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2.4 GHZ 802.11A/G / 5.8 GHz 802.11A PATCH ANTENNA
These patch antennas are the smallest profile directional antenna that I have seen. You can literally tape them in place and they just work. I compared their performance to the WiFi-Tech omni directional antenna, with the result that marginal signals were improved to quite usable levels. The good thing about not writing the article straight away is that I can also report that I have now had these antennas working in the field for months, and that they have been mounted externally (they are not intended for outdoor use, but are well sealed so I gave it a go) and work flawlessly. One set is a 5.8 GHz 802.11A link (Howardlink), and the other antenna is a client antenna pointing back toward an omni. In both cases the antennas have been a perfect solution because of their ease of installation and low profile. For the Howardlink 5.8 GHz 80211A link, I simply taped the antennas to water pipe enclosures pointing generally toward each other, and it just works. The signal strength is perfect with no packet loss and no dropouts. The 802.11B 2.4 GHz patch antenna is tucked on top of a fence in plain view, but because of it’s unobtrusiveness nobody has given it a second look – they probably think it’s a TV antenna. It too works like a champion. I like it – it’s just a great antenna that works for so many uses from point to point links to stumbling, and at less than fifty bucks it’s a bargain as well. Most importantly it’s available for use with 2.4 GHz 802.11 B/G and 5.8 GHz 802.11A. They are available from WiFi-Tech
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Here’s another antenna that is cheap and it works. WiFi-Tech’s patch antenna. It’s small enough to fit in to a laptop case, and functional enough to make external point to point linksover short distances (e.g. <1.5 Km). I wish I had written about these antennas before now, as I started using them late last year. They are a Very versatile antenna that is great for extending the range of any wireless device, and are also great for making fixed wireless links.