Directional antennas work like a flashlight

It has a smaller area of coverage, but reaches farther in the distance. Under best conditions, it can reach up to 8 miles outdoors or 0.5 mile (2,640 ft) indoors. It’s important to note the smaller the broadcasting pattern, the farther the reach, so it’s a tradeoff with area coverage vs reach.

Yagi, cantennas, panel, and grid antennas are directional antennas with yagi being the most popular and grid being the most powerful.

Directional antennas are best used in low-signal areas when you need to reach far in the distance to grab signal outdoors or you need to broadcast signal down a long hallway indoors.

Omni-directional antennas work like a lamp

It has a 360 degree coverage area, but has limited range. Under best conditions, it can range up to 1 mile outdoors or .06 mile (316 feet) indoors.

Omni-directional antennas are shaped like cylinders and are best for all-purpose use.

Gain (dB)

Gain, measured in dB, is the additional signal strength gained from the antenna. The higher the dB, the better. dB is also measured exponentially, so a +3 dB is more than double the power!

Frequency

WiFi signal operates at 2.4 GHz and 5GHz. WiFi antennas can either be single-band (2.4 GHz or 5 GHz) or dual-band (both 2.4 GHz and 5GHz).

2.4 GHz has the ability to reach farther and is a global standard. 5 GHz has the ability to be much faster, but has a much shorter reach. We typically recommend going with 2.4 GHz for long range WiFi signal.

Max Reach

Reach is dependent on the situation and every situation is different, so results will differ. Under best conditions like open spaces and clear line of sight, performance will be better.

However, interference such as distance, trees, mountains, buildings, building material, and metal can impede performance.