Diagram of a homemade figure-of-eight antenna for wifi reception. Three external antennas for Wi-Fi

Antenna for WIFI router– a radio device designed to receive and transmit signals wireless WIFI Internet. WIFI antennas are connected to a transmitter or receiver (laptop, PC, etc.) using antenna cables and WIFI adapters (amplifiers).

WIFI antennas emit signals in all directions. But in real conditions the efficiency of signal transmission in different directions is not the same. The directional properties of an antenna are characterized by the radiation pattern. The simplest radiation pattern is that of an omnidirectional WIFI antenna, which emits the same energy in all directions. For WIFI antennas, there are circular, sector and narrow directional patterns (APP). Directional patterns are depicted in the form of two sections - vertical and horizontal.

WIFI antennas are directional and omnidirectional, internal and external. Important parameters of WIFI antennas are directional coefficient (DA), gain (GA), input impedance and operating frequency band. WIFI antennas operate in the 2.4 GHz band.

The standard antenna for a d link router almost always has a gain of 2dBi.

If coverage is required wireless communication If you have a large area (a site in front of an office or a courtyard), then you need a router with an external antenna. It is designed in a strong waterproof case and can withstand bad weather, wind, and temperature changes. Such antennas are mounted on masts or brackets.

Internal WI-FI antennas are compact. They are extremely convenient for working indoors.

Omni-directional antenna

The omnidirectional antenna is most often used in wireless networking equipment. Such an antenna is characterized by uniform coverage of the territory throughout its entire range. Basically, an omnidirectional antenna is a rod that is mounted vertically. In this case, the signal propagates in a plane perpendicular to its axis. Such antennas, in comparison with directional ones, have a noticeably lower gain.

Antenna gain – 8 dB, length – 520 mm, diameter – 19 mm. The antenna is conveniently located on a mast, on the roof of a house or car. The antenna power is enough to operate at a speed of 1 Mbit within a radius of up to 1800 meters, and 54 Mbit – up to 600 meters.

Directional antenna

This antenna is well suited for a point-to-point network. For a computer that must connect to an access point or to another computer, it is better to use a directional antenna. Such an antenna can “break through” even impenetrable walls.

An example of such an antenna is the WAN-2118 Yagi antenna. The gain of such an antenna is 18 dB.

The antenna provides reception at speeds of 1 Mbit/s - up to 5 Km, 54 Mbit/s - up to 1.5 Km.

Homemade antenna for a router

There are many options self-made Wi-Fi antennas. A home-made antenna for a router will not be inferior in terms of characteristics to the purchased model. For example, let's take the production « attachment antennas » . RF radiation is supplied to such an antenna without the use of a cable. The antenna is attached to the standard whip antenna of the Wi-Fi router.

First, let's determine the antenna parameters. Wi-Fi uses several channels (frequencies). The first channel operates at 2412 MHz, the second – 2417 MHz, the third – 2422 MHz, etc. Each channel is shifted relative to the previous one by 5 MHz. Therefore, knowing the operating frequency of the router, you can calculate the antenna dimensions. For example, let's take the sixth channel - 2437 MHz . and we will perform calculations for it.

Antenna parameters can be calculated using the mmana-gal program, and you can download it from this link: http://depositfiles.com/ru/files/2zjnh48lu

This program can simulate almost any antenna, and a large library of ready-made antennas is built-in.

The main radiation is concentrated in the direction of the wave channel. To make an antenna, you need half a meter of wire with a cross-section of 1.5 sq. mm, a piece of corrugated packaging material and a pen cap (its diameter should be slightly larger than the diameter of the router’s Wi-Fi antenna).

It is necessary to cut a strip of cardboard 150x20 mm (the supporting part of the antenna). According to the dimensions in the figure below, you need to cut the antenna vibrators from the wire and assemble the entire structure.

After this, you need to put the assembled “attachment” on the standard Wi-Fi router antenna and orient it in the required direction.

DIY WIFI all-weather access point

Let's look at how to connect to the Internet using wi-fi. Master, presenter of the Kreosan channel, show three ways to strengthen the signal so that you can connect open points or the router of a friend who shared the password. Even at a distance of several kilometers.

The first method is a homemade antenna. There are many schemes on the Internet. I collected many of them personally. I checked in real conditions how well they work. The double square had the best performance in terms of signal strength, Internet speed and ease of assembly. Of course, you can connect it instead of the antenna of a laptop or tablet, but it is better and more convenient to use USB adapter. The master uses tp-link 7200 or 722. They are very powerful and even without homemade antenna can connect to Wi-Fi points at a distance of up to 100 meters. And if you connect it, you get a cannon!

For assembly you will need a plate made of foil getinax, or possibly another metal. Size 100 x 120 mm. Copper wire with a diameter of 1.5 - 3 mm. Buy at a hardware store. TV cable will not work. The wiring harness is just right. We strip approximately 28 cm of wire. We measure 8 parts of 30.5 mm each. Let's mark it with a marker. Using pliers, we make precise 90-degree bends using the markings. Failure to be accurate to one millimeter will significantly degrade the antenna gain.

I drilled a hole in the getinax and inserted a figure eight. The distance between it and the plate is 15 mm. Secure with soldering. The antenna that was on the adapter is removed and a piece of wire is taken from it. We connect the central wire to the central part of the figure eight. Braid it, that is, the outer terminal, to the place where the figure eight is attached.

At each connector, the signal is supplied by 1 decibel, in order to increase the output signal level by a couple of decibels, the master removed the antenna connector from the adapter and soldered the wire directly. We secure the USB adapter with tape. To use on the roof, you can use USB extension cable. If 5 meters is not enough, you can use two, stacked one on top. Protection from precipitation - we will secure it inside a five-liter bottle. We drive along the side, insert a Wi-Fi antenna there, and poke 4 holes. We tie the wire and tightly to the wall inside the jar. Place the gap down. We direct to the source.

Let's now see how everything works. We check on a laptop. The experiments are carried out not in the city, but in the countryside. There are few Wi-Fi points here. As you can see, the laptop did not catch a single one. Even if you bring it to the window, the signal is not detected. Let's try connecting to the antenna. We insert the USB cable into the connector and wait for Windows to find it. You may need to install device drivers. Windows 7 already has them. The antenna immediately picked up several points. It is clear that there is a reception. But the signal is weak, the points are password-protected. Let's try installing it on the roof for better results.
We attach the miracle antenna to the pipe, many points appeared and, most importantly, one of them is open. Wi-fi turned out to be without internet. It's okay, if you turn this directional antenna, you can catch a few more points. Let's try to connect to one more point. Let's see how it works. Great! How it loads.

If the signal is weak, the speed may not be fast enough, let's try to check. 3 megabits per second for a village is very high speed. This video was filmed in a village where few people have internet. In the city the result will be much better. For example, in Pasha’s apartment the same wi-fi antenna caught at a gain of 78 wi-fi points. 9 of them were open. The master connected the Internet to many friends using this scheme. They were happy.

In most cases there is no need to hang on the roof. For example, in the village we managed to connect to open access at a distance of 1 km. The antenna hung on the window. The Internet worked stably. Now, when going on a long journey, the presenter of the Kreosan channel always takes a biquadrat with him. In most cases it is enough to catch free internet. But sometimes it happens that access points are far away or not at all. In this case, the FA 20 antenna will help. Phased array. Gain 20 decibels. Its brothers are much heavier, but on the other hand, it is capable of catching Wi-Fi at a distance of 5 to 8 km. Or you can use a satellite dish, attaching our figure eight there instead of a head.

If you can no longer collect an eight, that is ready-made solution! Nanostation. Gain 11 decibels. The waterproof housing contains a two-element antenna and powerful amplifier wifi. It connects easily using a regular wan port internet cable. It will cost more than a USB adapter; you can find it inexpensively used.

There is a Wi-Fi scheme for 20 km (type in the search on the site). one simple circuit. Another on the topic.

Manufacturing.
First of all, you need to make a reflector - this is a metal sheet 450x350 mm ( rear end antennas). It serves to reflect and transmit wifi waves to vibrators and also serves as the body of the antenna itself.
To do this, take a fairly thick sheet of iron. For example, a body from an old washing machine or a baking tray will cope with this task. Cutting with a grinder right size and remove rust. see photo 1 on the right
Let's put it aside For now, put the reflector blank aside and let’s start making vibrators, which will be located on a one-sided 1.5mm fiberglass laminate. To do this, you need to purchase a vinyl vibrator stencil with a self-adhesive mounting film. Such things are made in plotter cutting workshops according to the provided drawing.
Download drawing Delta Ds 2400-21. Copy to usb flash drive. At a plotter cutting company, explain to the manager what should be actual sizes drawing details!
Before gluing the stencil, remove small scratches and polish the copper surface of the fiberglass laminate using a scratch pad and GOI paste. Degrease the surface with a solvent (acetone)! Carefully transfer the stencil onto the copper surface of the fiberglass laminate. Let's start etching the antenna circuit board.
Pour hot water in a container of suitable size, add copper sulfate and table salt in a ratio of 1:3, mix thoroughly and lower the fiberglass glass down with copper. To prevent the board from sinking, first stick the foam on the opposite side using double-sided tape. Wait until the excess copper is completely dissolved. see photo 2 on the left.
When the process is finished, rinse the fiberglass with clean water and remove the vinyl from the vibrators and tracks. Make a hole for the contact of the N-235 TGT connector and tin. To protect from the external environment and from oxidation, cover the side of the antenna with vibrators with insulating varnish!
Place fiberglass on the reflector, make a mark and drill a hole for the n-type connector. Also make holes for external mounting kit wifi antennas, see photo 3 on the right.
Next we need to connect the reflector and the fiberglass board together. The gap between the reflector and the vibrators should be 9mm!
Here's what we'll do - glue 6mm pieces of laminate flooring to the reflector with a THIN layer of glue. Before this, place them evenly on fiberglass using double-sided tape, see photo 4 on the left.
Laminate 6 mm + fiberglass 1.5 mm + glue 1.5 mm = gap 9 mm.
Now we install it in its place and tightly tighten the N-235 TGT connector. After the glue has dried, peel off the fiberglass (held on with double-sided tape) from the reflector. We cover the laminate and the connector with masking tape, and paint the reflector on both sides with metal paint for outdoor use. The reflector is almost ready, we attach the external antenna mounting structure.
Next, we apply a thin layer of “moment” glue to the laminate and connect the reflector with fiberglass. Having inserted the contact of the n-type connector into the hole, solder its tip to the copper track of the vibrators. See photo 5 on the right.
IN in this example, there is no protective cover for the antenna. Instead, a hybrid adhesive-sealant “Soudal Fix All Crystal” is used and applied along the perimeter between the reflector and fiberglass, See photo 6 on the left. Then the front part of the wi-fi antenna is covered with three layers of white acrylic paint. First check the paint to see if it will shield your antenna. Paint a piece of thick paper and when the paint is completely dry, cover the front side of the wi-fi antenna. If the signal does not change, feel free to use this paint. See photo 7 on the right.
Let's check this product in action.
Here are the results of testing a DIY Wi-Fi antenna:
In order to connect the antenna, we need external USB wifi adapter. This example uses "alfa awus036h 1000mw - Taiwan".
First, let's connect the adapter, without an antenna, and see what it shows us, and whether it even works? As it turned out, alfa found three points. We will focus on the connected point -66 dBm. For half an hour the signal hardly changed, and this was without any antenna. See photo 8 on the left.
Now, without changing the location, let’s check our homemade Wi-Fi antenna by pointing it towards the router. As you can see, the result is dramatically different for the better. See photo 9 on the right. The signal of the connected point has improved from -66 dBm to -45 dBm. Three more points were discovered.
66-45=21.
It turns out that the antenna gain is 21 dB.

Often, owners of large apartments and multi-storey private cottages want to freely use the Internet in any corner of their home. But the power of a Wi-Fi router is not always enough. To improve network quality, an antenna can be used to wi-fi router A. It is not difficult to make a structure of any power and direction with your own hands.

By default, the factory-made router is equipped with omnidirectional antennas with a power factor of 2dB. It transmits the Internet in all directions at once. As a result, the signal “stretches” around the entire perimeter and weakens.

If there are one or two walls in the signal path, the pulse may not pass through them and there will be no network in the distant room. The situation will be corrected by a purchased or homemade Wi-Fi antenna for a higher-power router.

An omnidirectional antenna will not change the situation much, since the signal will still go in different directions.

It is better to make an antenna for a directional Wi-Fi router. The device will concentrate the network in a narrower sector and significantly increase the signal strength.

Cottage owners who want to use the Internet not only at home, but also on the property, will need an external antenna for the router. You can buy it, but it’s better to make it yourself. If it is a directional antenna, it will be able to cover a specific area with the network without distributing the Internet to all sides. It's not at all difficult to make.

DIY directional antenna

The most popular and easiest to make is a homemade antenna for a wi-fi router made from metal cans. It's easy to do, but it won't increase the signal too much.

If you need to improve the quality of the network in your home and surrounding area, you will need to make a more powerful device.

Assembly components

Biquad antenna

Do-it-yourself reinforcement with biquadrat

How to make a wi-fi antenna for a router:

1. take a copper tube 10-11 cm long. Make a 1-2 mm cut from one end, removing part of the wall;
2. From a piece of wire with a cross-section of 1.2 mm and 30 cm in length, we will make a bi-square contour with a working side of 3.5 cm. To do this, measure 15 cm and bend the wire 90 °. Next, we will bring the structure to a square eight and cut off the ends. They should not reach the middle of the wire by 2 mm. Let's clean up;
3. Let's take a piece of PCB covered with foil and make a hole in the middle. The copper tube should fit into it with difficulty;
4. solder the tube to the PCB at an angle of 90°;
5. We will attach a copper structure to the wall of the tube so that its middle does not come into contact with the tube and does not reach the PCB by 1 cm;
6. Let's drag a piece of RK-50 wire inside the tube. We’ll “plant” a vein in the middle of the figure eight. Solder the connector to the other end of the cable.

The resulting antenna to the router is mounted in a vertical position. Your own device is suitable for creating an 802.11 n connection within an apartment, yard or between houses.

Other homemade devices

Any DIY wi-fi antenna for a router is easy to make. Such a device can easily replace the 2-3 dB stock antenna included with the router and more than double the coverage area.

For outdoor use, an 8-10 dB remote antenna for a router made from satellite dish. To do this, you should upgrade the purchased dish by placing a homemade antenna in the center and connecting it to the router. The structure is installed at the highest place in the house.

Homemade wi-fi antenna

In addition to a plate, you can use a homemade product made from ordinary foil to make an antenna. But in this case, it will need to be protected from rain and wind by placing it in the attic or other closed place.

To stabilize the signal in a small room, you can make a whip antenna. This is an analogue of the stock antenna that comes with the Wi-Fi router. Such a home-made device is much more powerful and distributes the network better.

To make it you need a piece copper wire and BNC connector. Having soldered the end of the wire to the “mother” of the connector, it is necessary to twist a ring from the wire 61 mm from the base. Then, after 91 mm, wrap another ring and after 83 mm from the last ring, cut the wire. The antenna on the wi-fi router is ready.

There are many other designs homemade devices. Which antenna option for a router to choose depends only on the user, his needs and abilities. Any homemade Wi-Fi antenna for a router will help improve the signal quality significantly.

Wi-Fi is a technology capable of normal functioning only within line of sight. Wireless networks easily get lost among walls, furniture and other obstacles in the apartment. Moving an adapter or router around the house in order to increase the efficiency of appliances is not always possible. More the right approach is the use of an external, more powerful antenna - the active part of the transmitting/receiving device.

Types of Wi-Fi antennas

In terms of use, all Wi-Fi antennas are divided into two classes:

• for outdoor use (outdoor),
• For internal use(indoor).

These antennas differ primarily in their size and gain. The outdoor class implies large sizes and the possibility of attachment to any support (surface). High gain in such antennas is achieved by design features. Such devices are usually used for wireless transmission data between points that are located at a significant distance from each other. It is preferable to install them in the line of sight.

Depending on the type of antenna, Wi-Fi is characterized by a higher or lower gain - one of the most important parameters any receiving and transmitting equipment

Indoor class antennas are designed for indoor use; they are smaller in size and do not have outstanding gain and power. Internal antennas are attached either directly to the transmitting/receiving gadget, to the wall, or placed on the surface. The antenna is connected to the device board either directly or via a cable.

Additional Wi-Fi antenna in an apartment or house

The main reason for the need additional antenna Wi-Fi is about strengthening a weak signal. This situation may arise in the following cases:

• dot Wi-Fi access located at a considerable distance (if the room is large), there are obstacles (walls, ceilings);
• The router is not powerful enough.

Also, an additional Wi-Fi antenna may be needed if you need to organize a “router - several client points” network, or if you need to connect several PCs together “over the air”.

DIY making

On the Internet you can find many recommendations for making the most different types Wi-Fi antennas at home. As a rule, replicating most designs does not require deep knowledge of radio electronics, scarce materials and specialized tools. You can make any of the Wi-Fi antennas using the instructions below in just a couple of hours.

Double biquadratic

Antenna " double square» for Wi-Fi and its modifications - the most popular on the network. The classic biquadrat has a good gain and wide diagram direction. The dual biquad antenna, discussed below, has even better performance.

To repeat the design you will need:

• copper core (wire) with a cross section of 2 mm;
• a small sheet of aluminum 1–2 mm thick;
• a piece of rubber (vinyl) tube, plastic ties;
• soldering iron, solder, rosin, drill, drills, pliers;
• cable for connection.

Making an antenna is not difficult, the main thing is to accurately maintain the dimensions, since even small deviations threaten to shift the operating parameters:

1. We draw a sketch. The length of one side of each square is 30 mm, the dimensions of the reflector are 220×100 mm, the distance between the active part and the reflector is 15 mm. We mark the holes.

   Double biquadrat - an improved version of the classic biquad antenna

2. We bend the copper core strictly in accordance with the template. We clean (if the wire is varnished) and solder the ends.

   Even a small error in size (literally a couple of millimeters) will worsen the quality of the antenna.

3. We make a reflector from a sheet of aluminum. We drill holes with a diameter of 3–4 mm.

   The reflector can also be made from a copper plate or (at worst) a steel sheet

4. Using plastic ties through rubber tubes, we fasten the active element of the antenna to the plate.

   The antenna mounting posts to the reflector must be made of non-conductive material

5. We secure the adapter (or cable, if the device is located remotely) with plastic ties. Solder the removed wires. The distance between the contacts is 5 mm.

   The adapter should be attached as securely as possible, but carefully so as not to damage the device

The advantages of this design include:

• easy and fast production,
• Significant signal amplification and stable operation.

Perhaps the only drawback of such an antenna is that even small deviations from the required dimensions threaten to reduce its efficiency.

From an aluminum can

This design, of course, cannot be called a full-fledged antenna (essentially, it is a reflector), but to some extent it can be strengthened weak signal It is Wi-Fi capable.

What you will need:

• empty aluminum can,
• knife and scissors,
• a piece of plasticine.

In terms of ease of manufacture, an antenna made from an aluminum can has no equal:

1. Rinse the jar. Cut off the bottom with a knife.

   Be careful when carrying out work, health is more valuable than even the highest quality Wi-Fi antenna

2. Make a cut at the top, but not all the way - leave a 1.5–2 cm long section uncut.

   You can also break off the opener at this stage.

3. Use scissors to cut the can lengthwise from the back side.

   An aluminum can can be easily cut with any scissors, as long as the latter are sharp enough

4. Bend the metal.

   The opening angle can be selected experimentally after installation, focusing on the level Wi-Fi signal

5. Attach the reflector to the device using plasticine, placing it on the standard antenna of the router. Point in the right direction.

   In the absence of plasticine, use chewing gum

Advantages of an antenna made from an aluminum can:

• ease of manufacture,
• absence of scarce materials,
• universality (will work with any router with an external antenna).

Among the disadvantages, it is worth noting insufficient signal amplification and unstable reception/transmission directionality.

Powerful sheet metal antenna

Wi-Fi antenna made of sheet metal, known as FA-20, is characterized by increased power and can be used to receive signals from remote (up to several kilometers) access points.

To make it you will need:

• sheet metal;
• powerful soldering iron (100 W), solder, flux (soldering acid);
• dielectric stands, fasteners (screws, nuts);
• drill, drill bits;
• connection cable;
• metal scissors, wooden hammer, fine sandpaper, pliers.

Replicating the design requires at least basic plumbing skills.

FA-20 manufacturing instructions:

1. Using metal scissors, we cut out quadrangles and strips, strictly observing the indicated dimensions. It is advisable to sand the edges.
   

   Antenna parts are cut out individually and then soldered together

2. We solder the antenna elements. We use solder and a special flux for soldering. It is more convenient to do this on a wooden surface.
   

   Soldering of tin elements should be carried out in a well-ventilated area

3. We wash the finished structure under running water to remove acid. We drill holes with a diameter of 3–5 mm.
   

   If necessary, level the antenna with a wooden hammer (mallet)

4. We make a box. Dimensions - 450×180 mm. The height of the sides is 2–3 cm. If you do not have the skills of a tinsmith, in principle, you can do without the sides (losing a little in sensitivity) by simply cutting out a rectangle. We drill holes in it that coincide with the holes of the active elements. We fasten the parts on the racks, the distance between the parts is 20 mm.
   

   Support posts must be made of insulating material

5. We solder the cable: the red dot is the central core, the blue dot is the common (screen).
   

   To connect the antenna to the router, a regular television cable will do.

Advantages of a homemade antenna made from sheet metal:

• high power,
• good focus,
• no scarce or expensive materials are required for manufacturing.

A significant disadvantage of the FA-20 is the complexity of its manufacture. In addition, the antenna is quite large and is most likely suitable for installation on a roof or balcony.

DIY Wi-Fi antenna variations

On the Internet, among the huge variety of homemade Wi-Fi antennas, the most common is the so-called “double square” and its variants. However, you can also see a lot of crafts that differ from the classics.

You can choose and try to make any of the antennas, but you should remember that not all of these products are truly highly efficient, as the authors claim.

Photo gallery: other homemade designs

The MIMO antenna has two circuits inside one housing and, accordingly, two connectors for separate reception and transmission. This variation of the biquad antenna repeatedly amplifies the signal. The reflector of the biquad antenna is often made of foil fiberglass. The Wi-Fi disk antenna is highly directive and can be used both indoors and outdoors. so on the street The antenna made from cans looks original, but in fact it is not a very effective design. The petal steamer in this design can be replaced with a colander or an iron bowl

Connection

Way Wi-Fi connections antenna depends on the type of router, adapter or other device you are using. In most cases, you will have to open the gadget, find the place where the standard antenna is connected (soldered), and similarly attach (solder) a homemade cable. It is very convenient when the gadget provides an independent connection for an external antenna; this can be done in the form of:

• connector in the battery compartment, on back cover device, inside the case, etc.;
• the so-called pigtail (usually located directly on the device board).

If the adapter has a removable standard antenna, a homemade design can be connected instead.

In any case (excluding the option with soldering), you will need an appropriate connector, which can be purchased at a radio store. You are lucky if your router has an output for connecting an external antenna headset. You can install the pigtail socket on the gadget body yourself if you are sure of own strength A tiny connector on the device board is used to connect a special pigtail extension cable. Sometimes the fastest and most reliable option is to solder a cable instead of a standard antenna

Settings

Setting up a homemade Wi-Fi antenna comes down, first of all, to installing it in the right direction. In this case, the following conditions must be observed:

• take into account the signal propagation vector of the Wi-Fi signal receiver/transmitter;
• take into account the presence of barriers between transmitting and receiving devices;
• take into account that hard surfaces reflect the signal, while soft surfaces, on the contrary, absorb it;
• If possible, install the antenna within line of sight relative to the receiver/transmitter.

For greater efficiency, the antenna should be directed towards the access point.

At the setup stage, the cable length should be reduced as much as possible, this way you will get rid of unnecessary signal losses and improve its quality.

How to test changes

The simplest and most affordable testing option homemade wifi antenna is to measure changes in the speed of the Internet channel. To do this, a comparative study of the results is carried out alternately with a connected standard antenna and a self-made one. You can carry out such measurements, for example, on the Speedtest resource. The system will automatically select the optimal server, check ping, download and upload speed.

Video: Do-it-yourself Wi-Fi signal strengthening

With the advent of Wi-Fi, many users have the opportunity to quickly and mobile access on the Internet. For stable operation wireless connection It is recommended to use special, expensive equipment, but you can get by with little expense by assembling an external antenna with your own hands.