Which condition occurs when an access point receives a distant client's signal at a lower power level than that of a nearer client?

Which condition occurs when an access point receives a distant client's signal at a lower power level than that of a nearer client?

• A. Bluetooth interference.
• B. Near/Far.
• C. Co-channel interference.
• D. Hidden node.

Answer: (B)

Power imbalance at the receiver leads to the near/far problem, where a near client’s signal arrives at the access point much stronger than a distant client’s. That strong, nearby signal can dominate what the AP decodes, effectively masking or corrupting the weaker, far signal. As a result, the distant device’s transmission may not be decoded reliably, or its data may collide with the near device’s transmission. This situation is specifically called the near/far problem. It’s different from hidden-node scenarios (where nodes can’t hear each other but both reach the AP), co-channel interference (multiple devices on the same channel causing shared-channel disruption), or Bluetooth interference (noise from Bluetooth devices in the same band).

Power imbalance at the receiver leads to the near/far problem, where a near client’s signal arrives at the access point much stronger than a distant client’s. That strong, nearby signal can dominate what the AP decodes, effectively masking or corrupting the weaker, far signal. As a result, the distant device’s transmission may not be decoded reliably, or its data may collide with the near device’s transmission. This situation is specifically called the near/far problem. It’s different from hidden-node scenarios (where nodes can’t hear each other but both reach the AP), co-channel interference (multiple devices on the same channel causing shared-channel disruption), or Bluetooth interference (noise from Bluetooth devices in the same band).