Broadband Guide

Get the best out of your wireless router aerials

Updated: Wednesday 2 May, 2012

By Kelvin Goodson

While it might not increase the speed you receive down your actual phone line, changing the aerial on your router can maximise your signal, improving your wireless broadband connection.

Standard aerials and antennas

Most routers come with a built-in, omnidirectional aerial that transmits your wireless broadband signal equally in all directions. However, an external antenna could improve the strength of your Wi-Fi signal.

If your router does have external antennas, it’s likely that they are 2dBi - dBi, or decibel isotropic, measures the power and efficiency of the antenna compared with its uniform distribution of energy. If you want a stronger Wi-Fi signal, and a better wireless broadband connection, you could consider replacing them.

Omnidirectional antennas - External omnidirectional antennas will be significantly stronger than your wireless router’s built-in aerial and should increase network performance as well as allowing the signal to travel further. However, because of this, you need to make sure that your wireless router is properly secured to stop those living nearby from piggybacking on your new, stronger Wi-Fi signal.

High-gain directional antennas - Rather than transmitting your wireless signal in all directions, as with an omnidirectional antenna, a high-gain antenna allows you to control and focus the direction of the signal, so that you can aim it directly towards where you will be using a particular internet-connected device, like your laptop or tablet computer. This can improve the quality and strength of your wireless connection in that area.

Longer antennas - Longer antennas, such as 9dBi models, will also help to send your Wi-Fi further, allowing you to use it at a greater distance from your router without losing signal strength.

Speed up your broadband with an antenna upgrade

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