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thumpmatic · Joined: 19 Jun 2010 Posts: 3 Location: Vass, NC

Hi.

I currently run a Keenan Systems 12 db gain antenna @ 22 ft. hooked to one of my EnGenius ECB3500s in repeater mode. Great range. I can access it over 1/2 mile away in one direction. However I'm having an issue with signals below the horizon. For example, I have ECB3500 at my landlords house apx. 300 ft. or so down the hill, which also has big metal shed in between our two homes. I can see my antenna from outside my house, but my ECB3500 at my house is only pulling about -69 to -72 dbm on the signal causing the 6 Mbps connection to go down to bout 1 - 2 mbps of throughput. Now I did setup a ECB3500 in the windom on the side of my house closer to my landlords place, which has no line of site to it because of the metal shed, and it's getting about -62 to -65 dbm, and I'm getting 4 - 6 Mbps of throughout there and it just has the stock antennas on it INDOORS. Now if I'm wondering if I purchase a 8 db gain antenna for my ECB3500 that's hooked to the aerial right now, if that would give enough gain below the horizon to have a better solid connection with my ECB3500 (main AP) to maintain a higher data flow, without messing too much with my long range. There isn't much loss in my feedline due to me using 36 feet of High Quality Andrews 3/8" Heliax (apx. 2.5 db loss). Any comments or suggestions?? ~ thanks ~ Bill

thumpmatic · Joined: 19 Jun 2010 Posts: 3 Location: Vass, NC

I just noticed. I'm actually getting a stronger signal between the main router (ecb3500) and the ecb3500 that's hooked up to the 12 db antenna outside than the ecb3500 on the other end of the house, however the other ecb3500 is yeilding almost twice the amount of throughput. Now I swapped around the ecb3500s and nothing has changed. The noise figure is all the same, bout -95 to -96 dbm.

Does anybody have any ideas on this?? This is very strange.

keenanj · Joined: 13 Feb 2007 Posts: 429

Hello, The 12dBi antenna has a 15 degree vertical beam width while the 8.5dBi has 25 so if you are at close range the 8.5 would be a better choice. Also check that you are on non overlapping channels 1,6 and 11 only.

thumpmatic · Joined: 19 Jun 2010 Posts: 3 Location: Vass, NC

Nope, I'm on Channel 6. Now I also put an ECB-3220 on the 12db antenna with the same results, althought the ECB-3220 yeilded even less throughput. Checking the stats at the ECB3500 router that's at my landlords house, it's hearing the ECB-3220 on the 12 db antenna @ -67 dbm, and the ECB3500 in the far side bedroom (by the window) @ -78 dbm. Althought the ECB3500 is yeilding 3 - 6 Mbps for throughput where as the ECB-3220 is getting no better than 900 kbps to 1 Mbps.

From tests with the ECB-3220, I know I can't seem to get more than 2.5 Mbps of throughput in repeater mode regardless of the situation even at 54 mbps connect with high signal strength.

But it just doesn't make sense to be that my ECB3500 with the 12 db antenna, yeilding better signal strength on both ends would have less throughput than the configuration of the other ECB3500 which is yeilding less signal strength. Now, before my landlord remodeled his house, and the unit was up a little bit higher in the house, I didn't have this problem.

I wonder if it could be an issue of multipath signal?? I'm gonna try and get an 8 db gain antenna and test it out. Hopefully that'll fix the issue, because I really don't feel I need to utilize two ECB3500s in my 3 bedroom house. Besides it tends to cause issues with my blackberry when I go outside, because it has to drop the signal of the ECB3500 inside before it re-acquires the signal from the ECB3500 on the 12 db aerial.