16dbi Yagi Antenna

[digip]

Here is my Yagi setup. I used an old telescope tripod that I had sitting around. The scope also came with the tripod. I have the antenna hooked up to my pineapple. I get about 100 feet. Is that normal?

Depends on if using a/b/g or n since each has their own range limitations as well, the Antennas are supposed to help boost range, but 100 feet should be average with line of sight on most nics to begin with, depending on the router in use, but I imagine you should be getting more than 100 feet with that setup you show in the pic, just depends on the target router, and line of sight as well as what 802.11 mode is in use. Power output at each end also comes into play and then interference from other radios.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_wireless_data_standards

[digip]

Is there a big difference between the yagi and a parabolic dish antenna?

Short answer, yes. You're better off with a Yagi unless for specific uses with a dish type antenna, and the frequencies involved. Yagi would be better for wifi and 2.4, where a dish would be better for things in like the 900hz and lower depending on dish size and things used for like Ham radios and other home base CB type radio or satelite communications over long distances, depending on the dish. Wifi, stick to a yagi or cantenna for line of site, for other stuff, dish might be better but it all depends on the radios, frequencies and what you're transmitting over them.

http://forums.radioreference.com/scanner-receiver-antennas/227027-parabolic-dish-vs-yagi.html

Edited April 15, 2013 by digip

[DyFukA]

I plug my yagi into the pineapple and get at the most 100 feet. Realistically its more between 50-80 feet. I believe its all about the tx power. I think the tx power for the pineapple is 18 and that can't be changed. Sometimes I will plug it into my Alfa NHA which has a tx power of 20. The range is a bit better on there. I rarely use my yagi. I'm waiting for a new pineapple to come out that supports higher tx before I start using it to its potential. Right now the antenna that gives me the best results is the Alfa 7dBi Panel Antenna from the hak shop. If someone reads this and thinks i'm doing something wrong or has suggestions for improving the range on the pineapple, let me know :)

I bought this yagi (cable length 500 cm) only support wireless b and g?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/High-Gain-16dbi-Wifi-Booster-2-4GHz-Yagi-Antenna-RP-SMA-New-for-Router-Modem-5M-/150846598537?

maybe I bought the wrong one?

Edited April 15, 2013 by DyFukA

[barry99705]

I plug my yagi into the pineapple and get at the most 100 feet. Realistically its more between 50-80 feet. I believe its all about the tx power. I think the tx power for the pineapple is 18 and that can't be changed. Sometimes I will plug it into my Alfa NHA which has a tx power of 20. The range is a bit better on there. I rarely use my yagi. I'm waiting for a new pineapple to come out that supports higher tx before I start using it to its potential. Right now the antenna that gives me the best results is the Alfa 7dBi Panel Antenna from the hak shop. If someone reads this and thinks i'm doing something wrong or has suggestions for improving the range on the pineapple, let me know :)

I bought this yagi (cable length 500 cm) only support wireless b and g?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/High-Gain-16dbi-Wifi-Booster-2-4GHz-Yagi-Antenna-RP-SMA-New-for-Router-Modem-5M-/150846598537?

maybe I bought the wrong one?

It will support any of the 2.4Ghz wifi protocols, and Bluetooth. I've done mile long line of sight shots with yagis. Here's a silly question. Are your windows low-e windows? Are you shooting through your window screen? If so, is it aluminum or fiberglass?

Edited April 15, 2013 by barry99705

[digip]

It will support any of the 2.4Ghz wifi protocols, and Bluetooth. I've done mile long line of sight shots with yagis. Here's a silly question. Are your windows low-e windows? Are you shooting through your window screen? If so, is it aluminum or fiberglass?

Good point. Screened window would def interfere severely if not impede all connectivity I would think. Radio doesn't like traveling through metal and usually just bounces off in other directions.

I know there was a team of people who made their own home made antenna that was sort of a dish with a cantenna sort of hybrid that did like 6 mile send and receive but they did this I think in Nevada and at a high elevation? Might have had something to do with one of the past Defcon conferences if I recall and was a group of young kids and one adult I think that did it, breaking some sort of record for home made antenna transmission over wifi. Don't quote me on that, but if I can find links or video, will post here. Dish's help in some respect but I've always heard its the dipole and measuring them to the right size, for the frequency along with power applied, since all of this factors in. Fox from BSODtv did a whole segment on how to do the formula for making different types of yagis that pick up different distances and frequencies, and then there is the whole other side of that which is the SDR or software defined radio guys who jack into everything from 30hz up to 6ghz, where things start to get a little iffy with power and mircrowaves, but you can apparently tap into street cameras in the city that work above the 5Ghz ranges and pick up video, radio, and some alarm systems, etc and actually decode, and interface with some of the units. Darren briefly covered a segment on this with I think a conference badge that also did SDR stuff from the man who I think is behind the Ubertooth.

[barry99705]

Living in BFE Alaska and working for the school district made for some fun networking projects. Most of the schools backbone interconnects are microwave between the schools and the district building. There were a few that were a bare copper T1 because we couldn't get a line of sight shot. Stupid mountains in the way. Our longest shot was about 14 miles between one high school and the top of a power plant. It was then split out to a few smaller antennas to the schools in the neighborhood. This was a 5Ghz connection with I think 4 foot dish antennas. Luckily the power plant was installing stack scrubbers, so they had a crane on site. They lifted our equipment to the roof, so we only had to lift the dish the last 8 feet on the mounting pole.

[ShadowKni]

I'm looking to get a TP-Link TL-ANT2424B Outdoor Grid Parabolic Antenna, 2.4GHz to connect to some wifi signals in the neighborhood. There are lots of trees and houses around. I was thinking the dish antenna to not look too obvious. I'm not looking to go too far in distance. If I get 3 miles it's fine with me.

Edited April 16, 2013 by ShadowKni

[barry99705]

I'm looking to get a TP-Link TL-ANT2424B Outdoor Grid Parabolic Antenna, 2.4GHz to connect to some wifi signals in the neighborhood. There are lots of trees and houses around. I was thinking the dish antenna to not look too obvious. I'm not looking to go too far in distance. If I get 3 miles it's fine with me.

Trees will degrade/kill the signal.

[digip]

I'm looking to get a TP-Link TL-ANT2424B Outdoor Grid Parabolic Antenna, 2.4GHz to connect to some wifi signals in the neighborhood. There are lots of trees and houses around. I was thinking the dish antenna to not look too obvious. I'm not looking to go too far in distance. If I get 3 miles it's fine with me.

There are reasons dishes are mounted on top of houses and pointed in certain directions. With your scenario, you'd be better off with a dish that sits above the tree line.

My friend, had someone help him measure and cut an antenna for his cb radio, which if done correctly, you need a certain amount of wraps per feet of antenna, and he ended up mounting it in the top of a tree in his backyard. Afterwards he was able hit to hit tens of miles further than he had before and on some nights hundreds of miles away to other states. With wifi, same theory applies, so its not the size of your dish so much as it is the science and math behind the frequency you're trying to dial into, and the theory/application of how you implement that is what you need to look into. I'd still stick with a yagi or some other type of antenna array vs a dish unless you have a focused point to point network you are trying to reach only, then I'd go dish maybe, depending on the needs of the network.

[ShadowKni]

Trying to pick up some local wifi signals. I have some on my street. I can pick up a couple with my regular antenna on my wifi card but they aren't very strong. I'm planning on setting up a TP-Link AP as a bridge between my wifi router and the AP down the road or nearby within 3 miles.