A point-to-point WiFi antenna system can reach up to 1 mile in the distance to pull in signal.

Why is this important?

WiFi is strongest at its source which is generally inside the home in the office or living room. In larger areas, it will rarely reach outside the home and even has more trouble to reach a second building next to the house.

Point-to-point WiFi systems help bridge internet between two buildings.

Pros:

• Great for detached barns, garages, or workshops.
• No need to spend money on a SECOND internet connection.
• Can share internet with family and neighbors.

Cons:

• Slightly slower speed, because it is dependent on WiFi source for two buildings.
• Slightly more latency.

An indoor-to-outdoor WiFi system can reach from inside the home to outside up to ½ mile.

Why is this important?

WiFi is strongest at its source which is generally inside the home in the office or living room. In larger areas, it will rarely reach outside the home.

Indoor-to-outdoor WiFi systems help bypass building material interference and broadcast signal outside.

Pros:

• Get signal outside: farm, yard, pool, and other areas.
• No need to spend money on SECOND internet connection.
• Can share internet with family and neighbors.

Cons:

• Works best in open areas with clear line of sight to the antenna.
• Slightly lower latency.

Antennas come in different shapes & sizes and can be confusing when determining which antenna is right for you. Luckily, we break it down in plain English.

Here’s what you need to know:

• Type of antenna: directional or omni-directional.
• dBi (Gain): signal strength of the antenna.

With increased gain (dBi) on the antenna, the coverage area (beamwidth) is reduced. There’s also a third component that can modify these figures and that is the operating frequency or band. For this conversation we will stick to the WiFi bands: 2.4GHz and 5GHz.

So Which Antenna is Right for You?

It honestly depends on the situation. But in general: directional antennas are specialized to reach farther but cover less area. Omni antennas are general performers that cover more area but doesn't reach as far.

Everything depends on your situation such as distance from the signal source, obstructions, and areas where you need signal.

Long Range WiFi cable connections include Ethernet cable and coaxial cable. Ethernet cable is generally used to connect devices, like a router to another router for example, while coaxial is used to connect the device to the antenna.

Ethernet cable can run up to 328 feet and experiences very little loss since it’s a digital cable.

Coaxial cable, depending on the type, can run up to 100 ft and experiences higher dB loss since it’s an analog cable. As a rule of thumb, you always want to go with the shortest cable length and thickest cable type possible.

Ethernet and coaxial cannot be interchanged and cannot be converted without a radio device/converter in between.