Extending WiFi signal

[tkraft]

I am needing a router upgrade and want to extend the WiFi signal outside about 500 linear feet for connectivity to security cameras and other devices on my farm. There is a clear line of sight. Any suggestions for a long range router, equipment or a plan I would need to accomplish this would be greatly appreciated!

 

[vmfantom]

I am needing a router upgrade and want to extend the WiFi signal outside about 500 linear feet for connectivity to security cameras and other devices on my farm. There is a clear line of sight. Any suggestions for a long range router, equipment or a plan I would need to accomplish this would be greatly appreciated!

If you'd like to keep the signal native on the same SSID and band(s), you can check out parabolic grid and dish antennas with the highest gain (in dBi) that your budget permits. Ideally, you'd use just a single band (either 2.4 or 5 GHz, rather than both) in a point to point configuration. You could use pretty much any router that has detachable antennas to connect a jumper cable between the router and PTP antenna A, and between PTP antenna Z and an omnidirectional antenna or other antenna at the remote location. Note that some parabolic antennas are dual polarized, some support MIMO, etc., so if there's support for MIMO, you could connect 2 of the router's antenna ports this way. You just might need RP-SMA male to N male adapters for the jumper cable, or could order jumper cables with those particular connectors instead.

You could also use an amplifier to maximize transmit power delivered over the link.

You could get 30 dBi on each PTP antenna and find a high gain omni antenna as well, plus the jumper cables, and come in at under $300. Some medium-cost routers with high transmit power and 4x4 MIMO with detachable antennas would include the TP-Link C2600 or C3150. 3x3 would include the D-Link DIR-880L and Netgear Nighthawk R6700 or R7000.