The client health widget highlights aspects of the client's WiFi connection which might degrade the user experience. It is located on the details page of each client. To learn more about the client details page in general, please visit this article.
When no issues are detected, a check mark is displayed in the health widget. However, if issues are present, they are flagged in either orange or red, indicating their severity.
Below, you'll find three examples demonstrating variations in client health widgets: (left) for a healthy client, (middle) for a client with one issue, and (right) for a client with three or more issues, with the most critical ones listed first.
The following health issues may be reported:
Low signal strength
When a WiFi client experiences low signal strength, it struggles to maintain a stable connection with the Access Point. This can result in slower data transfer rates, increased packet loss, and frequent disconnections, especially over longer distances or through physical obstacles.
High channel utilization
High channel utilization occurs when multiple devices compete for limited bandwidth on the same wireless channel. This congestion leads to increased latency, reduced throughput, and overall slower network performance for WiFi clients as they contend for access to the channel.
Low uplink speed
The uplink speed refers to the rate at which the client's Access Point can transmit data to its upstream device, which could be a mesh gateway, a wired switch, or a router. The total throughput measured by a WiFi client is determined by the slowest element in the network chain. For a example, if a client Access Point connection is capable of 1 Gbps , but the Access Point uplink speed is only 100 Mbps, then the maximum throughput the client can achieve will be limited to 100 Mbps.
Mismatching channel width
WiFi throughput is directly related to channel width: the wider the channel, the higher the throughput. If the client's channel width is narrower than that of the Access Point, the client can not reach the maximum throughput the Access Point is capable of offering.
Legacy client
A legacy WiFi client refers to a client that operates on older WiFi standards compared to the Access Points in the network. These devices often have slower data rates and less efficient modulation techniques compared to modern WiFi standards. The existence of a single legacy client in an updated WiFi environment can degrade the overall performance of the wireless network.
Legacy Access Point
Similarly, a legacy Access Point refers to an older device that lacks support for newer WiFi standards. Connecting to a legacy Access Point can limit the performance and capabilities of WiFi clients, hindering their ability to take advantage of faster speeds and improved technologies.
Band
Operating on the 2.4 GHz band can lead to performance issues due to its susceptibility to interference from other devices, such as Bluetooth devices, microwaves, and cordless phones. Additionally, the 2.4 GHz band has fewer available channels, leading to increased congestion and slower data rates, especially in densely populated areas.
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