Abstract: Various approaches discussed herein enable establishing a wireless data connection between one or more devices. A signal to noise ratio (SNR) is determined for the wireless connection, based on an estimate of internal noise associated with a wireless networking component. Another SNR determination is then made, using data such as a Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS) index value corresponding to the connection, and the difference between the two SNR determinations may be utilized to determine a noise estimate that takes both internal and external noise into account and is utilized as part of baseband signal demodulation.