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Frequently Asked Questions
Networks
What is the maximum distance from a wireless router or access point?
It depends on power output and chipset design and the type of wireless standard used. 802.11b is currently the longest range wireless standard because the FCC allows for more transmit power (up to 200mW) than 802.11g or 802.11a.
Access point made by manufacturers like Linksys, Dlink and Netgear because they use low quality chipsets with only 40mW to 80mW of transmit power they can generally reach up to 1500 feet outdoors.
Enterprise grade equipment from Cisco and Proxim has up to 100mW of transmit power and can reach up to 2000 feet outdoors.
Long range wireless access points with 200mW of transmit power can have a range of up to 1200 meters or almost 4000 feet outdoors! The only manufacturer with long range cards is Engenius Technologies click here to see the equipment.
The transmit power of your access point and client card have can greatly effect the range. Generally though it depends on your situation. Metal and Concrete can cause degradation in the signal, as well as microwave ovens and 2.4 GHz phones. If setup properly, a wireless access point or router will give you up to 150 feet indoors and up to 4000 feet outdoors with stock antennas.
How many access points can I co locate in the same area
For 802.11b and g there are 3 non overlapping channels 1, 6 and 11. You can place 3 access points at the same location if you set the SSID to be the same or any clients will load balance to the best access point. For the best coverage you can use 3 120 degree sector antennas pointed in different directions.
How many computers can I connect wirelessly to the wireless access points or routers?
In theory can connect up to 253 clients to most wireless routers. In actuality most access points will run best with 25 or less associated clients. Once you have more than 25 clients associated most access points start to break down a better solution is to co located multiple access points and let them load ballance.
