Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)This is a good WiFi antenna. I'm using mine on a remote WiFi repeater that needs to maintain a solid link to its infrastructure and service roaming clients in several different directions. A high-gain omnidirectional antenna like this usually costs about twice as much, so I was a little skeptical at first about this one. After doing some testing on it and comparing it to several other antennas that I have been using for many years, I feel pretty confident in recommending it.
This antenna has a coaxial connection that is exposed to the weather, which means that the coaxial cable must be run on the outside of your support mast, so be sure to use the weather-proof tape (provided) to complete your installation. Personally I prefer a design that allows the feed-line to be protected from the weather and run inside the mast, hence my 4 star rating.
Here are some general tips on getting the most out of an omnidirectional antenna like this:
1) Mount it in the clear and at the very top of a mast. Keep it at least a few feet away from near-by objects that could detune it or change its intended radiation pattern.
2) Use as short a coaxial feed-line as possible. Calculate the feed-line loss at 2.4 GHz and get the best coaxial cable you can afford for your installation. I personally use LMR-400 for runs of 15 ft. or more for WiFi.
3) If you're looking at this antenna to increase an access point's coverage range, make sure that your current range is not being limited by interference from other 2.4 GHz "noise" sources. If this is the case, your transmit range may increase, but your two-way communication range may not change much since all signals being received (the ones you want and the ones you don't) will all be stronger. You'll want to get a directional antenna for this situation.
4) If you're mounting an omnidirectional antenna really high, consider getting one with a "down-tilt" pattern. I could not find a radiation pattern graph for this antenna anywhere on the web, but I'm assuming that it's fairly symmetrical and not a down-tilt pattern. This would mean that its gain would drop off significantly at an angle more than about 10 degrees below the antenna.
If you're looking for an outdoor omnidirectional WiFi antenna with a rugged design that's not too expensive, this one is a good choice.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Alfa Hi-Gain Omni-Directional Outdoor 15dBi Antenna - 2.4/2.5GHz 4.8-Feet long Weatherproof antenna With N Female Connector - Can be used for IEEE 802.11b/G WiFi and Bluetooth applications
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