WNDR3700 - external antennas mod

[Athan]

Being very disappointed from WNDR3700 wireless coverage and extremely directional radiation pattern, I'm thinking of extending it with a pair of external rubber antennas. I don't expect great results from this mod, but I do hope to get a vertical and more omni-directional lobe.

According to this teardown there are four surface mounted connectors on WNDR3700 board that could be used with pigtails to connect external antennas, avoiding a lot of soldering. Unfortunately these are not the usual U.Fl connectors found on most WiFi boards. Anybody know what type these connectors are and where I could find the right RP/SMA pigtails (if available)?

Thanks!

 

[tipstir]

I've done the same with a prior Netgear Wireless 802.11n, not much you can do,except if you have pin clips you could rig up your own ANT. But the way these internal wireless are kinda stinks in design for future ANT add-on.

Tell me how's the throughput on wired side. I can't bring myself to buy another Netgear wireless N router tower with built in ANT. Coverage is awful yet users still buy it. These ANT are just pure wire not much to it.

 

[Athan]

Tell me how's the throughput on wired side. I can't bring myself to buy another Netgear wireless N router tower with built in ANT. Coverage is awful yet users still buy it. These ANT are just pure wire not much to it.

I haven't yet bench tested it (lan to lan), but seems on par with other Gbit home routers I own. What really annoys me, is its awful signal strength mostly due to the extremely directional and narrow angle radiation pattern. I have tried positioning it vertically (I hate that) and horizontally but didn't make any difference.

I had big expectations of the WNDR3700 after reading all those glorious reviews, but actually besides the AR7161 SoC it is just an overhyped and overpriced POS.

 

[jdabbs]

Picture quality isn't good enough to provide a confident answer, but the connectors look U.FL to me.

 

[tipstir]

I haven't yet bench tested it (lan to lan), but seems on par with other Gbit home routers I own. What really annoys me, is its awful signal strength mostly due to the extremely directional and narrow angle radiation pattern. I have tried positioning it vertically (I hate that) and horizontally but didn't make any difference.

I had big expectations of the WNDR3700 after reading all those glorious reviews, but actually besides the AR7161 SoC it is just an overhyped and overpriced POS.

That's too bad. The old and new design is pretty much the same. I did try everything but the signal wasn't that great no matter where I place it. Even taken it apart which its still is since I don't use it. Lousy wireless on top of it.

 

[Athan]

Picture quality isn't good enough to provide a confident answer, but the connectors look U.FL to me.

I've opened my 3700 to inspect the connectors. They look similar to U.Fl but are in fact different type and female.

I did try everything but the signal wasn't that great no matter where I place it.

I don't understand manufacturers over this kind of thing. They make wireless routers that use countless internal and external antennas, pcb dipole arrays built from exotic materials, MIMO etc, but old plain routers still have times better wireless range. Not to mention build quality; The older the better...

 

[stevech]

For sheer range, though at 6Mbps net yield, 802.11b is superior to 11g or 11n - because of the required power amplifier back-off for OFDM that's in consumer grade 11g/n. To avoid the (5-6dB) backoff power reduction, the vendors would have had to double the cost of the power amplifier. And they chose not to do so.

Curious that the advantage of OFDM over DSSS (11b) is about the same 5dB as the power reduction backoff in 11g/n - so it should be a wash.

Those internal antennas - can be equivalent to typical external ones, the latter being only about 2dBi anyway. Not sure I'd say this about Linksys horizontal packaging, due to cross-pol losses since the clients are often vertically polarized. Penetrating a couple of walls made of drywall doesn't create much depolarization.

 

[I am Penguin]

That's too bad. The old and new design is pretty much the same. I did try everything but the signal wasn't that great no matter where I place it. Even taken it apart which its still is since I don't use it. Lousy wireless on top of it.

Want to/care to sell/donate the device? I seriously need a second unit to be used as a bridge for my PS3 console for Video streaming via the 1gigabyte Ethernet port.

You're not a fan of Netgear it seems

 

[bimbobo]

well according to this picture http://guide-images.ifixit.net/igi/tUW4tKBIGT4nInKB.huge there are 4 antennas on the small side (left looking at the front/led side).. so in theory setting the 3700 horizontally with the 4 antennas pointed in the direction of the client, should give a better signal.. the 4 other are on the rear and the fromt...

Could it be?
Regards