Maximum legal wifi power output?

[Energize]

Does anyone know what the maximum power output you are allowed to broadcast wifi with?

 

[benjo plz.]

The most I've come across without any sort of external amp is 700mw.

 

[csmager]

It's very slack in the US, but in Europe it's 100mW EIRP (which is after the antenna).

http://www.photographicworkflow.com/wiki/2.4GHz

 

[tolien]

Ofcom say 100mW:

Frequency band: 2400 MHz to 2483.5 MHz
Application: Wideband Data including RLAN
Maximum transmit power limit:
a) -10 dBW (100 mW) EIRP
b) PSD for frequency hopping -10 dBW (100mW) EIRP per 100kHz
c) PSD for other forms of modulation -20 dBW (10mW) EIRP per 1 MHz

Though that seems low...

 

[csmager]

Though that seems low...

Tis correct though. My WAP54G has default output power of 22mW - although obviously the EIRP will be higher after the 5dBi antenna.

With firmware hacks it'll go up to 84mW, but that's likely to be 'illegal' levels of power. It also makes it crash more than I'd like.

 

[LewisStuart]

I've just been playing with the output power on my WRT and can get a stable 24Mbps with only 2mW

Should save a few brain cells

 

[Cyber-Mav]

go for even 1000mw, i doubt anyone is actually gonna go around and check everyones wifi output.

 

[Mr. Brightside]

100mW. Though I can run my WRT54G at 254mW (modded it with heatsink and fan), it seems to make no difference - I guess the clients would need to increase transmit power too.

 

[csmager]

And also because it's logarithmic. If you put it on a dB scale, 100mW is 20dB and 254mW is a mere 24dB. Not that significant.

 

[Shaz]sigh[]

Although the mw rating is useful, you're forgetting to include the gain produced by the aerial.

Although I should know this (it's in the BCMSN after all) I've forgotten.

Got a feeling it's around 20-24dBm for ETSI (ie, us) and 36dB for America.

*just had a quick google and looks like it's 20*