Editing Hidden node problem (section)

=== Increasing transmitting power ===
Increasing the transmission power of the nodes can solve the hidden node problem by allowing the cell around each node to increase in size, encompassing all of the other nodes. This configuration enables the non-hidden nodes to detect, or hear, the hidden node. If the non-hidden nodes can hear the hidden node, the hidden node is no longer hidden. As wireless LANs use the [[CSMA/CA]] protocol, nodes will wait their turn before communicating with the [[wireless access point|access point]].

This solution only works if one increases the transmission power on nodes that are hidden.  In the typical case of a [[WiFi]] network, increasing transmission power on the [[wireless access point|access point]] only will '''not''' solve the problem because typically the hidden nodes are the clients (e.g. laptops, mobile devices), not the access point itself, and the clients will still not be able to hear each other.  Increasing transmission power on the access point is actually likely to make the problem worse, because it will put new clients in range of the access point and thus add new nodes to the network that are hidden from other clients.