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Calcimator

Wi-Fi Coverage Calculator

Determine how many access points you need for whole-home Wi-Fi coverage based on square footage, construction, and device count.

Inputs

sq ft

Results

Access Points Needed

2

Coverage per AP1,500 sq ft
Estimated Equipment Cost$300.00
Bandwidth per Device34 Mbps
Mesh System Recommended1
Total Bandwidth1,200
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Enter Home Sq Ft, Number of Floors, and Wall Type (drywall, plaster, brick, or concrete) to model signal attenuation.
  2. Input Number of Devices to ensure adequate bandwidth per device for your connected home.
  3. Review Access Points Needed to determine if a single router or a mesh system is required for full coverage.
  4. Check Coverage per AP (sq ft) to map access point placement for even signal distribution across floors.
  5. Review Mesh Recommended — if flagged, a mesh system will outperform a single router for your floor plan.
  6. Use Estimated Cost and Bandwidth per Device to select a Wi-Fi system tier (Wi-Fi 5, Wi-Fi 6, or Wi-Fi 6E).

What each input means

Home Size
Total livable square footage of your home.
Number of Floors
Number of stories in your home including basement if used.
Wall Construction
0 = Drywall, 1 = Plaster, 2 = Brick, 3 = Concrete. Denser materials block more signal.
Connected Devices
Total Wi-Fi devices: phones, laptops, smart home gadgets, TVs, etc.

What each result means

Access Points Needed
Minimum number of access points for reliable whole-home coverage.
Coverage per AP
Effective coverage area per access point given your wall type.
Estimated Equipment Cost
Approximate cost for consumer-grade Wi-Fi 6 mesh access points.
Bandwidth per Device
Estimated practical throughput per device with 70% efficiency factor.
Mesh System Recommended
1 = Yes (multiple APs benefit from mesh), 0 = No (single AP sufficient).

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    4 parameters
    Home Size = 2000, Number of Floors = 2, Wall Construction = 0, Connected Devices = 25 = 4 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate Access Points Needed
    Access Points Needed
    2 = 2
  3. Calculate Coverage per AP
    1500 = 1500
  4. Calculate Estimated Equipment Cost
    Estimated Equipment Cost
    300 = $300

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