EzeLuma · Home Networking & Security Cameras

Ring Camera Weak Wi-Fi? How We Went from −73 to −48 dBm Without Buying Anything

A real-world mesh Wi-Fi troubleshooting story from our backyard shop.

The problem: connected, but unreliable

Our rear Ring Spotlight Cam Plus on the backyard shop was connected to Wi-Fi, yet Live View was unreliable. At one point the camera reported a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of approximately −73 dBm. We later saw approximately −69 dBm, but that improvement alone did not fully resolve our trouble.

We wanted a more dependable connection without immediately buying another router, extender, or camera.

How to find your Ring camera’s RSSI in the app

You can check the signal from your phone. RSSI stands for Received Signal Strength Indicator—a way to describe how strongly your camera receives Wi-Fi. For the negative numbers shown by Ring, −45 is stronger than −75.

Open the Ring app and select your camera.
Open the camera’s settings or device menu.
Choose Device Health.
Find Signal Strength in the network section and note the RSSI number.
After changing your network setup, return here and compare the new number with the old one.

App labels and navigation can change with updates; if you don't see Device Health, check your camera's settings and Ring's current support instructions.

💡 EzeLuma Tip: Take a screenshot of the RSSI reading before moving anything. That gives you a reliable before-and-after comparison. Want a simple explanation of the numbers? Read What Is RSSI?

Our equipment and layout

Main house office: TP-Link Deco BE11000 mesh unit.
Backyard shop: a smaller Deco M4R mesh unit, positioned to communicate wirelessly toward the office.
Rear shop camera: Ring Spotlight Cam Plus with two removable batteries and a separate solar panel.
Front shop camera: another Ring Spotlight Cam Plus with the same two-battery and solar-panel arrangement.

The cameras are mounted on opposite ends of the shop. We used the Ring app's RSSI readings to monitor the cameras' received Wi-Fi signal.

What we changed

Repositioned the shop Deco M4R. We adjusted its placement so it faced more favorably toward the window of the office, where the BE11000 is located.
Rebooted the rear Ring camera. This gave the camera a fresh start after our network-placement changes.
Checked camera operation and signal readings. We confirmed that the rear camera became reliable and reviewed its reported RSSI.

💡 EzeLuma Tip: Before buying more networking equipment, experiment with the position of the mesh unit you already have. A window-facing location and fewer obstructions may help, but test your own layout rather than assuming the closest spot is best.

The result: a much stronger signal

Camera	Earlier RSSI	Current RSSI
Rear shop camera	≈ −73 dBm	−48 dBm
Front shop camera	Not recorded	−40 dBm

The rear camera improved by 25 dB, which corresponds to about 316 times the received signal power (10^25/10 ≈ 316). That does not mean the internet or video stream became 316 times faster. The front camera also reports a strong −40 dBm signal, but we don't have its earlier reading to calculate an improvement.

Technical distinction: A Ring camera's RSSI describes the signal received by the camera. It does not directly measure the wireless backhaul quality between the shop's M4R and the office's BE11000. We did not independently measure that backhaul link.

🛡️ Safety First: Begin with the Ring app and mesh equipment you can reach safely. Don't climb to a high-mounted camera merely to test network placement. Keep networking equipment dry, ventilated, and away from exposed electrical wiring.

🔧 What Worked for Us

We repositioned the shop's Deco M4R to improve its placement relative to the office BE11000 and rebooted the rear Ring camera. After those changes, Live View became reliable and the rear camera reported −48 dBm.

Because we made both changes, we can't say which one was responsible for how much of the improvement. We can say that the combination worked for our setup.

What to try on your own network

Check and record your camera's current RSSI in its app.
Identify the mesh unit serving the area and assess its placement and obstructions.
Move accessible mesh equipment a little at a time, checking connection quality after each change.
Try a camera reboot using the manufacturer's supported method if needed.
Recheck RSSI and real-world behavior, including Live View. A strong RSSI alone doesn't guarantee a healthy internet or backhaul connection.

Bottom line: Our backyard shop cameras didn't need new hardware to achieve strong reported Wi-Fi signals. A better-positioned mesh unit and a reboot helped make the rear camera reliable again.

For the lighter side of working on this shop, see Bloopers & Blunders—including the time a solar panel took an unexpected dive.

About EzeLuma

We share hands-on smart-home troubleshooting, clear safety guidance, and the occasional project mishap. We distinguish our own results from general guidance.

EzeLuma — EZE Tech for Everyday Automation.

Independent firsthand account. No affiliate links or sponsorships in this article.