Which task is the best choice for troubleshooting the near/far problem?

Which task is the best choice for troubleshooting the near/far problem?

• A. Review the location of the stations (clients) on the network.
• B. Increase transmission power at the AP.
• C. Change the channel used by APs.
• D. Replace the AP antenna.

Answer: (A)

The near/far problem shows up because clients share a single wireless medium, and a device that is very close to the AP can dominate airtime, leaving distant devices with little opportunity to transmit. To diagnose this effectively, you need to know where the clients actually are and how strong their signals are relative to the AP. Reviewing the locations of stations gives you a clear picture of coverage patterns: are many clients clustered near the AP, are some far away, or are there gaps in coverage? This information is essential for understanding why some users are getting plenty of airtime while others suffer, and it points you toward practical fixes like repositioning APs, adding more access points, or adjusting placement to balance load.

Pushing more power at the AP can widen the cell but often makes the near/far imbalance worse by letting even more devices contend for airtime over a larger area. Changing the channel helps with interference between APs but doesn’t address how airtime is allocated among clients based on distance. Replacing the AP antenna might alter coverage patterns, but without first knowing where users are and how they’re distributed, you don’t know what kind of antenna or placement change would help.