Transmit Power

What is transmit power?

Transmit power controls how loudly your WiFi access points broadcast their signal. It is measured in milliwatts (mW) or dBm, and you can usually adjust it in your router or access point settings. Higher power means the signal reaches further; lower power means the signal stays closer to the access point.

Think of it like speakers at a party. If one speaker is blasting at full volume, everyone in the room hears it, even people standing right next to a quieter speaker. They stick with the loud one instead of switching to the closer, quieter one, even though the closer speaker would sound better.

Why it matters

When access points broadcast too loudly, your devices "hear" them from far away and refuse to let go, even when a closer access point would give a faster, more reliable connection. This is called a "sticky client" problem, and it is one of the most common causes of poor WiFi in homes and offices with multiple access points.

Power imbalance between bands matters too. If your 2.4 GHz radio is much louder than your 5 GHz radio, devices will favor the slower 2.4 GHz band because it appears stronger, even though 5 GHz would be faster. Keeping power levels balanced encourages devices to use the better band when they are close enough.

What you can do

• Lower transmit power on your access points so each one covers its intended area without bleeding too far into neighboring zones
• Match power levels between 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radios, or set 5 GHz slightly higher, so devices prefer the faster band
• Avoid setting all access points to maximum power; in multi-AP setups, medium or low power usually works better
• If your access points support "auto" power, test it, but be aware that auto mode sometimes ramps power too high
• Use Network Weather to see which access point your device connects to, and check whether it is the closest one
• Space access points so their coverage zones overlap slightly at reduced power, rather than blasting from fewer locations

What Network Weather shows you

Network Weather checks whether your access points are broadcasting at appropriate power levels and flags imbalances that can cause roaming problems.