Question Need to extend the external antenna - RG58 vs RG6

[rubantin]

I have an adapter for RG58 to RG6. So, I have some spare RG6 in the basement. Can I use that to extend the cable when installing my external wifi antenna? The lead from the antenna is RG58.

 

[bill001g]

wifi cable is consider microwave cable because of the frequencies it runs at.

This is a extremely complex topic that I can't even begin to explain on a forum.

So RG6 has less signal loss per foot than RG58 but it is 75 ohm cable and not 50 ohm cable. There is very little information about how much signal loss you get on cables when you connect them to equipment they are not designed to support. Generally the transmitters are designed to only function with a particular resistance level they work very poorly when matched to the wrong antenna/cables

RG58 cable is garbage for longer distances. At wifi frequencies 100ft of cable will have twice the signal loss than even the largest antenna can add. Most times people use actual microwave rated antenna cables. These start with LMR. LMR400 is common. LMR400 has about 25% of the loss per foot of RG58.

Microwave rated cable is expensive and the ends need to be soldered on to not have more loss at each connector.

 

[rubantin]

wifi cable is consider microwave cable because of the frequencies it runs at.

This is a extremely complex topic that I can't even begin to explain on a forum.

So RG6 has less signal loss per foot than RG58 but it is 75 ohm cable and not 50 ohm cable. There is very little information about how much signal loss you get on cables when you connect them to equipment they are not designed to support. Generally the transmitters are designed to only function with a particular resistance level they work very poorly when matched to the wrong antenna/cables

RG58 cable is garbage for longer distances. At wifi frequencies 100ft of cable will have twice the signal loss than even the largest antenna can add. Most times people use actual microwave rated antenna cables. These start with LMR. LMR400 is common. LMR400 has about 25% of the loss per foot of RG58.

Microwave rated cable is expensive and the ends need to be soldered on to not have more loss at each connector.

The antenna lead is 6 feet long... I need to add another 8 feet. I don't know if that helps your answer?

 

[cruisetung]

No one use RG58 now. It can only reach 10Mbps max speed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RG-58

So it does not make any sense trying to extend your external wifi antenna signal with your RG58 to RG6 adapter at all.

Get external antennas that come with LMR based cables. You have to ask other wifi experts though.

 

[kanewolf]

No one use RG58 now. It can only reach 10Mbps max speed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RG-58

It does not make any sense trying to extend your external wifi antenna signal with your RG58 to RG6 adapter at all.

The discussion is for an RF link to an antenna, not "thin net" -- which is the 10Mb network.

 

[cruisetung]

The discussion is for an RF link to an antenna, not "thin net" -- which is the 10Mb network.

I know. But OP wants to extend wifi signal with RG58-RG6 adapter, I guess it has same limitation? And what router/AP/wifi adapter comes with RG6 connector?

 

[kanewolf]

I know. But OP wants to extend wifi signal with RG58, I guess it has same limitation?

No. The limitations are more about the signal loss shown in the last paragraph of the Wikipedia article.

 

[rubantin]

I don't mean to mislead... The antenna is for a 315Mhz garage door reciever. Figured it would have similar needs as far as cables... I was obviously mistaken.

 

[bill001g]

Huge difference in 315mhz vs 2.4 or 5.8GHZ.

If you have the cable just try it. At short distance it might not matter the impedance is 50 ohm vs 60 ohm.