Wireless N and High Gain Antenna

[AnthonyFerzo@gmail.com]

If you use a wireless N, do you need to put three high gain antennas
if you want to extend the range or can you just use one?

[Jeff Liebermann]

AnthonyFerzo@gmail.com hath wroth:

>If you use a wireless N, do you need to put three high gain antennas
>if you want to extend the range or can you just use one?

Chuckle. All 3 antennas. N works by having slightly different path
lengths between each antenna. If the path lengths were identical, you
don't get the speed improvment. As far as I can determine, no vendor
advertises a Pre-802.11n Draft 2 compatible external antenna system.

Also, note that there are really two radically different types of MIMO
mixed together in the Pre-802.11n Draft 2 document. One is "spacial
multiplexing" which is what you're thinking of with the 3 antennas.
The other is "beam forming" (or is it beam steering?), which has no
visible antennas of any kind. The antenna is usually totally enclosed
in the AP with no place to attach an external antenna.

Bottom line is that Pre-802.11n Draft 2 is about speed, not range. If
you try to screw with it to get more range, it probably won't work.

--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558