The range of a residential
Wi-Fi network depends on the wireless access point (
WAP) or wireless
router, its' antenna(s) sensitivity, as well as the exact
802.11 standard being used. Factors that determine a particular
WAP or wireless
router's range are:
- the specific
802.11 protocol being used (
802.11a/b/g/n)
- the overall strength of the device transmitter
- the nature of obstructions and interference in the surrounding area
A general rule of thumb in home networking says that
802.11b/g WAPs and routers support a range of up to 150 feet (46 m) indoors and 300 feet (92 m) outdoors. Another rule of thumb holds that the effective range of
802.11a is approximately one-third that of
802.11b/g.
802.11n devices typically have twice the range of
802.11b/g devices.
All of these rough estimates fall on the high end of the range seen in practice. Obstructions in home such as brick walls and metal frames or siding can greatly reduce the range of a
Wi-Fi LAN by 25% or more. Because
802.11a employs a higher signalling frequency than
802.11b/g/n,
802.11a is most susceptible to obstructions. Interference from microwave ovens and other equipment also affects range.
802.11b and
802.11g are both susceptible to these.
Of course, it's possible to extend a
Wi-Fi LAN to much longer distances by chaining together multiple wireless access points or routers, or simply changnig to higher-gain antennas.
Another benefit of
802.11n technology is much better coverage. Wireless-N devices use "reflections" of the signal (from walls, etc.) to strengthen it and eliminate cold or weak spots in the signal.
