- If you’re experiencing slow internet speeds or frequent network disconnections on Windows, checking the Wi-Fi signal strength should be your first step.
- You can easily check the Wi-Fi signal strength from the Taskbar, Settings app, or Control Panel.
- For a more accurate measurement of Wi-Fi signal strength, you can run the ‘netsh wlan show interfaces’ command in Command Prompt.
Method 1: Check Wi-Fi Signal Strength From the Taskbar
The quickest way to determine Wi-Fi signal strength on Windows is through the taskbar. Locate the Wi-Fi icon on the bottom-right corner of the taskbar and check the signal strength of your network connection. The greater the number of solid curved bars, the stronger the signal.
If you want to check the Wi-Fi signal strength of other nearby networks, press the Windows key + A to open the Quick Settings panel and click the sideways arrow next to the Wi-Fi icon.
You’ll see a list of nearby Wi-Fi networks and their signal strength.
Method 2: Check Wi-Fi Signal Strength From the Settings App
The Windows 11 Settings app makes it easy to add, remove, and manage Wi-Fi networks from one place. It also provides information regarding Wi-Fi signal strength. Here’s how to check.
Step 1: Press the Windows key + I to launch the Settings app and head to Network & internet > Wi-Fi .
Step 2: The Wi-Fi icon on the left of your network’s name indicates the signal strength.
Step 3: You can click on Show available networks to view the signal strength of other nearby Wi-Fi networks.
Method 3: Check Wi-Fi Signal Strength Using Control Panel
If you prefer using the Control Panel over the Settings app, employ the following steps to check the Wi-Fi signal strength on Windows 11.
Step 1: Press the Windows key + R to open the Run command. Type control in the Open field and press Enter .
Step 2: Use the drop-down menu in the top right corner to change the view type to Large icons . Then, go to Network and Sharing Center .
Step 3: The wireless icon next to Connections shows the signal strength of your Wi-Fi connection.
Method 4: Check Wi-Fi Signal Strength Using Task Manager
The Windows Task Manager can provide a wealth of information about your system . You can also use it to check the signal strength of your current Wi-Fi connection. Here’s how to do it.
Step 1: Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard to open the Task Manager. Use the left pane to switch to the Performance tab.
Step 2: Click on Wi-Fi and check the current signal strength at the bottom.
Method 5: Check Wi-Fi Signal Strength Using Command Prompt
Not a fan of GUI? No problem. Windows also lets you check the Wi-Fi signal strength by running a command in the Command Prompt. Unlike the previous methods, Command Prompt provides an accurate measurement of Wi-Fi signal strength.
To check Wi-Fi signal strength using Command Prompt:
Step 1: Right-click on the Start icon and select Terminal (Admin) from the list.
Step 2: In the console, run the following command and press Enter . The command will reveal all the information about your Wi-Fi connection, including the signal strength.
netsh wlan show interfaces
Step 3: You can check the Wi-Fi signal strength in the Signal field.
