diff --git a/li/cil/oc/Config.scala b/li/cil/oc/Config.scala
index 9db3a3cdc..c9ca3b027 100644
--- a/li/cil/oc/Config.scala
+++ b/li/cil/oc/Config.scala
@@ -16,12 +16,14 @@ object Config {
   var bufferComputer = 16.0
   var bufferConverter = 64.0
   var bufferScreen = 16.0
+  var bufferWireless = 32.0
   var computerBaseCost = 1.0 / 20
   var computerCpuTimeCost = 256.0
   var screenFillCost = 1.0 / 180
   var screenClearCost = 1.0 / 200
   var screenCopyCost = 1.0 / 160
   var screenSetCost = 1.0 / 20
+  var wirelessRangePerPower = 8.0
 
   // ----------------------------------------------------------------------- //
 
@@ -101,15 +103,22 @@ object Config {
       setComment("Power settings, buffer sizes and power consumption.")
 
     bufferComputer = config.get("power", "bufferComputer", bufferComputer, "" +
-      "The buffer size for computers, i.e. how much power they store internally.").
+      "The buffer size for computers.").
       getDouble(bufferComputer)
 
     bufferConverter = config.get("power", "bufferConverter", bufferConverter, "" +
-      "The buffer size for converters, i.e. how much power they store internally.").
+      "The buffer size for converters.").
       getDouble(bufferConverter)
 
     bufferScreen = config.get("power", "bufferScreen", bufferScreen, "" +
-      "The buffer size for screens, i.e. how much power they store internally.").
+      "The buffer size for screens.").
+      getDouble(bufferScreen)
+
+    bufferWireless = config.get("power", "bufferWireless", bufferWireless, "" +
+      "The buffer size for wireless network cards. Note that this effectively\n" +
+      "limits the maximum range of wireless communication, together with the\n" +
+      "`wirelessRangePerPower` setting: the maximum range is this times the\n" +
+      "range per power (so per default that's 32 * 8 = 256 blocks).").
       getDouble(bufferScreen)
 
     computerBaseCost = config.get("power", "computerBaseCost", computerBaseCost, "" +
@@ -136,6 +145,13 @@ object Config {
       "Power it takes to change a single pixel via the set command.").
       getDouble(screenSetCost)
 
+    wirelessRangePerPower = config.get("power", "wirelessRangePerPower", wirelessRangePerPower, "" +
+      "The range in blocks a wireless network card gains for each additional\n" +
+      "power it spends. In other words, the higher this value, the lower the\n" +
+      "cost of incrementing the signal strength.\n" +
+      "See also: `bufferWireless`").
+      getDouble(wirelessRangePerPower) max 0
+
     // --------------------------------------------------------------------- //
 
     config.getCategory("server").
diff --git a/li/cil/oc/server/component/WirelessNetworkCard.scala b/li/cil/oc/server/component/WirelessNetworkCard.scala
index 1e23d965e..f5d96b040 100644
--- a/li/cil/oc/server/component/WirelessNetworkCard.scala
+++ b/li/cil/oc/server/component/WirelessNetworkCard.scala
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import scala.language.implicitConversions
 class WirelessNetworkCard(val owner: TileEntity) extends NetworkCard {
   override val node = api.Network.newNode(this, Visibility.Network).
     withComponent("modem", Visibility.Neighbors).
-    withConnector(Config.bufferComputer).
+    withConnector(Config.bufferWireless).
     create()
 
   var strength = 64.0
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ class WirelessNetworkCard(val owner: TileEntity) extends NetworkCard {
 
   @LuaCallback(value = "setStrength", direct = true)
   def setStrength(context: Context, args: Arguments): Array[AnyRef] = this.synchronized {
-    strength = args.checkDouble(0)
+    strength = args.checkDouble(0) max 0
     result(strength)
   }
 
@@ -37,24 +37,37 @@ class WirelessNetworkCard(val owner: TileEntity) extends NetworkCard {
   override def send(context: Context, args: Arguments) = this.synchronized {
     val address = args.checkString(0)
     val port = checkPort(args.checkInteger(1))
-    for ((card, distance) <- WirelessNetwork.computeReachableFrom(this)
-         if card.node.address == address && card.openPorts.contains(port)) {
-      card.node.sendToReachable("computer.signal",
-        Seq("modem_message", node.address, Int.box(port), Double.box(distance)) ++ args.drop(2): _*)
+    if (strength > 0) {
+      checkPower()
+      for ((card, distance) <- WirelessNetwork.computeReachableFrom(this)
+           if card.node.address == address && card.openPorts.contains(port)) {
+        card.node.sendToReachable("computer.signal",
+          Seq("modem_message", node.address, Int.box(port), Double.box(distance)) ++ args.drop(2): _*)
+      }
     }
     super.send(context, args)
   }
 
   override def broadcast(context: Context, args: Arguments) = this.synchronized {
     val port = checkPort(args.checkInteger(0))
-    for ((card, distance) <- WirelessNetwork.computeReachableFrom(this)
-         if card.openPorts.contains(port)) {
-      card.node.sendToReachable("computer.signal",
-        Seq("modem_message", node.address, Int.box(port), Double.box(distance)) ++ args.drop(2): _*)
+    if (strength > 0) {
+      checkPower()
+      for ((card, distance) <- WirelessNetwork.computeReachableFrom(this)
+           if card.openPorts.contains(port)) {
+        card.node.sendToReachable("computer.signal",
+          Seq("modem_message", node.address, Int.box(port), Double.box(distance)) ++ args.drop(2): _*)
+      }
     }
     super.broadcast(context, args)
   }
 
+
+  private def checkPower() {
+    val rate = Config.wirelessRangePerPower
+    if (rate != 0 && !node.changeBuffer(-strength / rate))
+      throw new Exception("not enough energy")
+  }
+
   // ----------------------------------------------------------------------- //
 
   override def onConnect(node: Node) {
@@ -136,13 +149,16 @@ object WirelessNetwork {
 
   def computeReachableFrom(card: WirelessNetworkCard) = {
     dimensions.get(dimension(card)) match {
-      case Some(set) if card.strength >= 1 =>
-        set.range(offset(card, -card.strength), offset(card, card.strength)).
+      case Some(set) if card.strength > 0 =>
+        val range = card.strength + 1
+        set.range(offset(card, -range), offset(card, range)).
           map(_.card.get).
           filter(_ != card).
           map(zipWithDistance(card)).
-          filter(_._2 <= card.strength * card.strength).
-          map { case (c, distance) => (c, Math.sqrt(distance)) }.
+          filter(_._2 <= range * range).
+          map {
+          case (c, distance) => (c, Math.sqrt(distance))
+        }.
           filter(isUnobstructed(card))
       case _ => Iterable.empty[(WirelessNetworkCard, Double)] // Should not be possible.
     }
@@ -203,7 +219,7 @@ object WirelessNetwork {
       hardness *= gap.toDouble / samples.toDouble
 
       // Remaining signal strength.
-      val strength = reference.strength - distance
+      val strength = reference.strength - gap
 
       // See if we have enough power to overcome the obstructions.
       strength > hardness