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How Do Wireless Directional Antennas Work?

This week we’re going to take a look at wireless directional antennas and how they work. By understanding this, you can ensure that your Wi-Fi network provides the coverage you need for reliable, strong Wi-Fi links.

To create a wireless bridge or point-to-point link, you would use a directional antenna. Your coverage requirements will determine the size and shape of the directional antenna needed, as well as whether you are using them inside or outdoors.

First things first – What do we need in order to establish a long-range wi-Fi link? There are a few main requirements that we need in order to achieve this.

Remote Wi-Fi Links – 3 Requirements

We need to satisfy 3 requirements in order to set up a long-range Wi-Fi link. Whether your signal is indoors or outdoors, the basic needs remain the same. For example, the signal could likely navigate and pass through a thin wall indoors, or one tree outdoors. However, navigating an entire building of walls or a forest of trees would be more difficult.

When a wireless signal is traversing over longer distances, packets of data can be lost. Adding in other complexities (like many walls or trees) can cause problems with the signal.

So in order to establish and maintain a strong connection over a long distance we need to fulfil these 3 requirements:

  1. There must be a direct line of sight between the antenna and the receiver. This means no obstacles in the way, like buildings, walls or forests.
  2. The antenna must be elevated and be horizontal with the point that is receiving the signal ready to transmit it. For the connection to be strong, the antenna and the router for example, need to be on a level – Not one higher or lower than the other.
  3. The antenna must be directed towards the router or Wi-Fi transmitter. The directional antennas only emit and receive Wi-Fi signal in one single direction, so it needs to be positioned on that side. The accuracy needed for the position depends on the angle opening on the antenna. For example, the smaller the angle, the more accurate the position must be. More on that next!

Antenna Angles

How far a directional antenna can transmit a Wi-Fi signal depends partly on the size of its angle. For example, a directional antenna with a wide angle could transmit to a wider area around it, but not as long a range. A directional antenna with a small angle is a more focused transmission and will provide further coverage.

A good analogy to explain this is a light bulb. A bulb without a lampshade will emit light at an angle of 360 degrees. It works well to illuminate the area in close proximity, but doesn’t have great range in terms of distance. For example, lighting up one room.

In comparison, a bulb inside a torch operates at an angle of approximately 30 degrees. The light is much more directed, and thus has a further coverage range – But we don’t see light outside of the ‘sides’. The smaller the angle, the further the reach.

The same premise applies to wireless signal and directional antennas, as you can see from the diagram below.

Types of Wireless Directional Antenna and Their Uses

There are 4 main models of directional Wi-Fi antennas. They are designed to provide a Wi-Fi connection over long distances. They direct an entire frequency pattern in one direction to reach from point-to-point. A directional antenna receives the Wi-Fi signal and emits it forward; the distance it can cover depends on the angle it uses.

  1. Wireless Directional Antenna for Indoor Use – The 60° angle antenna

    A wireless directional antenna with an opening angle of 60 degrees is most practical for indoor use. The open angle of this directional antenna enables it to see all the Wi-Fi networks in it’s environment. It provides good quality signal over a range of up to approximately 300m.

  2. Wireless Directional Antenna for Long-Range outdoor Use – the 35° angle antenna

    This wireless directional antenna uses an opening angle of 35° which enables it to locate all the AP’s in a mesh Wi-Fi network outside the premises, covering a distance of up to around 800m. For this reason, it’s commonly used for long range networks. They are generally easy to install, are a manageable size and tend to come weatherproof so they can be used outdoors come rain or shine!

  3. Wireless Directional Antenna for Distant Networks – the 30° angle antenna

    These wireless directional antenna models have a closed angle. Their installation is a little more complex to the previous two models, and therefore is better suited to professional networks that need to cover very distant networks. Due to the closed angle, it is extremely important to get the positioning accurate.
  4. Wireless Directional Antenna for Professional Installers – the 7° angle antenna

    Due to these models of wireless directional antennas having a very narrow beam, it’s necessary to have them professionally installed. They are a favourite among professional Wi-Fi installers as they have a very high gain so provide a high wireless broadband casting range. High gain antenna can provide a strong Wi-Fi connection in all parts of your property from a single router. This type of directional antenna will have a parabolic reflector – basically a curved surface like a dish which direct the radio waves. This type of wireless directional antenna is ideal for long range networks.

If all this talk about wireless antennas has got you confused about which direction to go in, then why not give our Wi-Fi experts a call?

Working out of Hampshire, London and Cardiff, we can plan, design and install a Wi-Fi network that’s tailored to your home or business requirements. Get in touch with us today and we’ll have you better connected in no time.

 

 

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Our Top Wi-Fi Blogs of 2021

A new year has begun, and no doubt it will bring new technology and wireless improvements with it!

Here at Geekabit, we covered a lot of different Wi-Fi topics last year here on the blog, many of which were steered by the enquiries we were receiving to our Wi-Fi Experts across Winchester, London and Cardiff. We saw a big increase in demand for 4G broadband, particularly for homes in rural areas. Hybrid broadband has also soared in popularity!

We’ve also talked a lot about 5G and Wi-Fi 6 and a few of the products already available on the market. With there still being a heavy focus on working from home throughout 2021, it’s no surprise that reliable broadband and internet speeds at home were still crucial. We even launched our own product – SpeedScore – A great way for estate agents and landlords to accurately identify their broadband speeds.

With all of this in mind, we thought we would take a look back on the last year and see what blogs were most popular with you – Our readers!

#10 – Just making the top 10 reads from 2021 is a blog on the 4G Broadband Teltonika RUT950 router. This device was out top product for 4G broadband installations during 2021 – Click the blog to find out why.

4G Broadband and the Teltonika RUT950 Industrial Cellular Router

#9 – Continuing on the 4G broadband theme, in at number 9 is why 4G broadband could be the answer for all your rural Wi-Fi woes. 2021 brought us many clients desperate for a quicker Wi-Fi service in rural areas, particularly those who had moved out of London but expected the same internet connectivity. If you’re sticking with more working-from-home as we move into 2022, then have a read of this blog to see if 4G broadband could bring you a better connection.

4G Broadband – The Answer to Your Rural Wi-Fi Woes?

#8 – Last year we saw a big buzz around 5G. This blog was all about the Robustel R5020 router – An exciting product offering 5G connectivity at a competitive price.

The Robustel R5020 5G Router

#7 – We can’t talk about 4G broadband without talking about data plans. Joining in on the blog popularity of 4G/5G broadband and pieces of kit was this blog on Unlimited 4G broadband data plans. well worth a read if you’re going down the 4G broadband route.

The Best Unlimited 4G Data Plans for Broadband

#6 – Which brings us nicely to hybrid broadband. This has seen a soar in popularity, and we’re expecting to see a lot more of this in client enquiries over this coming year. But what is hybrid broadband? If you’re wanted unbreakable Wi-Fi for your home or business then this could well be the solution you’ve been searching for.

 

What is Hybrid Broadband?

#5 – 2021 saw Facebook launch it’s own Wi-Fi – But what is it? Hundreds of thousands of businesses are already using it, but if you’re not yet one of them then click the blog below to see what you need to know.

What is Facebook Wi-Fi?

#4 – Anything to do with Ubiquiti always proves a popular blog topic. And with good reason – These devices are one of the staple pieces of kit here at Geekabit. The Ubiquiti UniFi range of access points are always easy to match to our clients needs.

How Do I Choose The Right Ubiquiti UniFi Access Point?

#3 – Wi-Fi 6 was another topic on everyone’s lips last year. This blog on the Amplifi Alien Wi-Fi 6 router was a big favourite of our readers – Could that be because of the ongoing need to work and learn from home?

Amplifi Alien – The New Wi-Fi 6 Router from Ubiquiti

#2 – How do you choose the right wireless product for your home or business? It’s a question often asked so no wonder this blog looking at 3 top wireless products almost made the top spot. If you want to compare UniFi, Meraki and Aruba bits of wireless kit then this is the blog for you.

UniFi vs Meraki vs Aruba

#1 – And here we are at number one. The most popular blog last year was this one on Starlink and what it meant for broadband here in the UK. another interesting read, particularly those living and working in more rural areas, struggling with connectivity.

What is Starlink and what does it mean for UK broadband?

So there you go – Our top ten Wi-Fi blogs of 2021. We’re excited to see what 2022 will bring!

 

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Could Pesky Pigeons be Interfering with your Satellite Broadband?

A short while ago we blogged about space entrepreneur Elon Musk’s company Starlink – A new satellite broadband service.

In a recent article from the BBC, a cyber-security expert from The University of Surrey talks about the outages he experiences on his satellite broadband – And how he thinks they could be down to pigeons sitting on his dish!

Those who live in rural areas can only dream of fibre broadband – Satellite broadband gives these people a chance for low latency broadband. This particular cyber expert, Professor Woodward, is one the 100,000 beta testers of the LEO (low Earth orbit) satellite broadband system.

And he believes that his satellite dish looks rather like a modern bird bath – That the pigeons have taken a shining to!

It’s definitely not a bird bath though. This fancy little dish sends and receives signals to passing satellites. There is a constellation of 1,700 satellites at a height of approximately 550km (380 miles). You might have seen them in the night sky! They orbit earth about every 90 minutes.

Starlink plan to mobilise tens of thousands more of these satellite to improve their broadband service. However, Space X, the company who operate Starlink, have been slowed down by chip and liquid oxygen fuel shortages.

Whilst it’s not definitive what is actually causing Prof Woodward glitches, expert opinion says that a pigeon sitting on a Starlink antenna could certainly cause a decrease in performance.

Starlink aren’t the only organisation planning to provide satellite broadband. There are quite a few in the pipeline!

  • Project Kuiper from Amazon has a plan to launch 3,236 satellites
  • Canadian company Telesat are planning to put 298 satellites into orbit
  • The EU are making plans for a ‘mega-constellation’
  • China are making plans for their own satellite network
  • OneWeb – Part funded by the UK taxpayer – already have hardware in space like Starlink, with 288 satellites in space

If you’ve not heard of OneWeb, their focus will be on providing internet to businesses, maritime users and the government. They have a deal with BT, which means there is a strong likelihood that they will also provide consumer broadband to rural areas. It could also mean portable 5G cells for hire.

Some people may even be using satellite broadband without realising it! For places where fibre isn’t available, suppliers may run a satellite link. This would feed the local broadband pipe, giving rural homes a connection.

Becoming a beta tester isn’t cheap

If you’re struggling with a rural broadband connection and are sat wondering how much it might cost to become a Starlink beta tester, then read on.

It currently costs about £500 for all of the equipment you will need, plus £89 per month fees.

Thankfully, it’s pretty straightforward to get it all set up. Starlink will provide you with an app that helps identify any potential obstructions when you’re choosing the best spot for your dish.

You’ll want to choose somewhere flat and easy to get to – But worth considering the pigeons too!

Once you connect to the router and the dish is in prime position, you should find yourselves with fast internet.

What are the actual speeds of satellite broadband?

In this example, the average speeds were 150-200 megabits per second (Mbps) download speeds and 10-20Mbps upload. Whilst there may be occasional dropouts, this scenario didn’t experience interruptions in streaming shows.

And for many people struggling for broadband in rural locations, these speeds are a dream come true.

And with Elon Musk hoping to double the top speeds offered to 300Mbps, there seems to be scope for improvement.

What can affect satellite broadband service?

Well, as the blog title implies, pigeons can be a bit of an issue. But there are also other factors that can affect the service that satellite broadband service users receive via LEO satellites.

  • It depends on whether there are a number of other dishes nearby. For this reason, Starlink limits the number of users per coverage area. In a given area, not very many users can have the top speed at the same time. This is because it has a finite capacity it can provide in a given area, so user experience will decrease as the number of nearby users increases.
  • Regulator Ofcom expressed their concerns about how different satellite systems could cause interference. What would you prefer – A slow but reliable connection, or a fast yet intermittent one? For things like Zoom, you’re going to need a continuous connection.

Will the skies become crowded?

Astronomers have actually already started observing how busy the LEO is becoming, and how trails of satellites are interfering with their observations.

The possibility of collisions is also a very real concern. Apparently there have already been reported near misses involving Starlink satellites, with experts warning that the ability to prevent collisions between the many satellite constellations will become increasingly difficult for both humans and algorithms.

This means we may require more technologically advanced solutions in order to keep spacecraft safe in space.

Of course, the number of satellites orbiting earth will depend on the demand for them. There’s not much point sending all these satellites up into space if there isn’t actually a demand for satellite broadband here on earth!

But for those living in rural areas where fibre broadband isn’t possible, satellite broadband could be just the solution.

Just make sure to watch out for the pigeons!

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