If you're experiencing slow speeds, dropped connections, or poor signal quality on your wireless network, UniFi offers powerful built-in tools to help you identify and resolve WiFi issues quickly. This guide covers how to troubleshoot common wireless problems using UniFi Network, including how to evaluate signal strength, interference, airtime usage, and channel congestion.
We recommend starting with a quick test using the WiFi Agent, which can often highlight signal or roaming issues from the client’s perspective before deeper investigation is needed.
Whether you're supporting a single home setup or managing a complex multi-AP deployment, UniFi’s AirView, Client Inspector, and Environment views provide real-time insights to help you pinpoint connectivity issues and optimize performance.
Use this article to learn how to:
- Identify clients with poor signal or unstable connections
- Understand key indicators like airtime utilization, retries, and interference
- Scan for overlapping channels and determine the best frequency to use
- Take corrective actions based on actual data from your UniFi deployment
Check Client Signal Strength. The first step in troubleshooting is identifying if the affected client has a weak connection. This can be viewed directly from the Clients panel in UniFi Network.
Signal Strength Guidelines (dBm):
- Above -60 dBm: Excellent
- -60 to -70 dBm: Acceptable
- -70 to -75 dBm: Clients should begin to roam
- Below -80 dBm: Likely to experience instability or drops
Even if the "Experience" metric shows Excellent, the signal strength is a more reliable indicator. Anything below -80 dBm is generally considered poor and can lead to degraded performance.
Also review the AP/Client Signal Balance. A “Poor” reading often indicates the access point is unable to “hear” the client clearly, which can happen with low-power mobile devices.
Use AirView to Investigate AP Health
By navigating to Radios, AirView is the primary interface for diagnosing WiFi issues at the AP level. It displays real-time information on signal strength, utilization, airtime, interference, and retries.
Review key indicators:
- Utilization bar (orange): can be a sign of:
- Nearby APs operating on the same or overlapping channels
- Interference from non-WiFi sources (especially on 2.4 GHz)
- Airtime bar (blue): High airtime usage may indicate congestion, often from excessive client load or multicast traffic.
If multicast traffic is suspected, refer to the dedicated UniFi article on managing multicast and broadcast traffic. From the AirView overview, confirm that the AP is not using a channel that overlaps with another nearby AP unless that AP is part of a mesh relationship.
When interference is detected, changing the AP's channel may resolve the issue. This is especially effective on 5 GHz, where DFS (Dynamic Frequency Selection) channels can reduce contention.
Review Historical Airtime Trends
Under AirView, the historical Airtime graph helps reveal longer-term patterns.
Interpretation tips:
- High Airtime + High Interference: Likely a channel issue. Try switching to a less congested channel.
- High Airtime + Low Interference: Usually caused by local congestion (many clients) or excessive multicast traffic.
The Airtime chart is essential for identifying issues that don’t appear consistently in real-time metrics.
Use the Environment Tab for Channel Planning
The Environment tab provides a breakdown of all nearby detected SSIDs and their signal strength, channels, and widths. This lets you identify which channels are most heavily used and find cleaner alternatives.
Look for strong competing signals (above -80 dBm and last seen recently) on the same or adjacent channels and choose a less crowded option when possible.
Consider Airtime Scan and Scanning Radio Tools
Both the Airtime Scan and Scanning Radio (if equipped) options allow you to evaluate the current RF environment. These tools help determine the best available channels for a given access point at a specific location and time.
Re-scanning is recommended when the local environment changes or new devices are introduced.
Common Actions Based on Findings
Depending on what is discovered during troubleshooting, recommended actions may include:
- Moving the client or AP to improve signal
- Replacing congested or interfered channels (DFS is often less congested on 5 GHz)
- Reducing the number of connected clients on a single AP
- Configuring minimum RSSI or band steering settings
Managing or isolating multicast traffic
Optimizing Wireless Speeds UniFi WiFi Agent
