Looking for a very sensitive Router

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bul
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 12 Sep 2016
Posts: 21

PostPosted: Sat Jun 20, 2020 7:55    Post subject: Looking for a very sensitive Router Reply with quote
Hi,

I would like to use a DDWRT-Router as Wifi Client. Currently I am using a TP-Link WR842N and TL-ANT2424B Beam Antenna (+23dB!), but I can barely see the AP, I want to connect to.
When using an old Alpha AWSUS036H with the TL-ANT2424B to connect the Laptop directly i can get a good connection and see much more APs than using the Router.
Cable, Antennadirection is same.

Concerning this site, the AWSUS036H is capable to connect to networks up to -96dB (!)
http://www.wifi-highpower.de/content/11-leitfaden-die-wahl-usb-wifi-karte-alfa-network

So I assume the routers electronic is just poor compared to the Alfa device.

Does anyone of this experts in this forum know a router that has compareable capabilities? Is it just the chipset or does the rest of the radiohardware also matter?

best regards,
Bul
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Alozaros
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 16 Nov 2015
Posts: 6410
Location: UK, London, just across the river..

PostPosted: Sat Jun 20, 2020 9:23    Post subject: Reply with quote
R7800 best radio, specs, DDWRT support and price....look at ebay second hand...many offers...
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Atheros
TP-Link WR740Nv1 ---DD-WRT 55179 WAP
TP-Link WR1043NDv2 -DD-WRT 55303 Gateway/DoT,Forced DNS,Ad-Block,Firewall,x4VLAN,VPN
TP-Link WR1043NDv2 -Gargoyle OS 1.15.x AP,DNS,QoS,Quotas
Qualcomm-Atheros
Netgear XR500 --DD-WRT 55460 Gateway/DoH,Forced DNS,AP Isolation,4VLAN,Ad-Block,Firewall,Vanilla
Netgear R7800 --DD-WRT 55460 Gateway/DoT,AD-Block,Forced DNS,AP&Net Isolation,x3VLAN,Firewall,Vanilla
Netgear R9000 --DD-WRT 55363 Gateway/DoT,AD-Block,AP Isolation,Firewall,Forced DNS,x2VLAN,Vanilla
Broadcom
Netgear R7000 --DD-WRT 55460 Gateway/SmartDNS/DoH,AD-Block,Firewall,Forced DNS,x3VLAN,VPN
NOT USING 5Ghz ANYWHERE
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SurprisedItWorks
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Joined: 04 Aug 2018
Posts: 1445
Location: Appalachian mountains, USA

PostPosted: Sat Jun 20, 2020 19:23    Post subject: Reply with quote
Wifi receiver sensitivity isn't likely to really be the issue, as that specification is for measurements in laboratory conditions, where the signal is competing only with internally generated noise. In the real world, the received signal strength required is largely a matter of what interference from other users is present on the channel. In most city and suburban environments, there is a great deal of 2.4 GHz interference. On 5 GHz there is less, but it still can be significant for apartment dwellers.

Also, be aware - and maybe you are but let's make it a teaching moment for others - that a 23 dBi antenna has a very narrow beam. It concentrates the radiated power into about 1/200 of possible 3D directions, leaving other directions starved for power. Things will be the same for receive: great sensitivity in a very narrow beam and very, very poor sensitivity in other directions.

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bul
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 12 Sep 2016
Posts: 21

PostPosted: Sun Jun 21, 2020 3:52    Post subject: Reply with quote
The thing is, using the Alfa directly I get a good and nice connection, but using the same setting with the beam antenna I wont. The only thing changed is the radio device.

As I am forced to use 2.4Ghz, using a beam antenna is a good thing as other Wifi APs not in beam are suppressed.


Unfortunately the R7800 is out of my financial range, so I will try to connect the Alfa to the USB of the router and try to use it for client mode.
feliciano
DD-WRT Guru


Joined: 24 Oct 2008
Posts: 1079
Location: Latin America

PostPosted: Sun Jul 12, 2020 23:16    Post subject: Reply with quote
Do you want to use the high gain external antenna you have? If so, either play with the antenna chains for a multi-tx-rx device, or find a single external removable antenna device. If your reference is an Alfa high power USB, and you are in a budget, you can get a second hand router with alike specs, like a Buffalo WHR-HP-G54.

Note: like SurprisedItWorks explained, a very high-gain antenna generates/receives a very narrow beam (think on a directional antenna like a flashlight you zoom according to the gain, and an omnidirectional antenna like a rubber donut you squeeze deppending on the gain).

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bul
DD-WRT Novice


Joined: 12 Sep 2016
Posts: 21

PostPosted: Tue Jul 14, 2020 7:35    Post subject: Reply with quote
Hi,

thank you for your replies.
The best budget solution I realized is using an TP-Link WR842N and having the Alfa connected to the USB-Port for Uplink. For nearby Wifi the router is good enough.
Unfortunately I was not able to realize this using DD-WRT but OpenWRT and Travelmate plugin.

Now I get a pretty stable connection to the public AP with a very narrow beam (less disturbing other APs) and share this network.

Thank you for your ideas and inputs. You people are great!
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