A meter-reader's phone Wi-Fi meter jumps from 40% to 80% after stepping closer to a public-works AP. What is the sound interpretation of that percentage change?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation.
Short Explanation
Phone percent meters are log-flavored dashboards, not kitchen scales that double when the number doubles. Forty to eighty looks dramatic; it is not "twice the watts" in a naive linear sense. Read it as a display scale, then confirm with dBm when it matters.
Full Explanation
Client percentage signal indicators typically present received strength on a logarithmic-inspired UI scale rather than a linear milliwatt axis. Doubling the displayed percentage therefore does not mean received power in watts exactly doubled. Percentage changes also do not uniquely prove a channel-width change or that the UI is reporting SNR. Technicians should interpret percent meters as relative displays and use absolute dBm when precise comparison is required.