How does dbm relate to dbi

The "m" in dBm refers simply to the fact that the reference is 1 milliWatt 1 mW i. Thus, a dBm is a measurement of absolute power.

The unit of measurement dBi mainly refers to the gain of an antenna. The 'i' stands for 'isotropic', which points out that the change in power is referenced against an isotropic radiator. This type of antenna does not exist in reality as it is a hypothetical antenna.

So, the term "dB" is not a reference but is rather a method and a measurement standard. We use dBm when we are measuring power emitted from amplifiers. We m easure that power in milliwatts which is typically abbreviated as mW. As such, if you have a WiFi router, dBm measures the power the antenna is emitting, which can play a significant role in how much range the router has. Low dBms provide weak connections and may make working with such a router difficult or even impossible.

Comparing the power output specification of devices also isn't generally useful because the efficiency of the design of the actual access point or router will vary.

Note : We'll be happy to receive corrections and suggestions on this or any other guide, but if you are a wireless engineer, we appreciate that this guide is not applicable for all given scenarios. The above applies to common usage in Wireless LANs and for the purposes such users are likely to need them for. The usage varies by industry and application. How do you rate this article? Downloads and Resources Contact Support. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser.

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