Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 9:10 Post subject: My WRT160N Modified with External Antenna
Just managed to recover my WRT160N from being bricked, and decided to mod the router since warranty is gone...
There are 2 tiny antennas on the PCB. And they are soldered on to the right top side of the PCB. The solder points for the antennas are considerably large and easy to solder even for beginners.
I ripped 2 RPSMA connectors from 2 old aironet bridges and soldered them onto the PCB. Took 2 old linksys antenna and plugged them in.
I have not substantiated if the coverage is better yet, but preliminary tests shown consistency over a further distance.
It works very well.
The completed WRT160N modded with 2 WRT54 Antenna.
The back view.
The back view with removed antennas.
The solder points and antenna cables.
Detailed Solder Points.
Left Antenna Exit. Used a hot iron to poke in a hole.
Looks awesome! How did you go about getting the holes for the antennas in the shell of the router? _________________ R7000 Kong vpn 23550-R01 (Main Router)
WRT610Nv2 converted E3000 vpnKong 21661 (RB)
WRT600N v1.1 BS std-nokaid 13637(5Ghz CB)(2.4Ghz AP)
WRT54G v5 BS micro 14684(RB)
Joined: 26 Nov 2008 Posts: 700 Location: Toronto, Canada
Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 21:31 Post subject:
makes one wonder when linksys takes a step 'backwards' and re-adds external antennas
http://www.linksysbycisco.com/US/en/support/WRT160NL _________________
Hardware that works for me:
RT-N66U MerlinWRT 3.0.0.4.374.33_beta3b
E3000 WDS Kong v21661
Joined: 24 Feb 2009 Posts: 2026 Location: Sol System > Earth > USA > Arkansas
Posted: Sat Jun 27, 2009 17:45 Post subject:
Maybe you should make a business out of that. Looks good anyway. So much for Linksys's saving cost by removing external antenna. _________________ E3000 22200M KongVPN K26
WRT600n v1.1 refirb mega 18767 BS K24 NEWD2 [not used]
WRT54G v2 16214 BS K24 [access point]
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Wow man! thanks for such information and detailed photos. i also plan to upgrade my WIFI network, but i plan to do detachable outdoor antenna and use it threw signal amplifier.
Great job on the mod. That deserves a rock to be thrown \m/
I was actually just disassembling my wrt160n to stick some retractable antennaes onto it, and use it as a repeater bridge, repeating the neighbors wireless signal, since their cable is about 10x faster than my DSL.
After cracking it open, I noticed two little sockets near the base of the antenna wires, on the main board. In the main post, the 5th picture shows the best view of them.
It would seem that they could be used to connect another set of antenna wires to them. And if so... Do you think it's possible to double the throughput of this router?
Nice job. If anything at least it didn't get worse like some reviews of internal antenna models have claimed. Some people are talking about how uneven impeadence would cause an immediate performance drop.
I am glad I saw this gives me hope because there are a couple internal antenna models on my list and I have a set of U.FL to RP-SMA connectors and antennas laying around now.
jdspeir wrote:
It would seem that they could be used to connect another set of antenna wires to them. And if so... Do you think it's possible to double the throughput of this router?
A second set of antenna's would only drop range and at best maybe increase omni direction performance.... had a lack of a way of explaining that. More antenna's without more power will screw transmission performance.
on my 160N v3 I had to solder them, no u.fl sockets
what would you say those sockets are though? Since my V1 has those sockets.
I kinda messed up the solder point...p[reety bad heh:S so want to try those sockets but dont know what type they are.
If you could help me please would be so greatful.
