G+_todd zimmerman Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Sorry for the noob question, but why do WRT 54G style wireless routers have two antennas? I want to config a pair of 54's (with DD-WRT) to bridge a network between two buildings (about 100-120 feet apart, with a few trees in the way). I want to boost the throughput and starting to look at swapping the OEM stick antennas with external (outdoor) directional antennas. Can I just use a single directional antenna on one of the two antenna leads (on both of the two APs)? If so, how do I decide which antenna lead to hook the directional antenna to? Would the remaining stick antenna still work for local traffic within the local building? Thx in advance for any input Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Steve C Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Actually type N routers used 3 antennas, then 2 and now just 1. For a directional outdoor antenna use a model that only takes one antenna. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Brent Burzycki Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Appears direction of the antennas also can affect things.. in these observations. http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/answers/4-wi-fi-tips-from-former-apple-wi-fi-engineer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Brian Moses Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 i have experimented with this situation by logging into the router that is to be the bridge when it is at the chosen distance away from my main access point ...click on status > wireless....then scroll to the bottom of the page and click >site survey.....you should see your access point and any other within range...then try swapping the antenna from one side to the other and see if the RSSI changes to a lower - figure ( like from -75 to -44) lower the better. Also positioning the antenna in your situation may make a difference Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Ben Reese Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Your environment matters quite a bit too. My parents live on a farm and there WRT54G in the house can reach 100+ ft to the barn. With something like that, a directional antenna on both ends would be sufficient. The other thing to consider is speed... Will 54 Mbps be sufficient for what you want? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Jason Marsh Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 I've used the WRT54G with DD-WRT to do just what you're considering, and it works pretty good, although you will be somewhat restricted on bandwidth. The WRT54G has only one radio. The second antenna is for diversity. It's best to use DD-WRT's configuration to use only one antenna. Also, it's best to use the remote router in Client or Client Bridge mode, and feed internet, via ethernet, to a second AP if you need a wireless network within the remote building. Other APs, especially much newer models, may have multiple radios, and thus can support multiple wireless networks simultaneously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Jason Marsh Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 Also, have a look at this discussion of which antenna connector is which, and which one you should use. https://www.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=11919 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_todd zimmerman Posted March 31, 2015 Author Share Posted March 31, 2015 The for the input thus far. Brian Moses? thx for the reminder about the Site Survey tool. Ben Reese? currently, when someone (teens) watches YouTube at the remote building, they kill the throughput for everyone in the remote building. (I haven't explored traffic shaping options yet, but I am not sure how that would workout as I'd like to shape the traffic by user (parent/adult vs kid) not necessarily by content (video vs web). But I need to address the big issues first. Jason Marsh? from a very cursory glance, from what I can tell, most of the MIMO routers have fixed antennas. (I may need to look outside the budget/consumer grade routers...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Ben Reese Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 50 Mbps should be more than plenty for YouTube. You've probably got something else causing congestion (other downloads) as well or radio interference (other wifi hot-spots). Speedtest.net has a SpeedTest mini (http://www.speedtest.net/mini.php) that might take a while to setup but might help see what type of speeds you're getting across the network. You could install it on a server on one side then test speeds from the other... Just a thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Ben Reese Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Depending on your budget, there are other solutions as well that will provide the range, speed, and QOS. Ubiquiti makes some great products that are pretty affordable IMO. When you figure 2 routers + directional antennas, you could get a couple of their directional access points and have a great connection (Ubiquiti NanoStation loco M2 2.4GHz Indoor/Outdoor airMax 8dBi CPE https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004EGI3CI/) If you want more if a DIY approach, you can make your own directional antennas using old satellite dishes, aluminum foil, or pop cans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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