azazel1024
Very Senior Member
So the 11ac router I am working with comes with what appears to be 2dBi, or possibly 3dBi external antennas. My laptop has an Intel 7260ac adapter in it and I was hitting around 52MB/sec LoS and fairly close (10-12ft) away. I figured that was pretty respectable. Well I now have a spare WDR3600 and replaced the 5dBi antennas on my other WDR3600 with 7dBi antennas. So I tried swapping on the 3 5dBi antennas from those routers to my 11ac router.
HOLY HECK BATMAN! I expected no LoS/close benefit. In my basement with the router my max speed close went from 48MB/sec slowly ramping over 3-5s to 52MB/sec to an immediate 58MB/sec topping out around 59.5-60.5MB/sec over 4-5s. I didn't test as much transmit to the router, but anecdotally that also seems to be up 10-15% (not as much of a gain as the receive from router).
Most other basement locations also seem to be up 10-15% in performance on 5GHz. 2.4GHz performance is much more minor, maybe a 5% gain. With the limited testing, within statistical margin of error. Upstairs ABOVE the router, what should be outside of the HPBW for 5dBi antennas and more in to the sweet spot of 2/3dBi omnis, I am seeing no difference in 2.4GHz close in and 5GHz I am seeing from a 3-5% gain very close up to about a 30% gain (max, average is more like 10% gain) on my tablet with its 11n 1:1 adapter if I move it a little further away so it is closer to the HPBW sweet spot.
Medium far upstairs I see a similar 10-15% 5GHz gain, but I am also finally seeing about a 5-10% 2.4GHz gain.
Very far/high attenuation I am seeing pretty much no difference between the 5dBi antennas and the others (2.4 or 5GHz). My guess is it is a beam forming thing.
A extreme attenuation, I am seeing a slight gain again on 2.4GHz (too far to connect on 5GHz. With the old antennas it was around -84dBm, I am seeing -82dBm with the 5dBis at that location. At the high attenuation location I was seeing the exact same dBm between the two antennas, at medium/low attenuation spots I am seeing a 2-5dBm increase in signal). At extreme attenuation with 20MHz 2.4GHz, it was about 2.5MB/sec with the old antennas, about 2.8MB/sec with the new ones. Barely anything, but it was very repeatable.
Very surprised by the results. Especially the close in stuff. I really didn't expect any increase in max/close range performance, but there was a huge boost.
At some point I might test 40MHz 2.4GHz to see if there is any difference, but no time and I don't run the router in 40MHz 2.4GHz mode.
I am interested in testing the 7dBi antennas on my WDR3600 now, but no time to do methodical testing (5GHz performance on it tanks as soon as I go outside the room the AP is in, but one room over it has to go through 4ft of masonry fireplace, though 2.4GHz performance barely nudges, maybe 10% loss on 2.4GHz, but a 40% performance hit on 5GHz right now).
HOLY HECK BATMAN! I expected no LoS/close benefit. In my basement with the router my max speed close went from 48MB/sec slowly ramping over 3-5s to 52MB/sec to an immediate 58MB/sec topping out around 59.5-60.5MB/sec over 4-5s. I didn't test as much transmit to the router, but anecdotally that also seems to be up 10-15% (not as much of a gain as the receive from router).
Most other basement locations also seem to be up 10-15% in performance on 5GHz. 2.4GHz performance is much more minor, maybe a 5% gain. With the limited testing, within statistical margin of error. Upstairs ABOVE the router, what should be outside of the HPBW for 5dBi antennas and more in to the sweet spot of 2/3dBi omnis, I am seeing no difference in 2.4GHz close in and 5GHz I am seeing from a 3-5% gain very close up to about a 30% gain (max, average is more like 10% gain) on my tablet with its 11n 1:1 adapter if I move it a little further away so it is closer to the HPBW sweet spot.
Medium far upstairs I see a similar 10-15% 5GHz gain, but I am also finally seeing about a 5-10% 2.4GHz gain.
Very far/high attenuation I am seeing pretty much no difference between the 5dBi antennas and the others (2.4 or 5GHz). My guess is it is a beam forming thing.
A extreme attenuation, I am seeing a slight gain again on 2.4GHz (too far to connect on 5GHz. With the old antennas it was around -84dBm, I am seeing -82dBm with the 5dBis at that location. At the high attenuation location I was seeing the exact same dBm between the two antennas, at medium/low attenuation spots I am seeing a 2-5dBm increase in signal). At extreme attenuation with 20MHz 2.4GHz, it was about 2.5MB/sec with the old antennas, about 2.8MB/sec with the new ones. Barely anything, but it was very repeatable.
Very surprised by the results. Especially the close in stuff. I really didn't expect any increase in max/close range performance, but there was a huge boost.
At some point I might test 40MHz 2.4GHz to see if there is any difference, but no time and I don't run the router in 40MHz 2.4GHz mode.
I am interested in testing the 7dBi antennas on my WDR3600 now, but no time to do methodical testing (5GHz performance on it tanks as soon as I go outside the room the AP is in, but one room over it has to go through 4ft of masonry fireplace, though 2.4GHz performance barely nudges, maybe 10% loss on 2.4GHz, but a 40% performance hit on 5GHz right now).