Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 5—Viewing the signal strength of a Bluetooth peripheral
As with similar displays, five bars is the maximal signal strength, while one
bar indicates a weak and potentially unstable connection (the solution is to
move the Bluetooth device closer to the Mac or to remove any objects that
might be obscuring your Mac or the device, especially those that are metal).
To get an updated signal reading, repeatedly click the Bluetooth's entry in
the list while holding down
OPTION
.
The number corresponds directly with the bar display and shows the power
ratio (dBmW) of the signal. A smaller number indicates a stronger signal—in
my test
-40
equated to a strong five-bar signal, while
-70
equated to a poor
signal strength of one bar.
Quickly Viewing Signal Strength on the Desktop
Another way to view signal strength that doesn't use System Preferences is
as follows: hold down
OPTION
while clicking the Bluetooth icon at the top right
of the screen, before moving the mouse down the menu showing all connected
devices (you can release
OPTION
after clicking the Bluetooth icon). Here you'll
see not only the power ratio figure mentioned earlier but also battery life (in
