As a device starts to shift to lower PHY rates, what factors usually influence a...

In wireless networks, devices dynamically adjust their physical layer (PHY) data rates based on the quality of the radio frequency (RF) environment. Several factors influence a device's decision to lower its PHY rate:

Signal degradation: As the signal strength weakens due to distance or obstacles, the device may lower its data rate to maintain a reliable connection.

Interference: The presence of other RF signals can cause interference, leading the device to reduce its data rate to mitigate potential errors.

Retransmissions: An increase in retransmissions indicates that frames are not being successfully received, prompting the device to lower its data rate to improve reliability.

While packet loss is a consequence of these factors, it is not a direct cause for adjusting the PHY rate.