Wifi Router Antenna Extension Cable - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: vis1-0n
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 25, 2019, 06:30:57 am
content: My neighbour shared his (uncapped) Wifi password with me, and I tend to use it later in the month when my LTE data is depleted. However my router does not pick the signal reliably to act as a wireless bridge/repeater. It is great at times, but it seems to waver up and down.My Teclast tablet picks up his signal fine, not so my Dell Laptop or Samsung phone.I was thinking of extending the antenna of the router to a more optimal position. What would be the best option on the cable? A 5m cable may get closer to him however the signal loss in the cable will be greater. A 1m cable may make a difference, I was wondering if daisy chaining another (1 or 2) 1m extension cable would be more optimal than a single 5m.Any thoughts? A Yagi may be better option overall, still would like to hear thoughts on 2x1m vs a single 5m.

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 25, 2019, 12:50:31 pm
content: Move the router closer. Or better yet, get a second router that supports DD-WRT and use it in client mode.

author: soldar
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 25, 2019, 01:31:10 pm
content: I have several installations like that. A WIFI client which can be an Ethernet client or USB client or whatever, then some meters of Ethernet and then the main LAN router so my LAN is not on the same LAN as the neighbor.Mainly I use stuff that I have lying around and avoid buying specific stuff. Old routers are pretty much free and can do many functions.

author: MarkF
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 25, 2019, 02:37:41 pm
content: If he isreallywilling to share, work out a deal to split his internet service cost.Then run an underground ethernet cable between his router and yours.A shallow (25cm deep) ditch would be plenty.

author: soldar
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 25, 2019, 02:58:26 pm
content: Quote from: MarkF on July 25, 2019, 02:37:41 pmNot what we are being asked and none of our business if you ask me.Quote from: MarkF on July 25, 2019, 02:37:41 pmWow. I would not dream of doing that and I am sure my neighbor would also refuse.

author: vis1-0n
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 25, 2019, 06:22:19 pm
content: Running a cable across property boundaries is very much illegal here, even if it is a mere data cable.My LTE package is sufficient for my browsing needs, it is just that family visits have depleted around 5GB in 50 minutes on a couple of occasions. Internet service costs was not the issue, although he is on uncapped ADSL that is not available to me, I am on 20GB LTE data package.Perhaps a DIY cantenna or Yagi is in order. Maybe a throwaway ESP8266 could be risked outside and serve as a repeater.Maybe I should have asked in the RF section, I was just looking at a gut answer, my feeling is that 5m cable would have more losses than 2x1m cables.

author: MarkF
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 25, 2019, 08:59:48 pm
content: Quote from: soldar on July 25, 2019, 02:58:26 pmQuoteThis is EXACTLY what we are being ask!How to connect to and use the neighbors internet service.Whether it is a hard connection or a WIFI connection makes NO difference.I only suggested splitting the cost and using a hard line.His neighbor already agreed by giving him his password.

author: soldar
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 25, 2019, 09:27:11 pm
content: "work out a deal to split his internet service cost."??I must be missing something. Where did the OP ask about how to work out a deal?

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 26, 2019, 01:46:19 am
content: Is it just me or does the title of this thread sound too much like a joke product?

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 26, 2019, 02:17:06 am
content: Quote from: soldar on July 25, 2019, 09:27:11 pmI agree that's not really relevant to the problem stated. Maybe there's already an arrangement to share costs, maybe the neighbor is just a good neighbor, maybe he offers the neighbor something other than money (e.g. care for the pets) as compensation, etc...I would say that a repeater would probably be the best solution, and while dual radio repeaters are fairly common nowadays, a router in AP mode connected to another router in client mode allows physically positioning both in their optimum locations. Avoid the super cheap single radio repeaters since that would halve the bandwidth of the network, or more accurately double your traffic contribution to the network. With a dual radio repeater, set the AP side to a different channel and there won't be any interference. It would actually *reduce* the bandwidth impact on the first network (albeit unlikely to be noticed) since the repeater would have a better connection, allowing higher bitrates.

author: vis1-0n
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 26, 2019, 11:18:37 am
content: Quote from: NiHaoMike on July 26, 2019, 02:17:06 amI have a couple routers tested, the reception is marginal and positioning the router optimally is extremely awkward already with the use of electrical extension cables weighing the router down against the window. I just wanted to get either a 5m or 2x1m cable to extend the router antenna away from the router but placed optimally at the window.I do have a unopened high powered router that I will test next. Thanks, moving on I think.

author: David Hess
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 26, 2019, 01:24:21 pm
content: A Ubiquiti Nanostation locoM2 can be had for less than $50 to bridge between your wired and his wireless network. It uses passive PoE so placement is only limited by where you can route an Ethernet cable.

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 26, 2019, 11:55:25 pm
content: Just get a fairly cheap router that supports DD-WRT and has removable antennas. Build a nice high gain antenna for it (a "biquad" is one good start) and it will probably work well enough. If you're really dealing with hard conditions or just want to have some fun, find a discarded satellite dish and replace the LNB (save that for future experimentation!) with your Wifi antenna.

author: Monkeh
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2019, 12:07:32 am
content: Quote from: NiHaoMike on July 26, 2019, 11:55:25 pmYes, buy some really old pile of crap and put ancient firmware on it, then build a hokey antenna for it..Or just buy something decent.

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2019, 02:24:10 am
content: Not everyone has the budget for enterprise hardware or the desire to learn how to configure it. Also, enterprise networks are typically designed to serve a large number (dozens to thousands) of devices all asking for a little bandwidth all the time while home networks typically only have to serve a dozen or so devices with generally only a few, maybe just one, using a lot of bandwidth at a time. 40MHz in the 2.4GHz band does not make sense in a large office since running two 20MHz APs instead yields better overall bandwidth for the network, but at home in a sparse neighborhood, it can boost performance. Hence some enterprise hardware doesn't even have the option for 40MHz in the 2.4GHz band, something I found out configuring an older Cisco AP for use at a family member's home.Whether to use OpenWRT or DD-WRT is debatable, best to get hardware that supports both so you can try them out and go with whichever one you find better.

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2019, 07:51:35 am
content: Get a high gain Yagi and find a good spot to mount it.https://www.banggood.com/Yagi-2_4GHz-25dbi-WiFi-RP-SMA-Antenna-For-Wireless-Router-Outdoor-p-84566.html?rmmds=buy&cur_warehouse=CN

author: vis1-0n
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2019, 06:08:59 pm
content: Quote from: tautech on July 27, 2019, 07:51:35 amYep, that has been in my cart. The good spot to mount it was the whole reason for this thread, that comes with 1.5m of cable and maybe another 1m would be perfect. I think I will trust the gain to overcome the losses due to the extension and extra length.Quote from: NiHaoMike on July 26, 2019, 11:55:25 pmCoincidentally I already have an unused (9 years, sheesh!) dish mounted on the wall facing my neighbour.

author: David Hess
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2019, 06:20:09 pm
content: Quote from: vis1-0n on July 27, 2019, 06:08:59 pmI do not know if you can still find them but mounts to hold a Ubiquiti Nanostation Loco at the focus of those satellite dishes used to be available. Later Ubiquiti released various low cost dish antennas with the WiFi AP built in.

author: MyHeadHz
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2019, 02:09:19 am
content: Just make one of these:Code:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nk-nj_BwoBE

author: vtwin@cox.net
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2019, 01:31:06 pm
content: my former brother in law "shared" his neighbor's internet connection for about five years. He was an OR nurse and was rarely home, so the $200/mo expense wasn't justified in his mind. Instead he slapped the neighbor $50-$75/mo and piggybacked off his. This was way back before the days of internet-enabled cell phones. He used a manual lawn edger to create a shallow trench into which he ran about a 50-75' run of cat-3 cable (I supplied) which he tied into his neighbor's router, and bought a cheap 10mb switch for his house. AFAIK the cable was still there when he sold the place 5 years later and moved to south carolina. I doubt the cable company was ever wise to it, since the cable was buried, and in the neighbor's house it just looked like another cat-3 run from "somewhere" to the router.

author: soldar
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2019, 02:36:59 pm
content: I know quite a few people with this kind of arrangement, including myself. Telecomms are not interested in selling you basic internet access for $15 /mo. They want to sell you a package with phone, TV, and a ton of things you do not need for "only" 86.60 plus tax plus pay per view plus a few more charges.Wifi works well in the sense that the primary user always has priority because the secondary user is further away.I have had good luck with RTL USB adapters (clients). In some cases I would add a reflector.I have my separate LAN which gateways into the neighbor's LAN. I don't want to be sharing my LAN with the neighbor.

author: MyHeadHz
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2019, 02:49:55 pm
content: Those stories reminded of another more long-range device that's rather inexpensive and could work well in this application- LoRaWAN.Code:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7n8t62anxIQInstead of a physical cable it uses small dishes, but it's basically the same thing. You can also remove it to use it elsewhere if you like.

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2019, 03:02:23 pm
content: A small WiFi panel antenna might do the job. And don't forget the coax cable's attenuation (short = better).

author: soldar
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2019, 08:43:15 am
content: Quote from: MyHeadHz on July 28, 2019, 02:49:55 pmA brief digression if I may. I have noticed you use code tags when you don't want the youtube video to show. Often I also want to provide just the link to the video but not have it show and play in the post. The workaround that I found is to add a time to the video link and that way it won't parse. Adding ?t=0 (or any other time in seconds) will show the clickable link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7n8t62anxIQ?t=0

author: SteveyG
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 29, 2019, 10:25:30 am
content: I've used this style with good success:https://www.banggood.com/custlink/KGmK8HpTqFThe Yagi is also a good solution.Personally I'd run a fibre if they are literally next door. If not, I'd at least run the dish or Yagi at their end too.

author: technix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2019, 01:55:00 pm
content: I have a similar request really: all my desktop computers ae rack mounted, so, inside a metal box known as a server rack, and I need Bluetooth. If the cable run is short, for example in my case which the signal just need to be brought out of the metal box, you can use coax if your wireless hardware allows it. Usually it means a stretch of SMA cable. There are also cables that has a magnetic antenna stand on one end.If the cable is a bit too long, you can use a Raspberry Pi 3 or above as the wireless to Ethernet adapter. Raspberry Pi 3 needs some form of 5V local power which can be derived from a solar panel and local batteries. Pi 3+ and above allows PoE which allows power be sent over to the Pi using the Ethernet cable. Alternatively there are also a lot of Mediatek MT7688 based modules out there. That is a wireless router chipset ad Mediatek released all of its documentations and drivers, allowing fantastic LEDE support.On the topic regarding hard cabling t your neighbor's, fibre optics can be treated differently than Ethernet cables in building codes as those are often constructed entirely out of non-metallic materials, thus non-conductive. (Example: in the building code in Shanghai, Ethernet cables are not allowed to share conduit with mains wiring, but fibre optics can.) If your neighbor and the local regulation allows it, you can run a pair multimode fiber between the premises.

author: MyHeadHz
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2019, 02:29:44 pm
content: Quote from: soldar on July 29, 2019, 08:43:15 amOn other forums that still redirects or passes other information (tracking/marketing stuff) on any page it is on, even if it isn't clicked. I checked out your method and it actually doesn't unless clicked. If someone prefers the convenience, they can click it, but they can still copy and paste to avoid giving google extra free marketing/tracking data. Your method seems like a good compromise so I will probably do that from now on. Thanksedit: it would be better if they fixed the bug that makes it display improperly in the first place so I wouldn't need a work-around!

author: soldar
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2019, 03:49:56 pm
content: Quote from: MyHeadHz on July 29, 2019, 02:29:44 pmGood thinking. I had not thought of that aspect. On the one hand it might allow tracking the user/clicker. On the other hand it may be a good thing for the forum if it gives it exposure.But, yes, most of the time I prefer to post just the link and let the reader decide if they want to go to YouTube to see it.

author: technix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2019, 04:09:07 pm
content: Quote from: soldar on July 29, 2019, 03:49:56 pmAbout those trackers, since I am at the grace at whoever posted the contents... Nano Adblocker + Nano Defender + EFF Privacy Badger.This also reduces the amount of data to be transferred as my access to the international part of Internet isn't that good. Blocking most ads makes things load much faster.

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2019, 08:44:10 pm
content: Quote from: technix on July 29, 2019, 01:55:00 pmUSB extension cable to a bluetooth adapter?Not sure I can visualize this one as most desktop PCs don't have BT.

author: technix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 30, 2019, 01:49:42 am
content: Quote from: thm_w on July 29, 2019, 08:44:10 pmMy machines uses internal Wi-Fi and Bluetooth mPCIe combo modules, so USB cables are not a solution. I need Bluetooth for my mouse and keyboard, and for my main workstation that is a Hackintosh various Apple specialty features that allows integration with my iPhone and iPad.