Arduino: Question: Is there a way to get the Wifi signal strength ?

[thereforeiam]

In order to be able to diagnose connection problem I was wondering if it was possible to get the signal strength via the WiFi API.
I realise this is not available as part of the standard arduino lib, but GSM has something equivalent

[linagee]

Yes you can. You can do almost anything with this chip if you dive into their closed source libs. :-) (Its doing almost everything entirely in software.) I don't think you'd even need to go that far though. There appears to be some way that passive mode and the wifi scan are able to grab the RSSI. (You could probably even just use passive mode and only look at AP packets.)

[duncan-a]

Does anyone know the method for this?

I'm intending to have a 'connected' LED and it would be very useful to have
an indication of signal strength to accompany that...

On 29 April 2015 at 16:15, linagee [email protected] wrote:

Yes you can. You can do almost anything with this chip if you dive into
their closed source libs. :-) (Its doing almost everything entirely in
software.) I don't think you'd even need to go that far though. There
appears to be some way that passive mode and the wifi scan are able to grab
the RSSI. (You could probably even just use passive mode and only look at
AP packets.)

—
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub
https://github.com/esp8266/Arduino/issues/132#issuecomment-97442498.

[marvinroger]

As far as I know, there is currently no way in the Espressif SDK to retrieve the RSSI to the current connected AP. But as @linagee pointed out, it is possible looking at the sources to get the RSSI after a wifi scan, here is a working example:

#include <Arduino.h>
#include <ESP8266WiFi.h>

const char* SSID = "YOUR_SSID";

// Return RSSI or 0 if target SSID not found
int32_t getRSSI(const char* target_ssid) {
  byte available_networks = WiFi.scanNetworks();

  for (int network = 0; network < available_networks; network++) {
    if (strcmp(WiFi.SSID(network), target_ssid) == 0) {
      return WiFi.RSSI(network);
    }
  }
  return 0;
}

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(115200);
}

void loop() {
  unsigned long before = millis();
  int32_t rssi = getRSSI(SSID);
  unsigned long after = millis();
  Serial.print("Signal strength: ");
  Serial.print(rssi);
  Serial.println("dBm");

  Serial.print("Took ");
  Serial.print(after - before);
  Serial.println("ms");
  delay(1000);
}

Outputting

Signal strength: -60dBm
Took 2133ms
Signal strength: -57dBm
Took 2133ms
Signal strength: -57dBm
Took 2128ms
Signal strength: -58dBm
Took 2132ms
Signal strength: -62dBm
Took 2132ms
Signal strength: -57dBm
Took 2132ms

This is far from clean and ideal, as:

• It is not very bulletproof as it filters the networks by SSID, impossible to do now by mac address
• It is blocking for around 2 sec, the time to do a wifi scan, which is a huge caveat for a single threaded system

But hey, it works!

[duncan-a]

Marvin:
Thanks for that.
A two second blocking certainly less than ideal but a starting point is
always good to have at my level of comprehension.

On 1 May 2015 at 00:59, Marvin Roger [email protected] wrote:

As far as I know, there is currently no way in the Espressif SDK to
retrieve the RSSI to the current connected AP. But as @linagee
https://github.com/linagee pointed out, it is possible looking at the
sources to get the RSSI after a wifi scan, here is a working example:

include

include

const char* SSID = "YOUR_SSID";
// Return RSSI or 0 if target SSID not foundint32_t getRSSI(const char* target_ssid) {
byte available_networks = WiFi.scanNetworks();

for (int network = 0; network < available_networks; network++) {
if (strcmp(WiFi.SSID(network), target_ssid) == 0) {
return WiFi.RSSI(network);
}
}
return 0;
}
void setup() {
Serial.begin(115200);
}
void loop() {
unsigned long before = millis();
int32_t rssi = getRSSI(SSID);
unsigned long after = millis();
Serial.print("Signal strength: ");
Serial.print(rssi);
Serial.println("dB");

Serial.print("Took ");
Serial.print(after - before);
Serial.println("ms");
delay(1000);
}

Outputting

Signal strength: -60dB
Took 2133ms
Signal strength: -57dB
Took 2133ms
Signal strength: -57dB
Took 2128ms
Signal strength: -58dB
Took 2132ms
Signal strength: -62dB
Took 2132ms
Signal strength: -57dB
Took 2132ms

This is far from clean and ideal, as:

• It is not very bulletproof as it filters the networks by SSID,
  impossible to do now by mac address
• It is blocking for around 2 sec, which is a huge caveat for a single
  threaded system

But hey, it works!

—
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub
https://github.com/esp8266/Arduino/issues/132#issuecomment-97994661.

[Links2004]

thx to latests SDK ist possible now.
see pull #325

[duncan-a]

Can somebody explain to those of us who are less 'techie' how to update the
ESP modules to the latest SDK so that we can use the new functionality???

Simple 'step by step' approach appreciated!!!

On 25 May 2015 at 12:33, Markus [email protected] wrote:

thx to latests SDK ist possible now.
see pull #325 https://github.com/esp8266/Arduino/pull/325

—
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub
https://github.com/esp8266/Arduino/issues/132#issuecomment-105201141.

[igrr]

@duncan-a
When the update is released, you will just need to open the Board Manager and click "Install" button for the ESP8266 core.

Clarification: updated package with the new SDK is not released yet. Still troubleshooting some bugs.

[duncan-a]

OK thanks - even I should be able to manage that!!!

Any idea when the update is likely to be released?

On 25 May 2015 at 12:51, Ivan Grokhotkov [email protected] wrote:

@duncan-a https://github.com/duncan-a
When the update is released, you will just need to open the Board Manager
and click "Install" button for the ESP8266 core.

—
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub
https://github.com/esp8266/Arduino/issues/132#issuecomment-105204742.

[Tugao]

Heyyyy
I am new with esp8266
I would like to get the name of ssid , the Signal strength and the mac address
is it possible ?
I can´t found how to get a mac address ( ap )

thanks

[Links2004]

you can use WiFi.getNetworkInfo() to get all at once or MAC only WiFi.BSSID()

https://github.com/esp8266/Arduino/blob/d108a6ec30193a8e44eb9c72efc7a55853b54f09/hardware/esp8266com/esp8266/libraries/ESP8266WiFi/src/ESP8266WiFi.h#L291
https://github.com/esp8266/Arduino/blob/d108a6ec30193a8e44eb9c72efc7a55853b54f09/hardware/esp8266com/esp8266/libraries/ESP8266WiFi/src/ESP8266WiFi.h#L257
https://github.com/esp8266/Arduino/blob/d108a6ec30193a8e44eb9c72efc7a55853b54f09/hardware/esp8266com/esp8266/libraries/ESP8266WiFi/src/ESP8266WiFi.h#L264

[Tugao]

ooo my thanks
but, howe can I use this labarys in my project
I have others labrary liki this im my project, but
they dont work well

[Links2004]

its part of the ESP8266 project, you already have it.

#include <EPS8266WiFi.h>

and then use the functions

[Tugao]

Yes, needed to update my old library
so Now i go this information
one more time
thanks for open my eyes

I thought this command just uas possible whit at command

[Links2004]

at commands have noting to do with this project :)

[N0TB0T]

Maybe I get it wrong, but I'd have to pass about 8 arguments ot WiFi.getNetworkInfo(), so I'd have to scan the Network previously anyway?

[Links2004]

you can take a look here:
https://github.com/esp8266/Arduino/blob/d108a6ec30193a8e44eb9c72efc7a55853b54f09/hardware/esp8266com/esp8266/libraries/ESP8266WiFi/src/ESP8266WiFiMulti.cpp#L74

the arguments are pointer where the information will be stored.
the first is the index.

basic:
run WiFi.scanNetworks and then use WiFi.getNetworkInfo for all the entrys

[hb020]

For those looking for RSSI on the ESP8266's active WifI connection, This is one of the first topics that come up. But the explanations are about RSSI after a (rather time consuming) scan, after the remark "As far as I know, there is currently no way in the Espressif SDK to retrieve the RSSI to the current connected AP". Well, that is no longer true. One can get the RSSI of the active WiFi connection: WiFi.RSSI(). That's all that is needed.

[duncan-a]

Are you implying that this is available with a new version of the Expressif
SDK?

If so, for those of us who are not super techie, how does one update the
SDK?

On 30 January 2016 at 16:11, hb020 [email protected] wrote:

For those looking for RSSI on the ESP8266's active WifI connection, This
is one of the first topics that come up. But the explanations are about
RSSI after a (rather time consuming) scan, after the remark "As far as I
know, there is currently no way in the Espressif SDK to retrieve the RSSI
to the current connected AP". Well, that is no longer true. One can get the
RSSI of the active WiFi connection: WiFi.RSSI(). That's all that is needed.

—
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub
https://github.com/esp8266/Arduino/issues/132#issuecomment-177202029.

[marvinroger]

The SDK is embedded, you don't have to download it yourself...

Just download the latest 2.1.0 (not sure it was implemented before), and when connected in STA do WiFi.RSSI() and you're good to go.

[hb020]

It is also in 2.0 (stable/master)

[gert3d]

@ marvinroger commented on 1 May 2015:

I used the code for a ESP-07(without any antenna) , (onboard antenna only), (external antenna only) and (both antenna's) but I do not see much difference in signal strength, all range between -76dBm and -87dBm, 2129ms.
However in a functional sketch retrieving NTP time I DO see a difference: no response without antenna's and a reliable response with whatever antenna configuration. So I wonder what is measured really.

[Messaoudi0]

Hello everybody
Already thank you for all that information, I would like to know if we can get the signal to noise ratio(SNR) and if possible, how?
Or just get the noise and then I will make the equation Signal / Noise.

Thank you

[bitnapper]

Like @Messaoudi0 I am also interested in getting the signal to noise ratio. I need it to get the geolocation with the mozilla location service api.

[tablatronix]

Anyone even find if noise or SNR are available ?

[gicho]

This depends on if running in AP or station mode, but WiFi.RSSI() might be
what you look for.
Check here:
https://github.com/tzapu/WiFiManager/blob/master/WiFiManager.cpp

2016-12-23 20:00 GMT+02:00 Shawn A [e-mail]:

Anyone even find if noise or SNR are available ?

—
You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread.
Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub
https://github.com/esp8266/Arduino/issues/132#issuecomment-269025436,
or mute the thread
https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/ALTjCbts_NGJZ_747xbCcfo9S4rkyxFZks5rLAxVgaJpZM4EJwnV
.

[zavliju]

if (strcmp(WiFi.SSID(network), target_ssid) == 0) <-- cannot convert 'String' to 'const char' for argument '1' to 'int strcmp(const char, const char*)'

Can I ask something? I've just try the code, but there is a problem with the datatype.
Thanks. :)

[marvinroger]

Actually, you don't need that anymore. Just call WiFi.RSSI()

[byingtan]

I now going to carry out a project with esp8266 module 1 and arduino Uno to measure rssi received by the smartphone. I am confuse about the wiring between esp 8266 and arduino. Wish someone can give me some guidance.

[devyte]

This is not the place to ask such questions. This is an issue tracker,
meant for tracking issues in the core libs. Please research, there are many
diagrams online.
If you still have questions, please ask at stackoverflow or esp8266.com.

On Aug 24, 2017 2:21 AM, "byingtan" [e-mail] wrote:

I now going to carry out a project with esp8266 module 1 and arduino Uno
to measure rssi received by the smartphone. I am confuse about the wiring
between esp 8266 and arduino. Wish someone can give me some guidance.

—
You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread.
Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub
https://github.com/esp8266/Arduino/issues/132#issuecomment-324535844,
or mute the thread
https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AQC6BsrC2M3irHkfQDNwzTq4X8ILpWP9ks5sbQh2gaJpZM4EJwnV
.