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

The condition where an access point (AP) receives a distant client's signal at a lower power level than that of a nearer client is known as the Near/Far effect. This situation occurs in wireless networks when multiple clients are communicating with an access point, but the differences in their distances from the AP lead to varying signal strengths.

In this scenario, the closer clients transmit at a stronger signal, potentially overpowering the weaker signals from clients that are farther away. As a result, the AP may struggle to receive and differentiate the weaker signals from distant clients, making communication less reliable for those farther away. The Near/Far effect can cause issues such as longer delay times or even dropped connections for clients that are farther from the access point, impacting overall network performance.

The other conditions have distinct meanings: Signal loss typically refers to a complete inability to receive a signal; Hidden Node pertains to situations in which a client is unable to detect another client's transmissions, leading to collisions; and Channel Overlap addresses issues with frequency interference when two or more access points or devices operate on the same or adjacent channels, affecting overall communication quality.