Any suggested good replacement Antenna for a WRT3200ACM

Hardware Questions and Recommendations
1

Any suggested good quality brand of replacement Antenna for a Linksys WRT3200ACM. Not worried about cost or size of the antenna. No major current issues with factory defaults - but would like to improve things if possible with current Gigabit service via wireless. Greatly appreciate any suggestions.

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Hi @tweek

Options

  1. I purchased an Alpha Networks Hi-Gain Directional antenna to replace one of the antennas on my Linksys WRT3200ACM and it works well for pushing my 5Ghz network(s) through 3-4 walls to get to my bedroom. I don't know if it's top-of-the-line but it had good ratings/reviews and I've got no complaints after using it for a couple years.
    linksysWRT3200ACM-Alpha-High-Gain-10db-directional-antenna
    linksysWRT3200ACM-Alpha-High-Gain-10db-directional-antenna1771×1129 143 KB

    Here's a pic of one of my wireless APs. This one sits atop a full-sized server rack in my office.
  1. Another option is to purchase the Linksys WRT high-gain antennas that are built for your router. You can see those here: Linksys WRT High-Gain Antennas (WRT002ANT and WRT004ANT)
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    image1259×1316 99.7 KB

Nitty Gritty Tech Specs

For helpful hardware information and specs for the LinksysWRT3200ACM, I'd suggest bookmarking this page SmallNetBuilder - Linksys WRT3200ACM

Noteworthy Stuff

  • The antennae on your Linksys (4 antennas) all handle both 2.4Ghz & 5Ghz. Which means you can replace any one you want, or all of them. Just make sure the after-market replacement antenna supports 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz frequency ranges.
  • Don't be afraid to experiment with replacing antennas on the router. Should it not work correctly or as desired, you can simply swap it back to the original antenna. No harm, no foul.
  • If you get an omni-directional antenna like the Linksys ones linked above, you're good to go. However, if you get a [uni]-directional antenna like the one I purchased, you need to be mindful of which way you're pointing the antenna paddle, or you may not get much reception at all.
  • Finally, the high-gain antenna that I have can trounce on the signal strength from the other stock antennas on my Linksys WRT3200ACM. It's recommended to aim the high-gain antenna towards an area and try not to intersect with the invisible beams from the others. YMMV.

Hopefully something out of that is helpful for you. Let us know how it turns out and what you end up using/purchasing!

1 Like
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Be aware that you break the wireless chipset's Mu-MIMO capabilities that way, which is detrimental for 802.11n/ac/ax.

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In this case, as the drivers for this specific device do not support MU-MIMO, this is not an issue.

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@devopsmyth I apologize for replying to this post so long after for your reply (thanks by the way for the detailed recommendations). I am wanting to clarify a few points:

  1. Will using the Alpha unidirectional antenna impact the functionality of the existing low gain antennas?
  2. Would the device be able to use multiple Alpha's impact the functionality of the remaining low gain antennas (understanding that removing multiple omnidirectional antennas will impact functionality by itself)?

I would prefer to purchase the Linksys high gain antennas however they seem to be out of stock at many online retailers.

Thanks again!!!!