Airport Extreme external antenna

[damage]

Does anyone know what type of external antenna connector is on the airport extreme ?

[iJon]

from what ive read its just a special port that can be used pretty must dr botts antenna. they could easily be saying that though so people wont use something else. go to dr botts site and see if there antenna will work with anything else or see if it uses an industry standard connector.

iJon

[rainman::|:|]

actually, i heard it includes the standard nub connector...

could be wrong tho...

apple's online store lists some antennas, but they're probably a bit pricey...

pnw

[iJon]

Originally posted by paulwhannel
actually, i heard it includes the standard nub connector...

could be wrong tho...

apple's online store lists some antennas, but they're probably a bit pricey...

pnw
interesting, this doesnt surprise because i know nothing about antennas so you are more qualified than i am to answer that question. maybe i can hook a huge antenna on my roof and give access to the whole neighborhood like that guy in aspen.

iJon

[damage]

Yeah I've seen the Dr bots antenna's but they don't have the range for what I want to do and I already have a number of external antenna's from my previous wireless hobbies so wanted to re-use them... which should just be a matter of getting a pigtail adapter made up - if I knew what this damned connector type was :D

[iJon]

Originally posted by damage
Yeah I've seen the Dr bots antenna's but they don't have the range for what I want to do and I already have a number of external antenna's from my previous wireless hobbies so wanted to re-use them... which should just be a matter of getting a pigtail adapter made up - if I knew what this damned connector type was :D
im sure youve already done this but have you looked at the tech pdf on the new airport extreme. you may find your answer there.

iJon

[damage]

;) hehe yep it was the first place I looked and in true apple style it just says it is an "external antenna port" with no specification

[RBMaraman]

I called Apple to try and find out, mainly because I'm interested in this as well. The guy reminded me that the antenna port is only available on the more expensive model with the modem, which I already knew, and it's the model I need. I asked what kind of port it had, and he didn't know, so he transferred me to engineering, and the guy wouldn't tell me. All he said was, "The external antenna port only works with Apple approved antennas." So I said, "Let me guess, the only Apple approved antennas are the one's available through the Apple Online Store." His reply, "Yes."

[damage]

yeah pretty much what I would expect ;) I'm still trying to get a decent picture that I can post up here for you guys to check out but can;t get anything near clear enough.

The APextreme however ROCKS !!! very nice access point

[jaguarx]

This help?
I have to agree Airport extreme does rock. Seems to work though about 4 brick walls in my house, sweet as!
By the look of it the port si some kind of mini-coax type, don't know of any spec though.

[damage]

Nice Job... now who's going to be the first to solve the mystery of the connector type :)

[yzedf]

unthreaded coaxial, more or less.

[benixau]

does someone have a wireless station with ext. antenna connectors on it? other than an AP-X station that is?

take the photos and lets compare - here and now!

[Bear]

Are 802.11b antennas compatible with an 802.11g wireless access point?

Not having checked this, the answer is maybe. It's the same frequency, so in theory it should be the same type of antenna. But I don't know much about antennas, so it could be different for some arcane reason.

[GrandShenlong]

Yes, Bear.

802.11g is backwards-compatible with 802.11b, which is prolly why they developed the g spec in the first place, since 802.11a is already 54 Mbps, but not compatible with Wi-Fi (802.11b).

[Bear]

Originally posted by GrandShenlong
Yes, Bear.

802.11g is backwards-compatible with 802.11b, which is prolly why they developed the g spec in the first place, since 802.11a is already 54 Mbps, but not compatible with Wi-Fi (802.11b).
I know the 802.11g protocol is compatible with 802.11b. My question (was besides possible connector differences) was: Can you use an 802.11b antenna with an 802.11g base?

[abates25]

You should be able to use any antenna providing your able to plug it in. Antenna are generally dumb and don't correspond to one type of signal range or another. Using an antenna from 802.11b should provide you with both added range and *should* be able to provide the added speed as well.

[Bear]

Originally posted by abates25
You should be able to use any antenna providing your able to plug it in. Antenna are generally dumb and don't correspond to one type of signal range or another. Using an antenna from 802.11b should provide you with both added range and *should* be able to provide the added speed as well.
Agreed that antennas are generally dumb. However, different frequency ranges require different types of antennas. Or why do I have a seperate antenna for AM and FM on my stereo receiver?

In theory antennas for 802.11b and 802.11g should be the same since they are on the same frequency set, however, the frequency modulation for 802.11g might require something special in the antenna.

[bmull]

I spoke to my Apple Rep. today and he was talking to me about the new Airport. He stated that it works with the dr botts antenna (didn't ask about others because I hadn't read this post yet) and that that antenna should increase range by about 500 ft. (I'm sure that's open air testing).

[jaguarx]

Bear that's the do with grounding and resistance. B/G operate (correct me i i'm wrong) on the same frequency etcet and share most charastics therefore i'd be shocked if a b antenna didn't work for G. When i move in a couple of weeks i might get an antenna for my AE hub (well cord and antenna, i wanna be able to work in the park across the road), i'll report back when i do.

[timbloom]

Originally posted by bmull
I spoke to my Apple Rep. today and he was talking to me about the new Airport. He stated that it works with the dr botts antenna (didn't ask about others because I hadn't read this post yet) and that that antenna should increase range by about 500 ft. (I'm sure that's open air testing).

I am curious as to why my little cheap-o smc access point advertised 1800 ft range, whereas it can transmit aprox. 800 ft (my own testing)
Yet apple advertises 50 feet when it can go quite a bit further without modification.

Just Apple underestimating their stuff to compensate for less than ideal environments?

[damage]

50 feet is the standard range for the 802.11g standard...

[topicolo]

not if you get one of those crazy directional antennas that beam the signal 14miles (and gives cancer to anything that gets in between the signal). :D

[Glossybear]

but what about the antenna jack on the APX card itself??

Has anyone been able to add an external antenna to a 12" PB?

[benixau]

Originally posted by topicolo
not if you get one of those crazy directional antennas that beam the signal 14miles (and gives cancer to anything that gets in between the signal). :D

yeah, but once it gets in the way of the signal you will start to loose reception.
<sarcasm+humor+companyspeak> also those antennas do not create cancer. it has not been conclusivley proven and therefore can not ever possibly happen. </sarcasm+humor+companyspeak>

oh well.

ps. flys that get in the way may become mutants - "Rrrraaaarrrrr - Buy a Mac!!! - Rrrraaaarrrrr"

[Macpoops]

The connector is a standard industry connector. It is the same type used by the internal antenna on the Snow airport stations. Which can be modified rather easily to accept and internal antenna. I haven't done it personally but i have seen a few websites showing how it can be done. They used a lucent wavepoint antenna. So you could use any antenna not just doctor botts

[damage]

I thought the snow AP's used lucent cards and that being the case I can tell you this is not a standard lucent connector, I know this because I have a number of lucent based cards, antenna's and connectors.

[yzedf]

http://www.vonwentzel.net/ABS/ExtendedExtreme/index.html

[damage]

Sweet link... I knew it was just a matter of time b4 someone braver than me would crack one of these babies open :) thanks yzedf

[Michael Murray]

The connector is made by Lucent and is known an an MCX connector.
See: http://www.vonwentzel.net/ABS/ExtendedExtreme/
The connector that just plugs into the ext antenna socket is a proprietary apple part and all you'll be able to get is the right angle type. This will require modification or going inside the case.
Hopes this helps

[doctorhook]

It's called an MCX connector. The ones that are available from parts sources are right angle which will not just plug in to an Extreme base station.

[dynamicfigure]

This link takes you to an interesting site:

http://www.hyperlinktech.com/web/re14p.php

If I am reading this right the adapter on the bottom will allow you to hook an Airport up to the antenna. The company also sells an entire line of other 2.4 antennas that go up to 24dBi! They say if the connector you are looking for is not listed to call their sales department. If you can hook up an airport to one of these high gain directional antennas I would imagine you could get them to put the right connector on all their line. Can you imagine the range that you could pull out of a 24dBi antenna? The big questions are if you can really do this, and if you do is it still 802.11g? For anyone who wants to find out I would love to hear some feedback.