CODEWITHSUNDEEP
wiresharkmonitormoderssi
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Reputation: 1

Meaning of rssi value in radiotap header capture by wireshark from cellphone to router

When I use Wireshark (on laptop) in monitor mode to capture RSSI value, I set the source address is the router address and the destination address is my cellphone MAC address. The value of RSSI is found in radio tap header. However when I move my cellphone, the RSSI value almost does not change. But when I move the laptop, it changed. Then that RSSI is measured from router to my laptop or from router to my cellphone? In the case that it is measured from router to laptop, why it appeared when I am monitoring the cellphone?

Thanks

Upvotes: 0

Views: 1520

Answers (1)

user862787
user862787

Reputation:

The signal strength value, however it's presented by the driver (dBm, dB, or some raw not-very-meaningful "RSSI" value), comes from the strength of the signal as received on the antenna on the 802.11 adapter on which you're doing the capture, so, if you're running Wireshark on your laptop, it measures the strength of the signal as it appears on your laptop.

I assume from your reference to a "router" that you're on a network with an access point. In that case, then:

  • if the "transmitter address" field of the packet is the MAC address of your access point, then the packet was transmitted by the access point - it might have been sent by the cellphone to the access point, and then sent on to another machine on the network by the access point;
  • if the "transmitter address" field of the packet is the MAC address of your cellphone, then the packet was transmitted by the cellphone.

Only the packets transmitted by the cellphone would have a signal strength that would change if you move your cellphone; packets transmitted by the access point obviously won't change their signal strength as received by the laptop if the cellphone moves.

Upvotes: 1

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