Antennas are integral parts of wireless local area networks (WLANs). They generate and maintain the wireless signal we utilize to browse the web, stream movies, work from home, and more. Furthermore, they play a major role in signal strength and range. If you are looking to improve your signal, replace your WiFi antennas , or create a long-range wireless network, this blog will cover the ins and outs of WiFi antennas and the various options out on the market today.
Wireless devices use radio waves to wirelessly communicate with one another. These wireless signals can be defined as electromagnetic (EM) waves containing packets of data. WiFi antennas convert EM waves into electrical signals. For instance, wireless networking devices, like wireless routers, smartphones, laptops, tablets, and hotspots, are equipped with receiving and transmitting antennas.
There are some major differences between receiving and transmitting antennas. To begin, receiving antennas pick up on EM waves with packets of information and turn them into electrical signals for a particular device to process. Transmitting antennas, on the other hand, convert electrical signals into EM waves to transmit information packets. There are two main types of WiFi antennas, those of which are omnidirectional and directional.
Omnidirectional Antennas
Omnidirectional antennas radiate signals at 360-degree angles in order to deliver the widest signal coverage. In terms of appearance, they look like unshaped incandescent light bulbs that, when on, evenly distribute light in all directions, illuminating an entire room as a result. While omnidirectional antennas have a shorter range than their counterparts, they provide more coverage over larger areas.
There are three types of omnidirectional WiFi antennas, including outdoor omni antennas, ceiling dome antennas, and rubber duck antennas/dipole antennas.
1. Outdoor Omni Antennas: Outdoor omni antennas are typically used to improve WiFi signals outdoors. To better wireless coverage outside, they can be connected to a router, access point, or an outdoor access point.
2. Ceiling Dome Antennas: Ceiling dome antennas connect to WiFi routers or access points through coaxial cables and may be installed on the ceiling of a home, office building, or warehouse.
3. Rubber Duck Antennas/Dipole Antennas: Rubber duck antennas/dipole antennas are found on routers, access points, and WiFi USB adapters.
Directional Antennas
As their name suggests, directional antennas centralize their power in one direction. Directional antennas work similarly to flashlights. When a flashlight is turned on, it illuminates the area where the light is being shined on. The flashlight’s radiation pattern has a triangular shape, and anything outside of its beamwidth does not receive any light.
Since their power is more focused, directional antennas are able to send and receive wireless signals from a further distance, but with smaller coverage over an area. Put more simply, the light may reach beyond one room, but will not illuminate the whole room. Additionally, directional antennas find use in long-range point-to-point WiFi networks and for bridging an internet connection between two buildings. There are five main types of directional antennas, those of which include Yagi antennas, mini panel antennas, panel antennas, parabolic grid antennas, and CPE antennas.
Yagi Antennas: Yagi antennas serve as the most popular antenna type and they take on an arrow-like shape. To work, they are required to point in the direction they are sending a signal to or receiving a signal from. Generally, Yagi antennas have a radiation pattern of 45 degrees.
Mini Panel Antennas: With radiation patterns of up to 60 degrees, mini panel antennas are low-profile antennas designed to transmit radio waves to and from a specific area. These antennas are commonly used to improve an indoor WiFi signal and can be used to replace a rubber duck antenna on a router, access point, or WiFi USB adapter. To remedy connectivity issues, the antenna must point in the direction where you intend to send a signal to or receive a signal from.
Panel Antennas: With an ability to send or receive a signal from far distances, panel antennas are considered strong, reliable options. They can either be connected to a router to transmit data further or to a USB WiFi adapter to receive data from further distances. More directional than mini panel antennas, panel antennas have a radiation pattern of 35 degrees.
Parabolic Grid Antennas: These antennas have a ultra-high gain and a very narrow beamwidth of 3-20 degrees. Due to these qualities, parabolic antennas have the ability to send and receive signals from miles away, making them ideal options for point-to-point WiFi networks. Moreover, their rugged design allows them to be exposed to extreme weather conditions.
CPE Antennas: Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) antennas can be panel or parabolic. They are mainly used to create point-to-point networks and broadcast wireless signals over a distance. CPE antennas can be utilized indoors and outdoors to create a reliable WiFi connection in outlying buildings, such as barns, rural areas, and many other places.
Conclusion
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