Do intermediate portal levels have an effect on loot quality

Since this question can only be answered by insiders, I've conducted a survey by recording all my hacks of portals of both factions where all resonators had 100% energy. I only have enough samples for portal levels 5, 5.5 and 6, so here are the results:

P    L1  L2  L3  L4  L5  L6  L7  L8 #samples
5.0  0%  0%  0% 14% 64% 17%  5%  0%   33
5.5  0%  0%  0% 17% 66% 16%  2%  0%   53
6.0  0%  0%  0%  0% 11% 70% 17%  1%   27

Using a t-test to check whether the different groups are drawn from different distributions, the p-values are

• 5.0 vs 5.5: 0.13
• 5.5 vs 6.0: 3.26 * 10^-24

For the statistically unenlightened (he he), this roughly means that the items from level 5 and 5.5 portals are probably drawn from the same distribution, whereas it is as good as impossible that the items of level 5.5 and 6 portals are from the same distribution.

Result: No, intermediate levels don't matter, the rounded (down) level counts.

It looks like in the portal hacking phase, the level used is the "rounded" level.

• the XM cost is based on the portal level
• the attack you can receive in response of hacking an enemy portal is based on the portal level

It sounds logical that items dropping is related to this "rounded" level.

As far as I experienced it (i'm now level 7), to get high level items, I have to hack "real" high level portals.

A portal at level 5.75 ( 7+6+6+6+6+5+5+5, made by 1 L7 and 1 L6 player) will still give me less high level items than a real L6 portal ( 7+6+6+6+6+6+6+5 made by 1 L7 and 2 L6 players).

I never get any L8 items from portals that were at lavels 5 or 5.25 or 5.75, the first time I got some was when hacking a real L6 portal :D