A customer says the WiFi does not reach the far end of the shop, and the obvious answer is a long range access point. Sometimes that is exactly right. Other times the new unit shows full bars on every phone and the connection is still slow, because the access point can shout further than the phone can answer. This guide explains why, and how to tell which kind of job you have before you order hardware.
Do long range access points work?
Yes, within limits. A long range access point usually adds transmit power and antenna gain, so its signal travels further. WiFi is two-way, though, and a phone or tablet transmits back with a far weaker radio. Range ends where the access point can no longer hear the client, so long range units suit large open rooms, not walls or distant outbuildings.
What a long range access point changes
Makers reach longer range in two ways, often together:
- More transmit power: the radio puts more signal into the antenna, up to the regulatory limit for the band.
- More antenna gain: the antennas focus energy into a flatter or narrower pattern instead of spreading it evenly. Our guide to antenna gain in dBi explains why gain is focusing, not amplifying, and how power limits treat it.
Those two changes are not equal. Extra transmit power only helps the access point talk to the client. Extra antenna gain helps in both directions, which is why the gain figure on a data sheet matters more than the power figure.
WiFi is a two-way conversation
Every frame the access point sends has to be acknowledged, and every web page, call or upload depends on the client transmitting back. If the access point can be heard at the far end of the building but cannot hear the reply, the client still shows a strong signal while retries pile up and speed collapses.
Antenna gain works in both directions. A University of St Andrews radio communications guide explains that an antenna used to receive collects the same multiple of power that it radiates when transmitting, and states that the gain value applies whether the antenna transmits or receives. So a long range unit with better antennas does hear distant clients a little better. Its extra transmit power does nothing for the uplink.
WiFi client transmit power sets the real range
Phones, tablets and laptops run on batteries and use small internal antennas, so their transmit power is lower than an access point’s, and you cannot turn it up. Every client also differs: a laptop on the desk usually reaches further than a phone in a pocket.
That makes WiFi client transmit power the number that decides coverage. Practical consequences for the installer:
- Design for the weakest device that has to work at the edge, often a phone or a handheld scanner.
- Do not judge coverage by the bars on the client. Bars show the downlink only.
- Check the uplink in the access point’s management software, which shows how strongly it hears each client.
- Run a speed test from the client at the edge, uploading as well as downloading.
When a long range access point is the right choice
A long range unit pays off where fewer access points need to cover more open space, and where clients can still reach back:
- Larger rooms and open floor plans: halls, open offices, showrooms and shop floors with few walls between the ceiling and the clients.
- High ceilings: where the mounting height itself eats into a standard unit’s coverage.
- Clients with good radios: laptops, fixed equipment and devices with external antennas, which answer more strongly than phones.
- Light client counts: one radio sharing its airtime among a modest number of devices.
In those spaces the extra gain on the access point side helps both directions, and the client’s signal arrives without walls in the way.
When more access points are the better fix
A long range access point cannot push a weak client’s signal through walls, and turning up power can make a network worse:
- Walls and floors: every wall weakens the client’s reply as much as the access point’s signal, and the client starts with less.
- Many clients: one radio covering a huge area shares its airtime with everyone in it.
- Sticky clients: a strong, distant signal keeps devices attached when a nearer access point would serve them better.
- Co-channel interference: high-power cells overlap neighbors on the same channel and take turns on the air.
Several units at moderate power, placed where people use the network, usually beat one loud unit. Our access point placement guide covers spacing, channels and power, and mesh WiFi vs access points explains why each wired unit adds capacity without a wireless hop.
| Situation | Long range access point? | Usually better |
|---|---|---|
| Large open room, few clients | Good fit | Long range unit, centrally mounted |
| Many rooms and walls | Poor fit | More access points at moderate power |
| Busy space, many phones | Poor fit | More access points for capacity |
| Yard, patio or field | Indoor unit is the wrong tool | Outdoor access point |
| Detached building | Poor fit | Point to point link plus an access point inside |
Outdoor access points and point to point links
Two complaints often lead to a long range unit: WiFi in the yard, and WiFi in the barn or garage across the drive. Neither is solved well by an indoor access point aimed through an exterior wall.
For outdoor coverage, mount an outdoor-rated access point outside, on the wall or a pole, so clients have a clear path to it. Our guide to extending WiFi to outdoor cameras walks through the same choice for camera mounts.
For a separate building, link the two buildings with a pair of directional radios, then put an ordinary access point inside the far building. The bridge radios have high-gain antennas at both ends, so the link is strong in both directions, and phones in the outbuilding talk to an access point in the same room. Start with how to plan a point to point wireless link, and compare bands in 5 GHz vs 60 GHz wireless bridges.
Setting up a long range unit well
If a long range access point fits the space, a few settings decide whether it performs:
- Mount it centrally and in the open, on the ceiling where the data sheet shows the pattern is meant to point down.
- Do not default to maximum power. Lower it until the access point’s reach roughly matches what the clients can answer.
- Check the uplink signal of real devices at the edge in the management software.
- Walk the space with the weakest device on the job and test both directions.
- Power it from a PoE switch or injector rated for the unit; see PoE injector vs PoE switch.
Where to find access points and wireless gear
The wireless access point category lists standard, long range and outdoor units, with radios, switches and cable in the Broadband and WiFi division. For pricing and availability, ask your sales representative through the Wyoming, MI branch near Grand Rapids or the Columbus, OH branch, or open a Bursma dealer account.
Frequently asked questions
Is a long range access point better than a regular one?
Only where clients can answer it. In large open rooms it covers more space with fewer units. Through walls, or in busy spaces, more regular units at moderate power usually perform better.
Why do I have full bars but slow WiFi?
Bars show how well the client hears the access point. If the access point cannot hear the client’s weaker reply, frames are resent and speed drops. Check the client’s signal in the access point’s software.
Can I increase my phone’s WiFi transmit power?
No. Client transmit power is set by the device and its radio rules. Bring the access point closer to the client instead, or add another one.
Will a long range access point reach my detached garage?
Rarely well, because phones in the garage must transmit back through two exterior walls. A point to point link with an access point inside the garage is the dependable fix.