Thread: Mac mini 27dBm WiFi Antenna

You can receive up to a mile away. But you'll have to have a similar antenna to transmit back. It's a one way trip. At $180, that's 1/3 the price of the mini!

I'm sure the amplifier is bidirectional. My current 1 watt amp can pick up a mile LOS no problem. Most likely, the numbers are something like, 27 db transmit gain and 10-15 db recieve gain. Still pretty good. The antenna looks a little small though, I'd just connect to the antenna output inside the mini and run that through a more powerful amp/antenna combo... oh hey, thats what I'm doing as soon as I get my mini!!

Originally Posted by Bugbyte

You can receive up to a mile away. But you'll have to have a similar antenna to transmit back. It's a one way trip. At $180, that's 1/3 the price of the mini!

Yeah I was thinking about the "only one way" thing and I just dunno. I dont think it works that way because if you think backwards, like a company buying a huge TRANSMITTING antenna, you dont need a external antenna with the same capability on you side hooked up to the computer. So I don't think you need an antenna hooked up to your access point.

is there any thing like this for my PC?

Originally Posted by bertybassett

is there any thing like this for my PC?

Yeah there is. Just search for WiFi antennas on google, and you can even make a directional one out of a pringles or cofee can.

If it increases the receive sensitivity, then that would help.

But @sux89, the example you gave is for a receive only capability. Like a radio tower and 50,000 watt antenna that you can pick up with just an FM aerial on your car. That's true, but there's no way you could ever transmit back to that antenna. WiFi needs two way communication to work properly.

Just to connect to your wireless access point, your computer has to send information to the access point. If it doesn't make it, the communication can't occur.

This may be good for wardriving, but not connecting to any points. Its basically a one-way detector.

However, it requires external power also to boost its range...crappy for a car.

Originally Posted by Bugbyte

If it increases the receive sensitivity, then that would help.

But @sux89, the example you gave is for a receive only capability. Like a radio tower and 50,000 watt antenna that you can pick up with just an FM aerial on your car. That's true, but there's no way you could ever transmit back to that antenna. WiFi needs two way communication to work properly.

Just to connect to your wireless access point, your computer has to send information to the access point. If it doesn't make it, the communication can't occur.

I'm sorry, and not to be rude, but your simply just wrong.

Taken from the "cantenna" site http://www.cantenna.com/answers.html:

Do I connect the Super Cantenna to the base station or client card?

You can connect it to the base station, the client card (or access point), or both for maximum effect.

This is not a one way antenna. You set it up on your computer and it lets you access access point from a mile away....period.

If what you are saying was true, then "war drivers" would not attach these to their car because the only have a one way effect. They do however, and get great results.



Taken from the radio labs website http://www.radiolabs.com/Articles/wifi-antenna.html:

Home
Home antennas are always the easiest types of antennas to purchase and take the least amount of effort in choosing and installing. In most circumstances, only one antenna is needed on the remote computer. We recommend putting any external antenna on the remote computer, simply because if you install it on your router and don’t plan on setting up security, it will provide less signal strength outside of your home and your system will be less prone to hackers. If you have a multi-story home or a very large house, you may have to install antennas on every computer to get the range or bandwidth required. Every wall that you have to penetrate will decrease the signal strength of your system. For the best signal strength and signal, we recommend installing a 5dB ceiling dome antenna and either wireless desktop antennas or RL-1000 antennas on all remote computers. It is best to start with 1 antenna on a remote computer and test the signal strength and range.

And, there are many more sites I can quote from. You just have to have this antenna, and that is all, plain and simple. If you wanted LONGER range then you could do both, but on one the computer end is sufficient.