If you’ve ever installed a 4G or 5G router and wondered why you’re not getting the speeds or reliability you expected, you’re not alone. One of the biggest misconceptions in the world of wireless connectivity is that signal bars equal performance. Unfortunately, they don’t. Routers—especially high-performance units like those from Teltonika, Robustel, or InHand Networks—rely on deeper, more technical metrics to determine how well they’re actually connected to the mobile network.
This guide is designed to demystify those metrics: RSSI, RSRP, RSRQ, and SINR. We’ll explain what they are, how they affect performance, and how to interpret them. We’ll also explore what impacts those readings, how antennas make a difference, and give you a complete step-by-step method for testing and improving signal quality.
Whether you’re an installer working on an industrial IoT deployment or a business owner setting up a mobile office, this guide will help you make sense of what your router is really telling you.
Before diving into hardware and antennas, let’s explore what each of these signal strength metrics represents. They all tell part of the story of your wireless link.
What it is: RSSI measures the total signal power received by your router, including both useful LTE signal and unwanted noise or interference. It’s like measuring the total noise level in a room, whether people are talking or shouting or there’s a TV blaring.
Typical Range:
What it is: RSRP is a more accurate measure of LTE signal quality. It calculates the average power level of reference signals broadcast by the cell tower.
Typical Range:
What it is: RSRQ gives insight into how clean your signal is. It compares the RSRP (useful signal) to RSSI (total signal).
Typical Range:
What it is: Perhaps the most critical metric of all, SINR tells you how clearly your router can “hear” the tower above the surrounding noise.
Typical Range:
Signal bars are a simplified visual representation. Most routers base them on RSSI alone, which is affected by everything from noise to device sensitivity. Always trust the metrics, not the bars.
For Teltonika routers:
Site A: Indoors in server rack
Site B: Window-mounted
Site C: External antenna on roof
External antennas are not signal boosters. They don’t amplify signal strength; they simply relocate the point of signal capture to a more optimal location. That could be the roof of a building, a pole above tree lines, or simply outside a metal cabinet or vehicle where signal is stronger and less obstructed.
Antenna gain, measured in dBi, describes how focused the antenna’s signal pattern is:
| Antenna Type | Best Use Case | Examples / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Stubby Blade Antennas | Standard installs | 3–5 dBi peak gain, included with most routers. Good indoors near windows. |
| Omni-directional | Vehicles, uncertain tower location | Receives from all directions. Moderate gain. Great for transport and urban areas. |
| Directional (Yagi/LPDA) | Rural, remote fixed sites | Must be aimed precisely. Higher gain. Use only if necessary. |
| Wall/Pole Mount Panel | General building exterior use | E.g., Fullband MIMORAD (2×2), Panorama DWMM4-6-60 (4×4 MIMO for 5G). |
| Dome / Cabinet Antennas | Cabinets, towers, limited space | E.g., Fullband FB4x4MIMO dome. Designed for durability, not just gain. |
| Embedded Micro Antennas | Manholes, underground gateways | Tiny, low-gain, but suited to confined environments. |
Every environment has a matching antenna—not based on dBi alone, but on practical design and installation constraints.
Log everything:
This allows for future tuning and troubleshooting, especially across multiple deployments.
Q: What’s the best signal strength value to monitor?
Q: Should I aim for the highest dBi antenna?
Q: My router has 4 bars but my video buffers—why?
Q: Do antennas boost the signal?
Q: Can one antenna work for all cases?
Don’t just install and hope for the best. Treat every 4G/5G router deployment as a site-specific job. Use the metrics. Test multiple locations. Choose antennas based on practicality and environment—not marketing claims. And remember:
âś… RSSI tells you total signal (not just the good bits)
âś… RSRP tells you how loud the tower is
âś… RSRQ tells you how clean the line is
âś… SINR tells you how clearly your router hears the tower
Understanding these—and pairing them with the right antenna strategy—is how you get rock-solid LTE/5G performance.
