For most people, the router is the outset port of telephone telephone for a lackluster Wi-Fi signal. You powerfulness direct keep a router supplied yesteryear your service provider, which are quite a mixed bag.
Some providers desire you lot genuinely to savour cyberspace access throughout your home. Other service providers seem to direct keep pride inwards delivering the worst router possible, consummate amongst useless antennas.
If you lot autumn inwards the latter camp, you lot tin brand an piece of cake router alteration to boost your signal: a high-gain Wi-Fi antenna. Let's direct keep a await at the high-gain antenna options for your router.
Why Install a High-Gain Antenna?
There are a few of import questions to consider earlier installing a high-gain antenna to your router. High-gain antenna advocates offering a few immediate positives for the installation of novel antennas on your router. Consider the following:
- Increased broadcast range: The prospect of an increment to your Wi-Fi broadcast attain is i of the most alluring benefits of a high-gain router. Hitting every room inwards your trouble solid amongst Wi-Fi from a unmarried router sounds similar a groovy idea.
- Broadcast control: A high-gain omnidirectional antenna replaced amongst a directional antenna grants precise command over your Wi-Fi broadcast direction.
- Faster Wi-Fi speed: On locomote yesteryear of the broadcast attain increase, you lot larn a potential boost to overall throughput for amend efficiency.
Types of High-Gain Antennas
There are 2 chief types of high-gain antennae:
- Omnidirectional: Radio frequency broadcasts inwards all directions, creating a sphere of coverage.
- Directional: Radio frequency broadcast focuses on a specific direction, creating greater coverage distance.
There are also specialized high-gain antenna types, too. For instance, a parabolic antenna or Yagi antenna has the potential to broadcast your Wi-Fi signal for miles. Of course, you lot don't desire to practise that; at that topographic point are smaller parabolic designs to a greater extent than suitable for a residential Wi-Fi setup.
The large inquiry lies inwards what you lot desire your high-gain antenna to practise equally good equally the operating frequency of your router. Wi-Fi broadcasts on 2 radio frequency bands: 2.4GHz in addition to 5GHz. 2.4GHz is slower amongst a larger range, acre 5GHz is faster amongst a shorter range.
Within those bands are broadcast channels. Most routers automatically pick a broadcast channel, in addition to many but role their default specification. Some routers tin assign channels amongst less interference using "smart" analysis, though.
What to Consider Before Getting a High-Gain Antenna
Before splashing out on a high-gain antenna, at that topographic point are 4 aspects for you lot to consider:
- Router placement: The placement of your router makes a vast divergence to its broadcast range. Having your router placed inwards 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 down inwards the oculus of your home, away from walls in addition to other solid restrictions known to disrupt Wi-Fi signals.
- Broadcast channel: As mentioned above, your router broadcasts Wi-Fi on a specific channel. Default channels are total of other Wi-Fi signals, peculiarly if you lot alive inwards an aeroplane or row of houses. We direct keep a curt guide on picking a unique wireless channel for your router.
- Wireless standards: Wi-Fi is Wi-Fi, right? Not quite. Different wireless standards principle broadcast attain in addition to frequency. For instance, the latest mainstream wireless standard, 802.11ac, broadcasts the 5GHz frequency over distances of around 100-150 feet at speeds upwards to 1Gbps—but alone the 5GHz frequency. Wireless criterion 802.11n broadcasts the 2.4GHz in addition to 5GHz frequency at speeds upwards to 300Mbps over distances upwards to 200-250 feet. The gist is that an old router volition broadcast using one-time wireless standards that cannot offering the attain or throughput most modern devices in addition to services require.
- Integrated ability boost: Some routers direct keep a ability boost setting constitute inwards the direction panel. Search online for "[your router type] ability increment setting" to come across if that is the case.
Have a play around amongst your positioning in addition to broadcast channel, equally good equally double-checking that it adheres to the latest wireless standards, earlier opening your wallet.
How to Attach a High-Gain Antenna to Your Router
Attaching a novel high-gain antenna is an piece of cake task—depending on your router.
Unfortunately, non all routers direct keep detachable antennas in addition to thence customizing amongst a high-gain antenna is impossible. Check your router specifications for to a greater extent than data nearly its antennas. Generally, if you lot cannot come across the antennas sticking out, you lot won't direct keep a run a jeopardy to upgrade them.
The outset slice of hardware to banking concern check is the connexion type. The 2 most mutual high-gain antenna connexion types are SMA and TNC (with their corresponding connectors on the router, or vice-versa). The easiest agency to figure this out is to unscrew your existing router antennas in addition to direct keep a look.
Here's what SMA connectors await like:
And here's what TNC connectors await like:
Don't direct keep either of these antenna connexion types? Check out broadbandbuyer's comprehensive guide to antenna types.
Once you lot know the type of connexion on your router, you lot tin store around for a high-gain antenna that suits your requirements; I've listed several options inwards the side yesteryear side section. When your novel high-gain antenna arrives, but screw it into the router in addition to bask inwards 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, at that topographic point are a few antennas you lot should banking concern check out due to their cost indicate in addition to versatility.
Always retrieve to banking concern check compatibility earlier purchasing; sure enough high-gain antennas operate amend amongst some routers than others.
1. Super Power Supply 2 x 9dBi RP-SMA
Super Power Supply® 2 x 9dBi RP-SMA Dual Band 2.4GHz 5GHz + 2 x 8in / 20cm U.fl / IPEX Cable Antenna Mod Kit No Soldering for Wireless Routers Linksys Cisco E2000 E2500 EA2700 E3000 EA3500 E4200 EA4500 EA6200 WRT310N WRT320N WRT330N WRT400N WRT610N WRT54GS2 Belkin F7D8301 Netgear N600 N750 N900 WN2500RP WNDR3300 WNDR3400 WNDR3700 v.2 v.3 WNDR3800 WNDR4000 WNDR4500 WNR834B v. 1 v.2 WNR2000 WNR2200 DGND3700 v.1 v.2 D-Link DIR-655 Buffalo WZR-HP-G450H Mini PCIe Cards Network Extension Bulkhead Pigtail PCI WiFi WAN Repeater BUY NOW AT AMAZON$10.38
These humongous omnidirectional dual-band high-gain antennas theoretically supply a decent boost to your Wi-Fi range. The Super Power Supply manufactured antennas operate amongst a wide-range of Linksys, Cisco, Belkin, Netgear, in addition to D-Link routers.
2. GP Electric Set of 2 Long Range Dual Band ix Dbi Antenna
Set of 2 Omni-Directional Wi-Fi Long Range Dual Band ix Dbi Antenna 2.4/5Ghz 802.11n/b/g in addition to 2 RF U.FL Mini PCI to RP-SMA Female Pigtail Antenna Wi-Fi Cable (Kit for Routers, mini PCIe Cards) BUY NOW AT AMAZON$18.68
Similar to the Super Power Supply selection above, but the physical antennas are marginally shorter. The antennas are dual-band, omnidirectional, in addition to offering 9dBi gain.
3. Alfa ARSN19M
Gadgets World FBA_ALFA-ARSN19M Alfa 9dBi WiFi Booster SMA OMNI-Directional High-Gain Screw-On Swivel Antenna With magnetic base BUY NOW AT AMAZON$14.99
May also live available from: Rakuten.com ($14.99).
Alfa is well-respected regarding wireless antennas in addition to wireless cards. The 9dBi omnidirectional Wi-Fi booster volition give your router attain an ample boost in addition to plant good amongst a considerable lay out of Linksys, Cisco, Belkin, Netgear, D-Link, TP-Link, in addition to Alfa routers.
4. Alfa APA-M25
Alfa APA-M25 dual band 2.4GHz/5GHz 10dBi high gain directional indoor panel antenna amongst RP-SMA connexion (compare to Asus WL-ANT-157) BUY NOW AT AMAZON$10.36
The 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 amongst 10dBi dual-band directional gain in addition to plant good amongst a wide-range of pop routers.
Other Options: Wi-Fi Extender or Powerline Adapter
You direct keep a few high-gain antenna options hither to select from. But earlier you lot go, there's a lastly consideration for you lot to make: high-gain antenna, Wi-Fi extender, or powerline adapter?
Power Up Your Home Wi-Fi Using a Booster or ExtenderWi-Fi is groovy until it fails to striking the hard-to-reach corners of your house. There are 2 piece of cake ways to gain that extra reach: extenders in addition to boosters.READ MOREUltimately, the determination lies inwards your Wi-Fi attain predicament, the layout of your home, in addition to of course, how much cash you're willing to component division with.
For most people, plugging inwards a powerline adapter amongst a Wi-Fi component division is an easier selection than deciding on the best high-gain antenna. The powerline adapter gives you lot flexibility, too, inwards that you lot tin plug the adapter in addition to its Wi-Fi capabilities into whatsoever socket inwards your home. A basic powerline adapter ready amongst Wi-Fi doesn't cost much, either.
There's also the selection of divide Wi-Fi extender. Here's how a Wi-Fi extender works, along amongst a few purchase suggestions.
How Wi-Fi Extenders Work & three Best Ones You Should BuyWi-Fi extenders, which are sometimes called Wi-Fi repeaters or Wi-Fi boosters, boost the signal from your wireless router.READ MOREExplore to a greater extent than about: Computer Networks, Router, Wi-Fi.
