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CompTIA A+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide

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use—anything within the signal radius can potentially access the network.

Most wireless networks use this combination, especially in the consumer

space. The standard straight-wire antennas that provide most omni-directional

function are called dipole antennas. Dipole antennas look like a stick, but

inside they have two antenna arms or poles aligned on the antenna’s axis,

hence “dipole.”

Figure 20-21 Room layout with WAP in the center

Gaining Gain An antenna strengthens and focuses the radio frequency

output from a WAP. The ratio of increase—what’s called gain—is measured

in decibels (dB). The gain from a typical WAP is 2 dB, enough to cover a

reasonable area but not a very large room. To increase that signal requires a

bigger antenna. Many WAPs have removable antennas that you can replace.

To increase the signal in an omni-directional and centered setup, simply

replace the factory antennas with one or more bigger antennas (see Figure 20-

22). Get a big enough antenna and you can crank it all the way up to 11 dB!

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