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Author Topic: Adding An External Antenna  (Read 6965 times)

butterwm

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Adding An External Antenna
« on: February 06, 2009, 05:02:50 PM »
I have a DGL-4500 router and am having wireless reception problems due to where the unit is located.  I have a junction box in the utility room of my house that has all my phone and internet patch panels.  Because my cable internet comes into the house here, I have my cable modem located in the box so it makes sense for the router to be located here.  The problem is the box is made out of sheet metal with a sheet metal cover and I believe that is causing interference and a weak signal.  I notice when I take the cover off the box the signal is better but this router should be able to cover a 2,500 sq. foot house easily from all the reviews I read.  One idea I had was to add an external antenna that would be located in the same room but outside of the sheet metal box.  I have looked online and found D-link offers this antenna setup but says it's not compatible with the router:

http://www.dlink.com/products/?sec=1&pid=545

It looks to me like the 3 connectors would work fine with the 3 antennas but I'm thinking it might have something to do with the fact it is a 2.4 GHz antenna and not a 5 GHz.  Can anyone help me out with some suggestions of what might work out there for me?  Thanks!
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SkyOwl

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  • Posts: 32
Re: Adding An External Antenna
« Reply #1 on: February 07, 2009, 02:50:07 PM »
I used a D-Link Xtreme N ANT24-0230 Antenna on my 4500 for reasons similar to yours.  The antenna was apparently designed for the DIR-655, is not dual band, rated for 2.4ghz only.  Since I use 2.4Ghz, it works great for me.  The antenna is available at lots of web stores (NewEgg, etc.) for around $26.  If you find something better let us know.
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butterwm

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  • Posts: 12
Re: Adding An External Antenna
« Reply #2 on: February 08, 2009, 09:05:34 AM »
And right now I am only using the 2.4 GHz range so it would work for me too.  Did the connectors match up without needing any adapters?  Did you see an improvement on your range once you added the antenna?
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SkyOwl

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  • Posts: 32
Re: Adding An External Antenna
« Reply #3 on: February 08, 2009, 11:18:47 AM »
Yes the connectors match up with no need for any adapters.  Yes I saw an improvement in range mostly due to the better placement of the antenna array as opposed to the necessary placement of the router.  I would suggest turning the router off while you switch antennas as it appears to chacterize the attached antenna(s) on powerup.
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butterwm

  • Level 1 Member
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  • Posts: 12
Re: Adding An External Antenna
« Reply #4 on: February 08, 2009, 03:14:01 PM »
Great - thanks for your help.  I'll go ahead and order that antenna and give it a try.
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