Long Range Wifi

Broadband wifi networking is an aspect of radio that I find quite fascinating. With the right equipment, a low power signal can not only travel far but also provide high data rates. Antenna projects shown in on this site offer advantages to anyone seeking better performance of their 802.11 wireless network.

Any of the antenna projects shown here will provide longer range, lower required power for any data rate, and increased privacy (lower sidelobe radiation). My suggestion, if your network must penetrate concrete walls, runs from one building to another, or covers a large outdoor area, is to use a biquad or long helical antenna at both ends: access points and clients must both support their ends of the communications link.

For very long range, use a short helical or biquad antenna mounted at the focus of a parabolic reflector.

Bear in mind that beyond a distance of 3 km, throughput may begin to decrease due to the ACK timeout setting of the access point. ACK timing must be optimized for longer distances - especially over links covering dozens of kilometers.

Some articles to read that will raise your expectations of wifi performance:

• Rethinking Wifi for the Developing World
• Long Distance 802.11b Links: Performance Measurements and Experience
• Tuning Access Points for Long-Distance Applications
• A 279km experimental link in South America
• How a 125 mile unamplified wifi connection was achieved.

Linear Focus Parabolic Wifi Antenna	Helical Long Range Wifi Dish Antenna
High Gain Yagi Wifi Antenna	F5D7050 External Antenna Modification   WUSB54GC External Antenna Modification