Quesion RE: Wifi antennas in the real world

Hoping to get real world feedback from folks who are already using WIFI bridges with exterior antennas, hopefully some of you have tried both omni and directional antennas and will be able to share your experience.

Im very aware of the theory behind each type of antenna and how they work -

Some questions - will using a yagi style on a pole that I can slide up my ladder mount (for example) and adjust for signal strength/direction really be worth the effort ?

Or will be a high gain omni mounted on that same pole that I just send up in the air 10 feet be as effective ?

I realize the obvious answer here, but Im curious if  real world experience vindicates the theory or not.

I'd suggest you make your own Yagi out of wire and attach it to a short mast. It will be very small and easily kept on the roof.

I'm interested in the same thing and will probably get to my antenna project late this year. Directional antennas exist for a reason, they have higher performance in a certain direction. Therefore, I think one can conclude that under certain circumstances a directional will pull a signal when omni will not. I think it comes down to how important it is to get a signal on the fringe. If it's important enough to raise a mast and then start turning and checking signal then one needs a directional. If that hassle plus being ok the other 95% of the time works for you, then omni.


I was planning on doing both wifi and cell boosters with directionals, and am now thinking I'm just going to get the best cell directional I can find and mount it on the TV antenna. That way I can raise and rotate from inside, and it's much more important to me to have cell service than wifi. We never watch over the air TV anyway so I may remove the TV antenna head to save weight.

Ok since you know about Directional v/s Omni I will go with this

Three things affect you range
1:Receiver Signal to Noise ratio and/or Noise floor
2;Antenna Gain
3: Amount of "Clutter" between Antenna and target.  (Height is might)

So moving the antenna OUTSIDE the RV.. Less "Clutter" (Walls)

Moving it UP a mast. Less clutter (Other RV's)

Improve the radio itself.. More range (lower noise floor)

I have long used a Linksys WGA-54G with a dirctional "Adapter" (this is normally an Omni) and it gave me far more range cause I coudl get it out and give it a clear line of sight to the "host" or as clear as possible... IN fact in one campground I allowed several others to access my in-house wi-fi because even though THEY were closer to the host.. I had a signal, they did not.

Well, it died, (turns out it's ok the power wall wart died, I will fix later) But since I already had a NanoStation Loco-M2 on order and since the LInksys would not let me connect where I was.....  No rush on that fix.

Well, sitting in the front of the motor home at the Shop, clear view of the house where the router is.. This chromebook (has a fairly "Hot" radio in it, (Strong wi-fi receiver) had half the bars lit up.

I set the Nano station about 5 Feet closer (on the dash, still inside) and .. All 4 Signal strength indicators lit fully.  Once I figured it out it worked 100%, all the hosue suddenly had internet (makes printing much easirer since I do not have to save as PDF then change neteworks and print).

Now I'm at a moose lodge about 1,000 miles from that shop. again, the NanoStation is fully lit. And it is still in the front window. INSIDE

When I get where I'm goign I will leave it in, or out, depending on teh site I get.. But this thing is impressive

Oh, it's also the "Outdoor" half of a Wi-Fi Ranger.

Keep in mind, antennae and boosters only improve your ability to access the Wi-Fi signal. It does not increase the available bandwidth on the network.

You may be able to get connected to a weak signal, but if everyone else on the network is using it at the same time, your connection speeds will crawl.

Nothing can fix a campground full of guests all trying to watch Netflix at the same time.

Used a USB-Yagi antenna (which is directional) for a while. But now, have a BearExtender  https://goo.gl/IJfuML  antenna mounted on a telescopic fiberglass painter's pole (from HomeDepot $20). Definitely improves the Wi-Fi signal - it's a 10 dBi directional antenna, water-, dust- and uv-resistant, good quality. so, advantage of the painter's pole is to rotate and oriente the antenna in the direction of the Wi-Fi hotspot  8)

I was looking on the Unbiquitti web page (www.ubnt.com) today at some of the other devices they have other than ny Nano LocoM2 (Their lowest cost option) They show the M2 I have as good for up to 5KM  (About 4 miles) They have one unit (Grid they call it) that has a parabolic reflector behind it.... 50KM that's 40 miles folks.. (I assume that is like device to like device)

YOu can take a Nano-Station like my M-2 and mount it on a standard Satellite dish in placxe of the LNB.  Instructions are in a recent edition of Amateurlogic.tv (not sure how many months back but believe it is this year)

Also, larger versions of the Nano-Station (not mnine) have two ethernet ports. a Primary one (Also the power in port) and a secondary one (Does not connect to power)

Unit can operate in 3 modes per the manual (At least selected units can)
"Station" mode (LIke my LInksys WGA54G it acts like a cable modem to connect a device, including a router, to the WI-FI host)
Access point (Plug it into a wired router and instant HIGH POWER wireless
AP Repeater.... Well it says it can... In this mode however the "Dish" types might not be best.