Question WiFi signal strength fluctuation on iPhone 14 Pro ?

RickVS

Distinguished
Jul 27, 2014
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18,530
I have an iPhone 14 Pro. Recently I've started having issues with the Wi-Fi signal strength dipping. It is normally at full strength at 3 arches but often drops to 2 arches for no reason. I don't move the phone. I spent 2 hours on the phone with Apple/VZW/VZ FIOS and they have no answers. VZW actually told me that they can't guarantee call quality in a house because there are too many variables (this whole dialogue began centered around call quality issues). All of you with VZW in a house? You're out of luck.

I do have a VZW extender because my Verizon cell signal out here in the country is piss poor. Anyone have any thoughts? It doesn't matter which Wi-fi signal I'm connected to. I have a Verizon router/wifi extender and a TP-Link router. And then again my VZW extender which has nothing to do with wifi. Thanks.
 

Ralston18

Titan
Moderator
More information needed.

This:

"I have a Verizon router/wifi extender and a TP-Link router."

"It doesn't matter which Wi-fi signal I'm connected to."

Two routers? What Wi-fi signals?

Makes and models? How connected?

E.g.: Line diagram where ----> represents an Ethernet cable.

ISP (Verizon) === (DSL, coax, fiber) ===> Verizon router [LAN Port] ----->[WAN Port] TP-Link Router [LAN ports to wired devices and ~~~~> wireless devices. Extender?


Feel free to edit and correct my line diagram.

And it all did work before without regards to the "arches" correct?
 
Complaints like this are why the Cellular signal strength indicator now almost always shows full bars even when you have no service, or the oil pressure gauge in your car snaps straight to the middle when you start it (making it a gauge shaped idiot light rather than a real gauge). Famously Porsche speedometers go wildly inaccurate and optimistic above 155mph because customers would complain when their example doesn't go as fast as the ones in the car magazine tests did.

Manufacturers don't want to deal with complaints from people who had the bad luck to get a poor sample. Now you want them to mess up the Wifi signal strength indicator too? Because you know that's the only way they'd "fix" it.

It's showing you RSSI, and whether that's low because it was mistuned when manufactured, you have a RF absorbing case or interference or are just "holding it wrong," having the Wifi signal strength indicator lie to you wouldn't help anyone.