antenna-theory.com

[franzellin]

I just wanted to have a router with a longer range...

I have 2 identical routers of Thomson with 2 inside antennas, one antenna is a little 3x2 cm metal plate fixed horizontally and the second antenna is a 3x1 cm little motherboard fixed vertically
the 2 antennas have each a short cable to 2 small connectors
I bought 2 cables with small connector and sma connector for a normal antenna , I bored 2 holes to fix the sma connector and I placed 2 external WIFI antennas 19.5cm long

I had on my desk the WIFIanalyzer app and I had the following results:

1) the original router with 2 internal antennas reached a strenght of -40dBm
2) the "optimized" with 2 external antennas only a strenght of -65dBm

3) I also tried to add a wifi amplifier between the router and the antenna that I suppose transmits, but it was not better always -65

Deduction: the original antenna , the one with the circuitboard on it, works better , perhaps the other one, that could be only receiver mode, has better reception, but it makes no evident difference in the WIFI analyzer app

Question: why a small 3x1cm antenna works better than a big one?

thanks - renato

[admin]

Don't use an amplifier as all wifi antennas are simultaneous transmit and receive.

You are missing 25 dB, that is about what happens when an antenna is completely disconnected. Bigger antennas have more directivity, but not more efficiency, so you won't necessarily get better range.

I think there is a connection issue on your end where the antennas are more or less completely disconnected

[franzellin]

thanks, I retry ...