements are related in terms of network performance.

Just like LTE uses RSRP to measure the received power from a cell tower’s reference signal, WiFi uses similar principles to assess the strength of the signal you’re receiving from your access point (AP). Both RSRP and RSSI aim to give an idea of how strong the signal is, which directly impacts the quality of the network connection.

How WiFi Measures Signal Strength

In WiFi, signal strength is typically measured using RSSI. This value represents the power level being received by your device from the access point. The higher the RSSI, the better the connection will be, just like how RSRP works in LTE. Let me walk you through the key points:

• RSSI: Measures the total received power, including both the reference signal and any noise or interference in the channel. A higher RSSI value typically indicates a stronger connection.
• RSRP (LTE): In LTE, RSRP specifically measures the strength of the reference signal from a base station, excluding noise and interference. It focuses more on the quality of the signal used for communication.

Comparing RSRP and RSSI

Although the terms RSRP and RSSI are used in different networks, they serve a similar purpose: to gauge signal strength. However, it’s important to understand that in WiFi, RSSI can also be affected by interference, noise, and other factors, which might not be as prominently considered in RSRP measurements in LTE.

RSRP’s Role in WiFi Networks

Even though RSRP isn’t directly used in WiFi networks, it helps to understand the concept as it relates to overall wireless network performance. Signal strength directly influences your browsing experience, streaming quality, or gaming performance. For WiFi, you can correlate a high RSSI value with better signal strength, ensuring smoother performance in activities that require more bandwidth.

WiFi Signal Strength and Network Performance

We previously talked about network performance in the context of mobile networks, but the same principles apply to WiFi. When the RSSI is high, the connection is stronger, leading to better performance. As we learned in earlier articles, the relationship between signal strength and network speed is crucial for a seamless experience. In WiFi, ensuring you have a good RSSI reading can help you understand whether you’ll experience lag or fast internet speeds during online tasks.

Table: RSRP vs RSSI