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    Possible to decrease wifi tx power?

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    • F
      flight16
      last edited by

      I'm currently reading up and deciding if I will go the pfsense route, and have one question:

      Is it possible to limit the transmission power of wifi in pfsense?  On any wifi adapter?  How about on the box pfsense ships from their store with their add-on wifi adapter?

      One person recommended using a separate access point. Is tx power control a standard feature on most home APs?  If I wanted to do that, would I need a pfsense box with >= 3 ethernet ports? (1: internet, 2: super-basic unmanaged switch to home network, 3: AP) Or could I hang the AP off the home network switch?  But wouldn't that pose a security risk to place it on the switch instead of going into the pfsense box?

      Main question is about controlling tx power on the wifi adapter.

      I know these are newbie questions, but thanks in advance.  I'm a semi-technical home user trying to upgrade his home network router/firewall.

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      • ?
        Guest
        last edited by

        Is it possible to limit the transmission power of wifi in pfsense?  On any wifi adapter?

        Not that I know of. We dont mess with that stuff.

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        • F
          flight16
          last edited by

          It seems like it can be set, but maybe not through the GUI.  It sounds like it depends on the wifi driver.  I wonder if the add-on wifi adapter from pfsense store supports it, and what range.

          https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=48814.msg260286#msg260286

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          • DerelictD
            Derelict LAYER 8 Netgate
            last edited by

            It all depends.

            One person recommended using a separate access point.

            Smart guy.

            I'm a semi-technical home user trying to upgrade his home network router/firewall.

            Why are you sweating AP transmit power?

            ![Screen Shot 2015-08-26 at 8.37.25 PM.png](/public/imported_attachments/1/Screen Shot 2015-08-26 at 8.37.25 PM.png)
            ![Screen Shot 2015-08-26 at 8.37.25 PM.png_thumb](/public/imported_attachments/1/Screen Shot 2015-08-26 at 8.37.25 PM.png_thumb)

            Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
            A comprehensive network diagram is worth 10,000 words and 15 conference calls.
            DO NOT set a source address/port in a port forward or firewall rule unless you KNOW you need it!
            Do Not Chat For Help! NO_WAN_EGRESS(TM)

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            • F
              flight16
              last edited by

              I checked out an entry-level home AP and it, too, had a transmit power setting.  Thanks for the reply and screenshot.

              I live in a small apartment so the family and one small child is often < 1m away from the wifi base station now.  I've read reports on both sides of the EMF-will-kill-you-and-burn-your-house-down camp, and I know I won't be able to eliminate it entirely (especially with cell phones, wifi from the neighbors, etc).  I'm not wearing a tin-foil hat, but I still prefer to reduce or eliminate EMF when I have the choice.

              I will go with a dedicated AP that officially supports adjusting the tx power level.

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