A spectrum note for a transit shelter AP shows the noise floor rising 10 dB while the desired signal stays constant. What happens to SNR?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation.
Short Explanation
Hold the singer's volume steady and crank the crowd noise — the song gets harder to hear. That shrinking gap is SNR getting worse. A 10 dB hotter noise floor with the same signal is bad news for the link, not a free upgrade.
Full Explanation
SNR is the relationship of desired signal level to noise. If noise increases by 10 dB and the signal remains constant, SNR falls by 10 dB. Signal and noise do not automatically track to preserve SNR. SNR remains a meaningful RF performance metric alongside absolute dBm readings and is not redefined as free space path loss. Technicians use this relationship when noise floor changes degrade client experience without an obvious drop in raw signal strength.