Re: External wifi antenna

palanzana · ‎2024-04-22

Hi everyone,

I need to externalize an antenna to get the connection inside the red box (about 1 and a half hectares).
I would like to put a smart doorbell + cam at the gate (230m) and some cams at the ends of the fence.
What do you recommend?

I already have 6 orbi ax4200

plemans · ‎2024-04-22

I recommend a point to point system. A standard mesh system won't reach 230m.

netgear used to have airbridge but its been out of stock for quite a while. I'd look on amazon for other versions

palanzana · ‎2024-04-22

I need an external antenna, I don't need a mesh

Does netgear have anything similar?

plemans · ‎2024-04-23

@palanzana wrote:

I need an external antenna, I don't need a mesh

Does netgear have anything similar?

External antenna's aren't going to help much because the broadcast power of 2.4ghz/5ghz has been set for years and routers/satellites have been maxing them out for years. And 230m is a long way for wifi to reach. Its why I'd recommend a point to point system and then stick one of the satellites at the end of it for that coverage.

there isn't a "stock" external antenna for any of the orbi's.

palanzana · ‎2024-04-23

regardless of the orbi system, I would like to put a secondary router + antenna only for the outdoor garden. What do you suggest me?

plemans · ‎2024-04-24

I've made my suggestion. It's not using that setup.

You're way past any of the recommended ranges for wifi setups.

You can purchase whatever you want and it might work for some pretty basic stuff but video streaming isn't it.

The recommended max distance for wifi is somewhere around 150ft indoors and up to 300ft outdoors. That's for 2.4ghz, which has a much wider range but significantly lower speeds. You're over double that distance. So you can cobble something together, but it's going to be sketchy and not work well. If Netgear still sold their Airbridge, I'd recommend that. But they don't. Tp-link has the Omada EAP211 bridge kit that is good for up to 1000 meters and is under $150. Get something like that and connect a satellite or router to it and you'll have stability/speed in your area. There's other knockoff's on the market that might work well (check the reviews) for even cheaper. There's even versions that go several kilometers but are more expensive.

palanzana · ‎2024-04-24

so for these distances do I necessarily have to use a point to point and isn't an omni antenna enough?

plemans · ‎2024-04-25

@palanzana wrote:

so for these distances do I necessarily have to use a point to point and isn't an omni antenna enough?

You can try whatever you want. I think if you go that route, you're going to have issues. If it was just using an IoT device where you were turning something on/off or changing a setting, it might be different. You're trying to connect a camera and other devices. That need a more solid connection/higher bandwidth.

Again, try what you'd like. but that isn't what I'd recommend and I think it'll cause more headaches than its worth

schumaku · ‎2024-04-25

The antenna gain is usually "eaten" by the cable and the connectors. High gain antennas (stacked dipoles) help in sone access points, but not in the wireless devices commonly operating at lower power.

Definitely the best investment would be a wired backhaul. Fiber does allow longer connections than copper, which is limited to about 90 meters plus patch cables