Router with external connector for parabolic antenna

[tecnodave]

I need a quality router that has a connector for external antenna

I have a home made D6LU long Yagi-Uda array  @ 2.4ghz and a parabolic 2.4 ghz antenna.  I am in a fringe area........any suggestions......built in antennas do me no good where I am

Dave

[binkino]

Most routers have internal connectors (don't know the specific name in English, sorry)

You can get the antenna plugs for mounting instead  the antenna (we did this in the early times, removed the crap antennas and replaced it with better ones, removable)

So you should be able to install a plug and remove the antenna and connect your parantenna to it

a way


this ebay auction (in german, but you see what I am talking about)
http://www.ebay.de/itm/Externe-WLAN-Router-Antenne-Rundtrahlantenne-5dbi-U-FL-SMA-Kabel-Adapter-/271141377400
is an example

[tecnodave]

Routers with internal antenna usually are high impedance output, when loaded down to 52ohm coax they don't do well......much better to get router that is designed for external antenna......it will be 52 ohm input.       

[TomW]

I have done exactly what you want with a "can tenna" and these WRT54 Linksys routers, it was a good while ago but worked well:

http://www.amazon.com/Linksys-WRT54GL-Wireless-G-Broadband-Router/dp/B000BTL0OA?ie=UTF8&keywords=wrt54gl&qid=1463156035&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

Unless they changed them these have external connectors.

Tom

[tecnodave]

Thanks TomW,


Just the info I need......link sys support says they don't make such a router but.....tech support? Yeah

I'll get one and try.....I get free wifi from school 3 miles line of sight away.......difficult but way faster than Verizon 4GLTE

[RossW]

I'll get one and try.....I get free wifi from school 3 miles line of sight away.......difficult but way faster than Verizon 4GLTE

For the low cost, comparatively high build quality, option of a decent antenna (or reflector and integrated antenna), suggest you look at the ubiquity stuff.

Their old "Bullet" range had an N connector and you just screw in whatever antenna you liked (I used to use 24dBi gridpacks, and 13dBi yagi antennas in blizard-proof radomes), and had plenty of installations operating over 10+ miles.

I used to buy WRT54GL (the L version was linux-ready, and ran OpenWRT and DD-WRT fine), they were around $90-110 each new. The Bullets were cheaper and far better performing, plus fully outdoor rated, PoE ready etc, so you just ran a coax to the roof, plugged in the bullet, attached it to the antenna tail and you were going.

https://www.ubnt.com/airmax/bulletm/

I've also used the AirGrid - where I am, they were even cheaper than a bullet+antenna and work great. Yes, if you get the 2.4GHz version, there's a setting that lets it operate with standard 802.11b/g.
https://www.ubnt.com/airmax/airgridm/

[tecnodave]

TomW,

I researched it and ordered thr WRT54GL routers....2 of them and will hook up as you describe.....

I knew it was possible, never did it.....the link to the bridge mode info really spelled it out

Makes sense now.

Ross,

My parabola is pretty much same as what you pointed me at, I did communications for a while and I design my own antenna systems sometimes using other people designs like D6LU long yagi.
I use K7MEM's design pages a lot. Still a radio buff, but not a ham.

Dave

[RossW]

I researched it and ordered thr WRT54GL routers....2 of them and will hook up as you describe.....

Seriously look at downloading and reflashing them with DD-WRT.
It offers you lots of things the stock software doesn't.
I've been using them for years and love 'em.

Ross,
My parabola is pretty much same as what you pointed me at, I did communications for a while and I design my own antenna systems sometimes using other people designs like D6LU long yagi.
I use K7MEM's design pages a lot. Still a radio buff, but not a ham.

Yup, designing and building antennas is reasonably straightforward as long as you pay attention to detail (more so at EHF than lower bands!).

I've been a ham since the mid 1970s. While I used to make my own antennas for 1296MHz, and 10GHz, all my ISM band stuff was far more convenient to just buy things ready made - so many choices and generally cheaper than you can build them yourself even if you don't count your labour!

[ClassicCrazy]

I have been using Linksys WRT 54 type routers that I reflashed with DDWRT for a few years now. They work great and are very stable.
A few things to consider even though you can pick them up cheap or free.

Every model has a quite a few versions.  While some have external antenna's there are versions that don't unscrew so you can't use a reverse TNC adapter to connect to a different antenna.

Some versions are easier to flash to DDWRT than others. Some versions or maybe most have an easy mod to bring out wires for a serial port. I pick up every old Linksys router I see and have DDWRT on all of them. DDWRT webpage has detailed instructions for each version .
https://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Linksys

You can get them already flashed with DDWRT on ebay for $25 though this version doesn't have as much ram or memory as some other versions but DDWRT micro works on it.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Linksys-WRT54G-v6-Wireless-Router-Repeater-Bridge-With-Heatsink-DD-WRT-/291689860534?hash=item43ea120db6:g:-PgAAOxyRhBSqLxJ

You can mount the whole router up high somewhere and in Client mode to bridge with another router. If you power it with POE  power over ethernet , then you can run very short coax between router and antenna. There will be almost no loss of signal that way and long run of Cat 5 cable no problem. Only 4 wires are used for internet , you use the other four wires for the power to the router.

I used some indoor Cat 5 cable outside for years now - there is a spot where the out side jacket cracked and exposed inner wires but the insulation on them has not deteriorated and also doesn't seem to have effected anything even though it gets wet and iced up in winter.

Larry

[ClassicCrazy]

Here is what is inside of 2.4GHz Maxrad flat high gain antenna - it works very good. Looks like 8 bay bowtie antenna design.

[CDN-VT]

I need a quality router that has a connector for external antenna

I have a home made D6LU long Yagi-Uda array  @ 2.4ghz and a parabolic 2.4 ghz antenna.  I am in a fringe area........any suggestions......built in antennas do me no good where I am

Dave

CANTennas  :http://www.cantenna.com/

https://www.google.com/search?q=cantenna&biw=1280&bih=654&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwjXrY6kzd3MAhVJ4GMKHcL-DnQQsAQIRA


I have "Borrowed " signals across North America CAN,USA ,Mex  and thank you folks , I would NEVER abuse , but thanks for the use in 2005-2008 . Spent a time travailing to meet with folks I have spoke with for years , but never met.

[tecnodave]

I received the two routers from Amazon....Linksys WRT54GL v1.1.....new in box with cd in folder which has instructions for setup


Ok this is really dumb.....my MacBook cannot read the setup cd.....followed the instructions to the letter......no setup utility.....Linksys instructions on cd envelope has setup instructions..... But does not work....



Instructions:  For Mac, double click the cd icon on your desktop....then double-click on the setup icon.

(there is no cd icon on desktop).....opening the smiley face on the Mac Dock reveals a cd icon on the bottom

Double clicking on setup does nothing.            Duh!      This is intuitive?    The only file I can open is in directory.  DOCS.       It is a .pdf file. I can read that but all the other files on the cd appear to be windows files.

Any suggestions?

David

[TomW]

You should be able to hook your computer to the router Lan ports, power up the router, let the computer get a dhcp connection from the router then use your browser to access the setup.

Router will likely be 192.168.1.1 and computer 192.168.1.??

Not positive but login and  password might be admin/admin ??

Check here for details:

http://setuprouter.com/router/linksys/wrt54gl/login.htm

I never use those setup applications. No MACs or Winderz here :>

Tom

[tecnodave]

I'm starting with no WAN in to router.....I need to set up router from disc supplied with the router...MacBook cannot read setup disc?.........cd has specific instructions for Mac but does not work.....I have no problem doing this on windows.....put cd in drive.....wait.....click setup
MacBook cannot open any files on the cd except manual in docs directory

Dave

[tecnodave]

Apparently I will need to obtain a windows computer to set up a Linux based router?    Duh?     Documentation clearly states setup instructions for Mac but does not work, examing disc reveals only windows only files except manual in docs directory, it's a .pdf file and I can read it.

Ok on the Linksys CD:

For Windows, click Start,Computer,then double click the cd drive and the setup icon

For Mac, double-click on the CD icon desktop,then double-click on the setup icon

End of Linksys instructions,

I have MacBook 6.1 with recently installed OSX "Mavericks" so I followed Mac instructions to the letter,  when I insert cd in drive it spins up but absolutely nothing appears on screen, no cd icon,  wallpaper only, no apps running. No indication that anything is running.

Opening the dock on left and then the Mac smiley icon reveals a cd icon on the bottom, with one line:Setup wizard, clicking on setup wizard opens the directory of the cd, it does not start setup, I see files with windows extensions.....I.e.     xxxxxx.exe    xxxxxx.ini      xxxx.dll    obviously windows files


Keep in mind I have never used an apple product since the very early apple II, I am not familiar with Mac / apple terminology .

Can someone who is conversant with the Mac tell me how to read a Multi-os cd on a Mac.

I cannot beleive that Linksys (Cisco) would state that this cd is for PC or Mac but it can't be read on a Mac.

They are way too smart for that.

Someone had changed the settings in this MacBook and I can't find out what.

Dave