Long range wifi possibilities.

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mercadion

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Dec 29, 2017
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I have to reach out about 200ft or so to my AP. I currently use an older version TP-Link 150, mostly for linux use. I hover around -60 on the network, and its "ok" but I'm hoping to get closer to -50, or even in the 40s. I don't believe a directional or 7 or 9 dbi antennae will help with what I currently have as I know its on the lower end of the transmit spectrum.I know the alfas are widely popular, but little says anything about their range, only their injecting capabilities. What is my best "bang for the buck". An alfa AWUS036NHA, a powered antennae (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073HMKHVY/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2LM6ZPY06LT1N), or something else you guys are aware of? I dont care about hacking or injecting capabilites as I would still have the n150. An outdoor antennae is not an option, however LOS is clear. Price range of no more than 50$ would be great.

Should note that Ive seen items like https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007M7RP6Q/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1X34U8Q7ANTP2 that get praised in one place and blasted the next, so I am hoping for first hand accounts. Most reviews, or personal accounts on items I see are from people that really dont know what they are looking at, or are after a specific function.
 
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To clarify the reason I dont believe a non-powered antennae will help is because of my current cards restrictions. Neither of these will offer the range if the power isnt there.

The tp-link 9dbi is junk....I know first hand (its not 9dbi either, its a recorded 7 with feedback hindering the directional signal) A side by side comparison of my own alongside a 4dbi stock yielded a stronger connection via the stock antennae.

The 12db you suggest cannot, by design, function properly by its dimensions as a 12dbi omnidirectional (in fact most user reviews have it pinned as working directionally which it has to be from the panel design and thickness). To achieve 12dbi the panel inside has to be 90% of the size of the plastic housing, and its reflector would have to be 60% of that...making 360 degree reception impossible ....so its either a gimmick, an closer to a 7dbi if that (width of the panel suggests so as the spacing between receptor and reflector cannot be big enough for a 12) , or its directional and its manufacturers are idiots (well known about Amped actually)

I thank you for the quick reply, but the reason I said I was hoping for first hand accounts of what people are actually using for these distances and their performance results is because I do know what is on the market, and what will and wont actually work. Without a boost to an adaptors power output a 7-9 or even 2 wont yield much differences than +/- 2-3 dbi between them.




 
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I don't do indoor extended antennas the gain is usually useless against structures,

Maybe all you need is a plug-in extender at 100 ft to extend it enough to bridge router to AP.

Now if you want to talk in the 200$ wifi antenna extenders omnidirectional powered antennas that give you easy 200-300ft range, we can talk... but indoors, easier to wire the ap and be done with it.





 
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Would love to wire it, however the application is on a boat. Which is also why an outdoor receiver isn't a viable option (no modification to the boat *sigh* ). Somewhat out of my depth here as well as my antennae and adaptor knowledge is more focused on speed and brute force capabilities, and not distance. The person has one shot at it, if it doesn't work they would have to wait another 3-5 months to try another option (even with returns shipping eats us where were at making them not worth it).

Though trust me...I have been considering an insulated wired option even with it being underwater...even if its wired to a router raised 5-6 ft above the water.
 
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okay so your going from a building to a dock area trying to reach boats to provide wifi to it. right ?

simple solution, run cat 5 to beginning of dock (buried in ground 6 inches should do in a pvc pipe capped at each end to protect it,
install outdoors AP with or not 20db outdoors antenna on a post. done.

 
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No dock, house drops 2 feet away to a "cliff", no practical place to mount anything to get closer than 10 feet from where the transmission point is. No way to get the boat safely closer either. Im loaning my wifi out to the guy, and I know theres a way to get him a stronger connection within the parameters in the original post....and truthfully I think the alfa will do it since my little n150 that runs at 500mw is able to connect at -60. Supposedly the alfas run at 1-2 w depending on the model. My alfa got flushed in the great toddler tantrum of 16 else Id try it myself. However that 1-2 also includes the power the unit itself takes, so ultimately a 1w wifi adaptor is weaker than a 1w powered antennae (if the newer alfas really are capable of 2w I can go in an change that myself allowing it to run there, but thats sort of a hush hush thing in the US as anything above 1w on the adaptor itself is fcc illegal and I cant find any clear answers).

The underwater solution I have so far is electricians flex EMT ran out 75-100 or so feet strapped to bouies with whatever flavor of transmitter, booster, repeater floating out. Or even most of the flex submerged with weights exposing only the end....what have you. But thats a lot more expensive than he wants to go, frankly Im at that point out of sheer curiosity and interest....but Id rather not put out the 100-200 itd cost for water friendly materials lol.

 
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Thats where the wife comes in, he wont let me touch the boat she wont let me touch the house lol. Hes a friend of mine that lives on the boat, goes into the main dock 10 miles out for groceries then get out of "habited areas" for peace, which happens to be "my" cove. He likes that its quiet and out of sight, and she likes that hes close enough for me to get his attention over radio but he cant just come walking up and bug her lol. My place is on a granite slab *roughly* 190ftx340ftx40ft. We dont worry about slipping off into the lake, but water access is restricted heavily by natural design...and ours for youngsters. I actually have a rigged antennae I used years ago made out of a sat dish that would transmit across half the lake....the wife said if I put it or anything else like it up I get the couch for a year. Ive done everything feasible I can to my office, yielding the -60 we have now, so the next area of change is the boat. Ironically if the lake was in the front of the house I could do whatever I want and problem solves....she and the kids claimed the back and Im not allowed to "ugly it".
 
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You can calculate what sort of receiver gain you'd need to hit -40 dBm if you're at -60 dBm now at 200 ft. 18 dBi on an amplifier should do it. There are dual band wifi amplifiers at 2000 mW (33 dBm) that can hit 18 dBi in addition to your current AP and antenna, but you can also get around that range with a single band amplifier for under $50. Amazon has really sketchy stuff in this category, as usual, so look on eBay - there are more listings.

Some people recommend range extenders reflexively in every situation, and in almost every situation they'd be the wrong choice. Since you can't drop a range extender midway between the transmitter and receiver, an extender would add less gain that an amplifier and cut throughput in half. An amplifier adds some noise to the SNR, but doesn't retransmit packets on the same channel so it wouldn't halve your throughput.
 
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Exactly, this is where I came up with the 1w added boost I was talkin about above. But I definitely have looked into the amps, but just as you say I know thats a crapshoot for under the 50 he wants to stay. Specifically this is the one I was looking at. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Wifi-Signal-Booster-2-4Ghz-4W-802-11-Signal-Extender-Wifi-Repeater-Broadband-Amp/142568510870?hash=item2131bed596:g:3HAAAOSwT2daAJg-

Not to concerned about the noise, as there are some tricks to that, but again...hoping for someone who has one that can rely how well it actually performs.
 
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