If you have any concerns about WiFi, including slowness or disconnections, one possible explanation is the weak WiFi signal that your computer is picking up. There are several ways to check the strength of the WiFi signal you are connected to with Windows 10 to know if the signal quality is good or bad. We'll show you how to do it below.
The quick and easy solution: the taskbar
To do a quick first check of the strength of your WiFi signal, the easiest way is to go through the WiFi icon visible in your taskbar, at the bottom right of the screen, near the clock.
Note: If you don't see the WiFi icon, it may be hidden. Click the up arrow icon in the taskbar to show all hidden icons.
Click on the icon and find your WiFi network in the list that appears. It's the network at the very top where it says "Connected".
You will see a small signal icon next to your WiFi network. This icon represents the strength of your network's WiFi signal. The more white bars this icon has, the stronger your WiFi signal.
In the list you can also check the strength of the WiFi networks around you.
By going through the Settings menu on your computer
Again, nothing really complicated.
Your computer's Settings menu allows you to display the same bars as the taskbar to visualize the WiFi signal strength.
To use this method, open the "Start" menu, search for "Settings," and then click on the app in the results. You can also tap Windows + i to access the Settings menu very quickly.
Once you are in Settings, click on “Network & Internet” because as the name suggests this is where your connection information is located.
Here, under the “Network Status” section, you will see a signal icon. This icon indicates the signal strength of your current WiFi network. Again, the more black bars this icon has, the stronger the signal.
For more details, the control panel
As you can see, Windows 10 is full of resources and you can get information in many ways. This time, we will go through the control panel.
The advantage of this solution is that you will see an icon with 5 bars (instead of 3 in the previous solutions) allowing you to obtain slightly more precise information (but still not quantified).
To access it, go to the “Start” menu, search for “Control Panel” and click on the utility in the results.
In the window that opens, click on “Network and Internet”.
Then click on “Network and Sharing Center”.
You'll see a signal icon next to "Connections" that indicates the quality of your current WiFi signal. The more bars highlighted in this icon, the better your signal.
Windows PowerShell to get encrypted data on WiFi signal strength
The above methods only give you a rough idea of your WiFi network's signal strength. If you need a more precise answer, you should use Windows PowerShell.
The command netsh Windows 10's built-in signal strength indicator shows your network's signal strength as a percentage, which is much more accurate than any of the other methods listed in this article.
To get this specific answer for your network, go to the Start menu, search for Windows PowerShell, and then click the PowerShell application shortcut in the results.
Copy the command shown below and paste it into your PowerShell window. Press “Enter” to execute the command.
(netsh wlan show interfaces) -Match '^\s+Signal' -Replace '^\s+Signal\s+:\s+',''
PowerShell only displays a percentage, which indicates the current strength of your WiFi signal. The higher the percentage, the better your signal.
To view more information about your network (such as network channel and connection mode), run the following command:
netsh wlan show interfacesCommand Prompt as an alternative to PowerShell
If you are not a fan of PowerShell and prefer the Command Prompt, you can also use the command netsh in this environment.
To do this, open the Command Prompt by going to the “Start” menu and searching for “Command Prompt.” Click on the utility in the results to launch it.
In your command prompt window, type the following command and press “Enter”.
netsh wlan show interfaces
The percentage opposite “Signal” therefore indicates the strength of your WiFi signal.
Ultimately, if the result of this test indicates a weak WiFi signal, you will have to review the positioning of your devices in order to improve the quality of your network. You can also invest in equipment to extend the coverage of your network, such as WiFi repeaters or powerline adapters.
