L-com’s 2.4 GHz WiFi antennas include over 200 models ranging from Grid, Yagi, Patch, Panel, Rubber Duck, Omni directional and more. These HyperLink brand 2.4 GHz WiFi antennas are designed for years of operation even under harsh conditions. In the last post, I explained most common WiFi antennas that are used with WiFi router and WiFi adapters. In this post, I will explain WiFi antenna position as well as WiFi antenna Placement for effective and fast WiFi Signal transmission and reception and increase WiFi range.
In this section, we’re going to discuss how to increase WiFi range using the right antenna for the job. We’ll discuss various antenna types, how they work, cable lengths, and coupling requirements.
Most of you will be using the default antennas that come with your router. But for those of you planning to boost your range, using the right WiFi antenna can save you a lot of time and frustration. And with some basic knowledge about antennas, you will be better prepared to troubleshoot problems and plan your deployment. How do WiFi antennas work?First and foremost, frequency wavelength plays a key role in the construction of the antenna. But other factors such as are equally important.A 2.4GHz antenna will not work with a 5GHz signal and vise versa. If it does work, it will not work properly and the range will be terrible.
So, whether you are buying an antenna or building your own, make sure it’s designed for the correct frequency band. An antenna provides three things to a radio transmitter:. Direction. Polarity. GainDirection refers to the shape or angle of the transmission, which ultimately describes the coverage area. Polarity is the orientation of the electric field (the transmission itself) from the antenna.
Gain is the amount of energy increased by the RF signal. What is an omnidirectional antenna?For starters, Wi-Fi antenna’s are either omnidirectional or directional. Omnidirectional antennas are designed for 360 degree operation whereby a vertical dipole radiates and receives equally well on the azimuth plane (in all horizontal directions).
Rubber Ducky AntennaThere may be times when your rubber ducky just doesn’t cut it. When you need more range, a directional antenna might be your best option. What is a directional antenna?Think of directional antenna’s like a water hose with a garden sprayer. When you squeeze the handle, the water is sprayed in a straight line.
When something gets in the way, the pressure will either blast through it or bounce off if it, depending on the density of the object.Since directional antenna’s focus their energy in one direction, they are excellent for controlling the direction of the broadcast, or receiving a distant broadcast. Parabolic AntennaParabolic antenna’s work by reflecting the signal off of the rear reflector and concentrating that signal into one central point. If you want to test the parabolic theory, hold a large bowl in front of your face and speak into it. The audio from your voice travels to all corners of the bowl, but when it’s returned to your ears, the sound is magnified.Like the Yagi antenna, parabolic antenna’s are a common choice for point-to-point environments. The coverage width and elevation is comparable to that of a Yagi antenna.
The “dish” is more prone to wind, snow, and ice. Consider using a “grid” antenna for areas with high-wind and freezing weather.Here are some reputable places to buy antenna’s:.Cantenna WiFi Antenna. CantennaCantenna’s are mostly used as a receiving antenna for client computers. Most people use them to replace the rubber ducky antenna’s on their wireless USB adapters connected to a laptop. Cantenna’s are a great addition to your travel case. They can help you reach Wi-Fi hotspots that might otherwise be out of reach.There are a lot of DIY enthusiasts these days.
Many of them post images and plans of their homemade antenna’s. Some are downright ugly.
Others are quite impressive. They’re made from everything you can imagine: coffee cans, Pringles cans, trash can lids, etc.Here are some DIY examples:What is antenna polarity?Regardless of the type of antenna that you use, there is one thing that absolutely must be correct and that is the polarity. The broadcasting and receiving antenna must use the same polarity.
Good performance is all about a strong signal. Radio wave “polarization” plays a huge part in signal quality.
Polarization is determined by the physical position of the antenna. Antenna PolarityPolarization is extremely important.
In fact, if you had two antenna’s pointing directly at each other, one with perfect vertical polarization, and the other with perfect horizontal polarization, the antenna’s would not hear each other at all.Omni-directional antenna’s are vertical polarized. A Yagi antenna with vertical elements is also vertical polarized. But if you turn the antenna so that the elements are sideways, the antenna is then polarized horizontally. What is Antenna Gain?The range and strength at which an antenna can connect depends on the antenna’s gain.
Some people say “power” but what they really mean is “gain”. Unlike the actual radio transmitter itself, antenna power is not measured in output power.
It’s called “gain” and it’s measured in a relative unit known as “dBi”.For the transmitting antenna, gain is the measurement of how well the antenna converts the transmit power into a radio wave that can be sent. On the receiving end, it’s a measurement of how well the antenna receives the radio wave and then converts that to electrical power. What is dBi and dBm?This can make your head spin when shopping for antenna’s.
Just remember, the general idea is to reduce the amount of loss and retain as much gain as possible.Antenna Gain and Cable Loss are values that are constant no matter what power level you are referring to. Antenna gain is affected by “cable loss”. Cable loss is associated with anything that decreases the antenna’s gain, such as the length and/or diameter of the antenna cable.dBi is an “isotropic measurement”.
That’s just a fancy way of saying that dBi is a relative measurement. So, it doesn’t really matter what level of power is in question, the dBi remains the same.dBm refers to the ratio of decibels (dB) to milliwatts. The referenced unit is exactly one milliwatt. Since it uses a reference point of exactly one milliwatt, it is an absolute unit of measure. The conversion of watts to dBm uses a complex formula that goes beyond the scope of this section. In short, 1 watt (or 1000mW) is equal to 30dBm.If you have cable loss of 2 dBi (based on your cable length and diameter), but a gain of 7.5 dBi from your antenna, the net effect is +5 dBi regardless of the power level.
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What cables should I use for my WiFi antenna?With outdoor applications and runs over 4 feet long, use low-loss cable such as: LMR-400. If you have a 20 foot run, use 19 feet of LMR-400 for the main line and the smaller LMR-100 cable for a 1 foot pigtail equipped with the connectors you need. Your pigtail may have an N Female on one end, and an RP-SMA Male on the other. What are the most common antenna connectors?
Outdoor WiFi AntennaDrive a solid copper rod (4 feet or longer) into the ground. Run a solid copper wire (8 AWG or larger) from the lightning arrestor to the grounding rod. Secure the ground wire to the copper rod with a with a grounding strap. Make sure it’s tight. If it’s not grounded properly, the lightning arrestor will be have nowhere to dump the excessive voltage.Let’s recap:WiFi antenna’s are designed for specific frequencies (2.4GHz, 5GHz, etc). The direction of the antenna, the polarity of the signal, and the gain of the antenna are all for the intention of getting radio waves to and from the transmitter.
Maximize signal quality by matching polarity. In order to get as much signal to and from the radio, the idea is to minimize loss and retain as much “gain” as possible. In order to achieve maximum gain, use low-loss cable.
And last but not least, protect your indoor equipment from lightning. Use gas-charged lightning arrestors and secure them firmly to a copper grounding rod.
AdvertisementFor most people, the router is the first port of call for a lackluster Wi-Fi signal. You might have a router supplied by your service provider, which are quite a mixed bag.Some providers want you actually to enjoy internet access throughout your home. Other service providers seem to take pride in delivering the worst router possible, complete with useless antennas.If you fall in the latter camp, you can make an easy router modification to boost your signal: a high-gain Wi-Fi antenna. Let’s take a look at the high-gain antenna options for your router.
Why Install a High-Gain Antenna?There are a few important questions to consider before installing a high-gain antenna to your router. High-gain antenna advocates offer a few immediate positives for the installation of new antennas on your router.
Consider the following:. Increased broadcast range: The prospect of an increase to your Wi-Fi broadcast range is one of the most alluring benefits of a high-gain router. The big question lies in what you want your high-gain antenna to do as well as the operating frequency of your router. Wi-Fi broadcasts on two radio frequency bands: 2.4GHz and 5GHz. 2.4GHz is slower with a larger range, while 5GHz is faster with a shorter range.Within those bands are broadcast channels. Most routers automatically pick a broadcast channel, and many simply use their default specification. Some routers can assign channels with less interference using “smart” analysis, though.
What to Consider Before Getting a High-Gain AntennaBefore splashing out on a high-gain antenna, there are four aspects for you to consider:. Router placement: The placement of your router makes a vast difference to its broadcast range. Having your router placed in the far corner of your living room isn’t going broadcast Wi-Fi to your backyard (depending on the layout of your house, of course).
Your router should sit in the center of your home, away from walls and other solid restrictions known to disrupt Wi-Fi signals. Broadcast channel: As mentioned above, your router broadcasts Wi-Fi on a specific channel. Now that Wi-Fi is so ubiquitous, spectrum crunch is becoming a real and growing issue - but it looks like MIT researchers may have found a solution to it., especially if you live in an apartment or row of houses. We have a short guide on What's the best Wi-Fi channel for your router and how do you change it?
We answer these questions and more in this quick guide. Wireless standards: Wi-Fi is Wi-Fi, right? Different wireless standards govern broadcast range and frequency. For instance, the latest mainstream wireless standard, 802.11ac, broadcasts the 5GHz frequency over distances of around 100-150 feet at speeds up to 1Gbps—but only the 5GHz frequency. Wireless standard 802.11n broadcasts the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency at speeds up to 300Mbps over distances up to 200-250 feet. The gist is that an Wi-Fi router features don't make sense sometimes. That's why we've broken down what Wi-Fi features you need and don't need.
And we've even recommended the best Wi-Fi routers out there! That cannot offer the range or throughput most modern devices and services require. Integrated power boost: Some routers have a power boost setting found in the administration panel. Search online for “your router type power increase setting” to see if that is the case.Have a play around with your positioning and broadcast channel, as well as double-checking that it adheres to the latest wireless standards, before opening your wallet. How to Attach a High-Gain Antenna to Your RouterAttaching a new high-gain antenna is an easy task—depending on your router.Unfortunately, not all routers have detachable antennas and thus customizing with a high-gain antenna is impossible. Check your router specifications for more information about its antennas.
Generally, if you cannot see the antennas sticking out, you won’t have a chance to upgrade them.The first piece of hardware to check is the connector type. The two most common high-gain antenna connector types are SMA and TNC (with their corresponding connectors on the router, or vice-versa). The easiest way to figure this out is to unscrew your existing router antennas and have a look.Here’s what SMA connectors look like.
Once you know the type of connector on your router, you can shop around for a high-gain antenna that suits your requirements; I’ve listed several options in the next section. When your new high-gain antenna arrives, simply screw it into the router and bask in the glory of your newfound Wi-Fi range. Which High-Gain Antenna Should You Buy?Your high-gain antenna requirements are specific to your environment. However, there are a few antennas you should check out due to their price point and versatility.Always remember to check compatibility before purchasing; certain high-gain antennas work better with some routers than others. 1.$10.60These humongous omnidirectional dual-band high-gain antennas theoretically provide a decent boost to your Wi-Fi range.
The Super Power Supply manufactured antennas work with a wide-range of Linksys, Cisco, Belkin, Netgear, and D-Link routers. 2.$18.44Similar to the Super Power Supply option above, but the physical antennas are marginally shorter. The antennas are dual-band, omnidirectional, and offer 9dBi gain. 3.$14.99Alfa is well-respected regarding wireless antennas and wireless cards. The 9dBi omnidirectional Wi-Fi booster will give your router range an ample boost and works well with a considerable number of Linksys, Cisco, Belkin, Netgear, D-Link, TP-Link, and Alfa routers. 4.$15.00The Alfa APA-M25 is a handy entry-level directional (the other options are all omnidirectional) high-gain antenna best suited to indoor environments.
The APA-M25 comes with 10dBi dual-band directional gain and works well with a wide-range of popular routers. Other Options: Wi-Fi Extender or Powerline AdapterYou have a few high-gain antenna options here to choose from. But before you go, there’s a final consideration for you to make: Wi-Fi is great until it fails to hit the hard-to-reach corners of your house. There are two easy ways to gain that extra reach: extenders and boosters.Ultimately, the decision lies in your Wi-Fi range predicament, the layout of your home, and of course, how much cash you’re willing to part with.For most people, plugging in a powerline adapter with a Wi-Fi function is an easier option than deciding on the best high-gain antenna. The powerline adapter gives you flexibility, too, in that you can plug the adapter and its Wi-Fi capabilities into any socket in your home.
A doesn’t cost much, either.There’s also the option of separate Wi-Fi extender. Wi-Fi extenders, which are sometimes called Wi-Fi repeaters or Wi-Fi boosters, boost the signal from your wireless router., along with a few purchase suggestions.Explore more about:,.