Last Monday, a company called QuickerTek announced an upgrade for the Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station, an 802.11n access point and router. The extremely pricey upgrade ($130) produces a claimed 50% range extension for the Apple product however, so weighing this upgrade versus the need for another active device, such as range extenders, with their problems, the antennas may be a real bargain.
Many manufacturers allow for the easy replacement of antennas, which is a good idea, as many times the ability to remove the antenna means that the mounting will be sturdier and any breakage will be in the antenna shaft, not at the mount point. This means the item should last longer, and be able to cope with little mistakes, with out needing complete replacement.
It also allows for the upgrading of the antenna, or antennas, to those which are larger, producing more gain, or allowing a short pigtail to be added, so that better positioning is able to take advantage of directionality gains or possible nulls, for interference rejection.
Some manufacturers use antennas that are permanently mounted to the chassis, so that improved gain, better positioning, and cheap replacement is impossible. In some of these cases, it can simply be asserted that cost is the driving factor here, and that adding the expense of that R-SMA or TNC plug on the chassis (board) would mean a cost difference of an entire dollar or more, meaning that retail cost would have to increase by $2.
For a little known brand, that $2 may break the camel’s back, and force the buyer into another choice, so the decision to be cheap may be a wise one. For a company that makes quality products, such as Belkin, it is a very poor decision, as many (including myself) will simply pass by any units that have no ability to replace the antenna.
Speaking with support for Belkin, I was told that removable antennas were shunned, as the possibility of the user negating good design with a poor antenna, or one improperly installed would be worse than the little no gain stub that is supplied.
So, in another case where a simple caveat emptor would suffice, a company substitutes its judgement for the customer’s, resulting in either inferior performance or a lost sale.
This is more incredible when looking at wireless NICs for desktops. Attached antennas are hidden or blocked by the case. They are further encumbered by the other connecting wires, and in so many instances marginal signals can be made solid and speedy with a high gain antenna, on a short pigtail, mounted atop the case.
By using quality antennas, such as high gain yagis, range can be increased by several fold, with high signal attenuation to the off-axis directions, making interference less of a problem, and hacking just a little more difficult.
[tags] access points, routers, wireless NICs, high gain antenna, yagi, interference rejection, signal attenuation [/tags]