How is a hidden node typically troubleshooted?

• A. Test for degraded data throughput at all client locations.
• B. Run a spectrum analysis on each channel.
• C. Increase transmitter power at the AP.
• D. Disable RTS/CTS to observe changes.

Answer: (A)

Hidden node problems show up as reduced throughput across multiple clients, because two transmitters that cannot sense each other end up colliding when both try to send, wasting airtime and lowering performance for everyone in the area. The most practical way to confirm this is to test actual data throughput at all client locations. If you observe degraded or inconsistent throughput across many clients, especially in areas where devices are out of each other’s sensing range, that pattern points to hidden-node contention rather than a single-link fault.

Spectrum analysis can reveal interference on a channel, but it doesn’t directly prove a hidden node scenario, which is about carriers not being sensed before transmission. Simply increasing transmitter power can worsen the problem by expanding the contention area and isn’t a diagnostic step. Disabling RTS/CTS removes a mitigation mechanism and isn’t used to diagnose hidden nodes; it can actually make collisions more frequent, muddying any assessment.