Question Can you hook up a WiFi range extender (with a built-in Ethernet port) to some kind of WiFi directional antenna?

dekw04

Commendable
Oct 6, 2017
124
0
1,690
Hi everyone.

Can you hook up a WiFi range extender (one that comes with a built-in Ethernet port) to some model of WiFi directional antenna via an Ethernet cable in order to get better WiFi?

I recently got a WiFi extender (NETGEAR WiFi Range Extender AC750 Dual Band) that comes with an Ethernet port built into it.

Can I link this device to some model of WiFi directional antenna using an Ethernet cable (and an adapter if it's needed)?

I plan to set up the WiFi range extender in the location that picks up the best WiFi signal, but even so I think I may be able to significantly improve the signal by linking some model of WiFi directional antenna to the WiFi range extender via an Ethernet cable.

With that said, can you hook up a WiFi range extender (one that comes with a built-in Ethernet port) to some model of WiFi directional antenna via an Ethernet cable in order to get better WiFi?

If so, can anyone specifically tell me what kind of WiFi directional antenna it has to be and/or give some examples of models that would work?

Thank you.
 

kanewolf

Titan
Moderator
A directional antenna requires a coax connection. If the existing antenna(s) could be removed them you might be able to.
An ethernet connected device would be a directional WIFI bridge. Something like a Ubiquiti nanostation M or a nanobeam.

Are you trying to use a public WIFI source in a home with multiple devices?
 

dekw04

Commendable
Oct 6, 2017
124
0
1,690
A directional antenna requires a coax connection. If the existing antenna(s) could be removed them you might be able to.
An ethernet connected device would be a directional WIFI bridge. Something like a Ubiquiti nanostation M or a nanobeam.

Are you trying to use a public WIFI source in a home with multiple devices?

I'm trying to extend/boost an Optimum WiFi hotspot that I have access to with my Internet plan. According to what I've seen online, it seems like I can use a WiFi extender to extend the hotspot signal (if I configure some settings). I thought that I could also connect some kind of antenna (to get even better WiFI) to this WiFi extender by using an Ethernet cable since an Ethernet port is built into the WiFi extender that I got.

The idea seems like it might work, but I don't know if that's how things actually work so I thought I would ask about it here.
 
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I will assume you are not talking about hooking to the optimum device in your house. That you can easily connect to via ethernet and use your extender as a AP.

I am betting you are connecting to someone else router using the optimum so called wifi hotspot. Now you could in theory replace the antenna on the extender BUT first you have to be able to replace the antenna in the first place. Second the extender would need to function with one of its antenna directional and the other not. If you have only directional antenna it might be able to talk to the remote hotspot but then it can't talk to your local pc because the antenna is to narrow a beam.

So rather than spend money on a directional antenna use the ubiquiti device recommended above. You need to determine if you are using 2.4 or 5g band since the units are not dual band. You could them hook it to your extender you currently have via ethernet but run the extender as a AP. You have in effect built your own repeater.

Now the big question is will this even work. The hotspot must support WDS which is multiple devices connected via a single wifi connection. I would not be surprised if they did not support this because the hotspot function is really designed for hooking up mobile devices. The reason they do not make this easy is because you have people that share their account information with others who do not want to pay the money for their own internet connection. What you are doing is what someone who was abusing the service would do so the don't want to make it simple.

Luckily the ubiquiti device can run in router mode so you can make it appear as a single device. The repeater you currently have does not have that ability.