Wifi Signal always at full bars - not matching real signal

Schulte said:

Is there a possible way around this bug? I'm really trying to avoid recovery options for a problem as small as this, but despite that, it still "bugs" me from time to time.

It is not a bug. If you install the Intel software with their version of Wireless Zero Config, it causes the bar graphic to appear low, but if you pulled it up in inSSIDer or in a Command Window with netsh wlan show all, you would see that the AP has a high strength, but may have another more powerful radio transmitting that is causing signal problems. That can be from a bad tv, microwave oven, high voltage power lines, neighbor with a ham radio antenna that is bleeding over into that frequency. Or just a issue with the antenna foil or wire for the wifi card on your device.

Wireless Zero Config is old, deprecated technology from XP and Vista/Server2008 see:

Wireless Zero Configuration Reference (Windows)

The graphics then, were a coloured bar chart in the taskbar notification area to show signal strength and they worked as designed, based on bitmap graphics icons stored in the wzcsvc.dll file associated with the wireless configuration service.

Replaced in Windows 7 and later by WLAN AutoConfig. Over time, the animated icons have become simpler, more universal, and less resource-hungry, by using monochrome fonts instead of icons. The overlay warning triangle on the Wireless icon indicating no connection is monochrome yellow on black, and still works as it should.

The Windows 10 WLAN AutoConfig service wlansvc.dll uses the font Segoe MDL 2 Assets for the several glyphs to provide the animation, in the same way that layered glyphs are used to create animated emoji - They just have not implemented it properly yet in the Notification area - but there may be hope for a more colorful, lively notification area once again:

Project Emoji: The complete redesign - Windows 10 Forums