RSSI
Definition
Received Signal Strength Indicator. A value, typically expressed in dBm, recorded in access-point logs and packet captures that indicates how strongly a client's signal was received. Used to estimate proximity and to support or refute a device's claimed distance from an access point.
- Full name
- Received Signal Strength Indicator
- Unit
- dBm (typically)
- Recorded in
- Access-point logs and packet captures
- Forensic use
- Estimating device proximity to an access point
Common questions
How reliable is RSSI for pinpointing a device's exact location?+
RSSI degrades with distance but is also affected by walls, interference, and antenna orientation, so it supports a rough proximity estimate or a relative comparison between readings rather than precise positioning on its own.
Why would RSSI matter in a Wi-Fi forensics case?+
If a device's association logs show unusually strong RSSI at a given access point, that can support a claim the device was physically near that access point at the time, which is useful for corroborating or challenging a claimed location or alibi.
Related terms
- BSSID
- Basic Service Set Identifier. The MAC address of a specific access point radio. Used in association logs and packet captures to uniquely...
- MAC Address Randomisation
- A privacy mechanism in modern operating systems that substitutes a randomly generated MAC address for the device's globally unique burned-in address during...
- Monitor Mode
- An 802.11 radio mode that captures every wireless frame in range, including management and control frames, without associating to an access point....
- Preferred Network List (PNL)
- The list of previously joined Wi-Fi networks stored on a client device. The device automatically probes for networks on the PNL when...
- Probe Request
- An 802.11 management frame broadcast by a client device when actively scanning for Wi-Fi networks. Contains the device MAC address and, in...