how to extend antenna range? need to catch distant wifi signal

[Guest]

Imagine I need to connect to wifi source, lets say few hundred meters distant. Of course, I need stronger antenna and other parts than standard wifi cards or adapters with small antennas.

As I do not have expirience with this, but I would like to try now, what parts is best to start?

So far I found this :

I already bought this TP Link wifi adapter before :

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TP-LINK-TL-WN722N-Wireless-N150-High-Gain-USB-Adapter-150Mbps-w-4-dBi-/162274249154?hash=item25c84c89c2:g:mQEAAMXQBg5Rt47s


Would range improve with attaching stronger antenna like this one? (TL-ANT2415D 15db) :

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-TP-Link-TL-ANT2415D-2-4GHz-15dBi-Outdoor-Omni-directional-Antenna-/162089340989?hash=item25bd47103d:g:SRIAAOSwVyRXTp4r


I already have this N-male to SMA-female adapter (so TL-ANT2415D can be connected) :

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Adapter-Pigtail-RP-SMA-female-auf-N-male-/400525915877?hash=item5d413476e5:g:NtEAAOSwaNBUiXfO


Would using Dual Antenna Wifi Adapter be better solution, like this one (this is just example) :

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Alfa-Network-AWUS036AC-Long-Range-Dual-Band-AC1200-Wireless-USB-3-0-Wi-Fi-Adapte-/132085248378?hash=item1ec0e4f17a:g:56UAAOSwA3dYlQzx


Would using Wifi amplifiers like this help? :

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/152394402051?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/401280539396?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT



Sorry for so many links and question, but I would like to get any ideas and info before I start ordering items and experimenting

tnx!

 

[bill001g]

It may not be possible to accomplish what you want. In many case you must replace the antenna on both ends of the connection.

It is not cost effective to do it the way you propose and you should not use omni directional antenna when you know where the signal is coming from. You want to use directional outdoor bridge equipment from ubiquiti or engenious. The exact model will depend on what radio frequencies you are trying to use.

You should never buy any form of amplifier. Almost all routers and bridge equipment already transmits at the legal maximum power. This means if the device you are purchasing is legal it will not put out more. If the device is not legal and has not been certified by the FCC then who knows what you are buying. It could be a empty box that they claim does something and you have no way to test and nobody you can complain to since you would be attempting to do something illegal. The cost of actual high power microwave amplifiers it extremely expensive because of the technology involved. You can only buy them with a special radio license. Anything you find on ebay or amazon that claims to have over legal power either lies or is illegal to use.

Still your largest issue is you must have clear line of sight between the location..ie no buildings or even trees. It sometimes works with directional equipment only on 1 end but in most cases you need direction equipment on both ends.

 

[Guest]

I can modify only my end of connection. And I won't have clear line, so we will must discuss omnidirectional instead of directional.

Than let us see what is best I can do with these limited options I have. Does TL-ANT2415D provide notable difference? And does using wifi adapters with two antennas better than just one or?

 

[Phillip Corcoran]

Wouldn't it be a lot simpler just to sign up with an ISP for your own broadband service instead of attempting to freeload off someone else's that's currently out of range?

 

[kanewolf]

As @bill001g said, if you don't have a clear line of sight, you won't be successful. Omnidirectional is worse than directional. Multiple antennas only allow multiple simultaneous connections between a device and router. They don't change the distance or coverage.

 

[Guest]

imagine you are in populated city for example, and there is caffee bar with free wifi, but every time you want to connect you must go there and sit and buy drink 😀 . It would be much easier if you can connect from your own place. I understand that omnidirectional is weaker compared to directional, but directional is no use for me because I do not have clear line of sight with ANY router (modem, whatever is name of source).

If omnidirectinal can't catch any signal, than nobody wouldn't buy and of them, right? So logical seems to me that some strong omnidirectinal antenna would be able to catch signal, at least at some not so big distance.

So, definitely wifi adapter with two antenas do not provide bigger range compared to one antenna (assuming antennas are same) ?

 

[bill001g]

Maybe you should go to school and learn how radio signals work and then you could get a job and pay for your own internet connection.

Your major issue is you are way over the range of designed use of WiFi. It at most is 100 meters. The only way to get beyond that is with directional antenna and even then it can be tricky.

Even if you could receive the signals, which I doubt it possible, if you use omni directional antenna it will pick up all kinds of other wireless signals you do not want. So now the signal you might want is buried in the interference of many other signals.

 

[TMTOWTSAC]

Omni directional signals work just fine at limited range, which is exactly what they were designed to do. The 802.11xx standard tops out at a max range of 230 feet, on paper. In the real world, more like half that, and only if you're lucky. Far less in crowded cities with obstructions and interference from competing signals. It's enough to cover most apartments and houses (up to a point) with one centrally located router. Which is why millions of them have in fact been bought.

Even if you managed to receive a signal from a few hundred meters using an amplified antenna, you still couldn't use it. Without a directional transmitter and clear line of sight, you would have no way to transmit back unless there they had a similar antenna at the other end. And even if there was, there would be no bandwidth remaining, because those theoretical antennae would be picking up wifi signals from every other source within the same range.

Imagine you own a coffee bar, and you provide free wifi. When your customers want to use wifi, they come and buy coffee. It's almost like that's why you offer wifi for your coffee bar in the first place.

 

[nigelivey]

Get a job and splash the cash! (Or go buy some coffee)