ESP32 Terrible WiFi Range

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1

Hi,

I've been playing with an ESP32 board for a few days now and I'm slowly finding my feet.

My latest challenge has been trying to understand why the ESP32 boards won't connect to my WIFI Access Points if they're more than 7-8 metres away. (Less than 7m is fine) I have 2 boards, one from Amazon and the other from Ali Express however they look to be the same.

After a few days of pulling my hair out regards the WiFi situation I stumbled upon this post which suggests not using the Type C connector but to directly wire to the 5V pin.

Before I start chopping up USB cables to achieve this, has anyone had any experience of this short range WIFI issue? Ideally, I'd like to use the the Type C port for power input. So does anyone have a recommended ESP32 board supplier whereby the type C works fine assuming the chip is located further than 7-8m from their router?

I know @djh_wolf is well versed here but I think he powers his boards directly with the 5V pin, so may not have encountered this issue by sheer chance despite having the potentially flaky boards just others?

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2

Yeah, i use the pin, just to keep things tidy.

Wasnt aware of the WiFi issue.

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3

Oddly, I've had another board arrive today from AliExpress which is different. I'll post my findings. If the issue occurs on this board then, I'll simply revert to using the pins. Appreciated, and all the best for 2025 :slight_smile:

4

I have been buying ESP32 boards from ADAfruit and they don't seem to have Wi-Fi connectivity issues, but I am using Unifi access points that are spread around the house.

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5

Ok Guys, I have a definitive solution/answer. It would seem that using USB for input power diminishes WIFI range to Circa 6-7 metres. Connecting directly to the 5V pin increases range as expected. Strange but True!

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6

How much? Doubles?

7

I have not experienced this. I’ve used ESP32 boards powered by the micro usb port about 100 ft outside my home successfully. I’m wondering if something else is afoot.

Edit: after walking it, it’s closer to 70’ from the house… 100’ from the nearest WAP.

8

I've been using M5 Stack Atom ESP32 and ESP32-S3 modules and the wifi range is great so far!

9

Internally with a direct line of sight from my Unifi AP I achieved around 7m with the micro USB connection to a power bank.

Upon connecting to the 5V pin with the same power bank. I walked outside of my house with the ESP32 and connection was great at an estimated 22m. I couldn't walk any further so it presumably would be fine beyond 22m.

:slight_smile:

10

I will say I’ve never tried with a power bank. Not sure if/how that would make a difference over micro USB though.

11

Hi, sorry for the confusion. The WIFI range is the same of 7m if I use a powerbank to Micro USB or a mains adapter to micro USB.

I just used the powerbank so I could walk around my garden for testing.

The ultimate conclusion is that the power source is irrelevant, it's the connection to the chip which determines the WIFI range.

So in conclusion, power the chip via the 5V pin rather than Micro USB if you require a good WIFI range.

I know this seems bananas but testing and the link in post 1 seems to confirm this.

12

It would seem that your chip is a better quality than mine and the others contained within the link in post 1. Maybe it's luck of the draw.