802.11n Long Distance Link Support

[DaveMcLain]

I've been using some consumer grade 802.11g products to produce a long distance link or two. Nothing super long but I did run one that was more than 1/8th mile for a year or so using this technology. Anyway, I've been using a single large dish antenna on one or both ends of the link with good results/signal strength and reliability.

My question is, will this sort of setup always be limited to using 802.11b,g link rates or in the future will I be able to use 802.11n products in the same capacity yet achieve higher data rates? Will I be able to get better performance using my existing antennas or will 802.11n require multiple antennas or antennas with multiple feeds in order to be effective?

I looked on the L-Com website and in their Hyperlink brand of antennas(one's I've been using) I didn't find any that specifically mention 802.11n, but rather only the intended frequency band. Am I missing something?

I've been using the old Linksys WRT54G, WAP54G etc with DD-WRT firmware so that I can select one antenna to use for send and receive. I'm assuming that this will not work with 802.11n hardware AND allow link rates higher than the 54Mbs of 802.11g.

 

[thiggins]

With N, you need an antenna per stream. So with one antenna, you'll get 62 Mbps / 150 Mbps max link rate (20 / 40 MHz bandwidths). The channel bonding should improve your bandwidth somewhat, at the expense of band-hogging.

 

[DaveMcLain]

I wonder if the antennas would have to be identical? I wonder how they would have to be aimed? How well does 801.11n respond to directional antennas? Does it seem to mind if they are farther apart than on the stock unit? Say two directional dishes mounted right next to one another?

 

[stevech]

I looked on the L-Com website and in their Hyperlink brand of antennas(one's I've been using) I didn't find any that specifically mention 802.11n, but rather only the intended frequency band. Am I missing something? .

Antennas are RF based. The type of signal modulation (11b/g/n) that's in use is "transparent" to an antenna. A minor exception: antennas have a certain bandwidth, that is, have a particular gain specification valid only from frequency a to frequency b. In WiFi antennas, this isn't important as the antennas are designed for the entire 2.4GHz band.

However, comma, 11n can be used in either/or 2.4GHz or 5.8GHz. This of course does matter to an antenna.

 

[thiggins]

I wonder if the antennas would have to be identical? I wonder how they would have to be aimed? How well does 801.11n respond to directional antennas? Does it seem to mind if they are farther apart than on the stock unit? Say two directional dishes mounted right next to one another?

All good questions.

You might monitor / join this thread.
http://forums.wirelessadvisor.com/g...n/67451-long-distance-802-11n-connection.html