How to configure a TL-WA7210N access point to work with a TL-ANT2412D outdoor antenna

[DaBundu]

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I installed an access point (TL-WA7210N) inside a warehouse but close to the entrance. I have excellent coverage within the warehouse and immediately outside the warehouse. I want the signal to get to the gates of the premises which is about 20 meters away. At the gates, my WiFi signal is very weak and I am not able to access the internet seamlessly.

I then purchased a TP-Link TL-ANT2412D omni directional outdoor antenna and connected it to the access point via pigtail cable. I changed the "antenna settings" to external antenna on the Wireless advanced configuration page but I still cannot get reliable signals by the gate.

A diagram of what my setup looks like is attached
.

I have not mounted the antenna yet. I made the connections and walked out of the entrance of the warehouse for about 10m meters but i still did not get reliable signals even when i was just 5 meters away from the antenna.

Is there anyway to check that the antenna is actually working or is recognized by the access point?

Please is there something i am not doing or am doing wrong? Looking forward to hearing from someone.

[kevsh]

Your antenna is a good antenna but only within the confined warehouse. I'm assuming this building is metal and concrete most warehouse are built like this. Buildings of this type construction do not allow microwave signals to radiate to the outside efficiently. What will have to be done is run some outdoor shielded cat5 to the gate or add a second access point for outside and connect both to a switch or hub. Note: if the 2412D antenna is located very close to anything metal it will De-tune the resonance of the antenna and change its radiated rf pattern. Then it is no longer considered omni-directional. .

[DaBundu]

Thanks Kevsh for responding. But the 2412D antenna was not put close to anything metallic. I ran the pig tail cable outside the warehouse. It is the access point that is inside the warehouse. that is what bothers me. Is there anyway to verify that the 7210 access point recognises the 2412D antenna? I am beginning to suspect that the antenna might be faulty.

[R1D2]

Is there anyway to verify that the 7210 access point recognises the 2412D antenna?

If there are some other APs in the neighborhood you could set the TL-WA7210 into Client or AP Client Router mode and use the Wireless Survey to see wether the antenna works.

[DaBundu]

Thanks R1D2. I'll try what you suggest and revert back with the results.

[kevsh]

I also forgot to say when you connected the external antenna did you log in to the web interface and reconfigure to external antenna, also you cannot use the internal antenna and the external antenna simultaneously. This maybe the reason your signal is weak on the outside and strong in the inside of the building.In the web interface look for Wireless-Wireless Advanced-Antenna Settings.

[DaBundu]

Hello all, sorry for not responding sooner. I tested the antenna with the access-point with AP Client mode and I was able to detect the antenna with some strong signals. Therefore I now know that the antenna is working ok. a question again please< If I configure the antenna and AP using the AP Client mode will my ipads be able to connect via the ANT2412D to the accesspoint or is the antenna used just to get internet connection to the 7210 Access Point and all devices need to connect via the access point.

[DaBundu]

I wish to get access to the gates using only the 7210 access point and the 2412D antenna without having to buy another access point because that will render the 2412D antenna I bought useless.

[R1D2]

If I configure the antenna and AP using the AP Client mode will my ipads be able to connect via the ANT2412D to the accesspoint or is the antenna used just to get internet connection to the 7210 Access Point and all devices need to connect via the access point.

If you define AP Client Router mode, wireless devices can make use of the (wireless) AP interface of the WA7210 while at the same time another virtual interface on the same physical WiFi adapter works as a wireless client for connecting to the Internet. Keep in mind that iPads don't have such a strong antenna as the ANT2412D is, so from a certain distance on the wireless network can be probably still seen on the iPads, but the signal may be too weak to transfer data (uncritical distance depends on receiver sensitivity of the WA7210/ANT2412D combination).

Furthermore, since the physical WiFi adapter is shared between two virtual interfaces - one in AP mode and one in client mode -, expect a drop in throughput of theoretically 50%, but practically even more for wireless devices.

[w20grippy]

Your antenna is a good antenna but only within the confined warehouse. I'm assuming this building is metal and concrete most warehouse are built like this. Buildings of this type construction do not allow microwave signals to radiate to the outside efficiently. What will have to be done is run some outdoor shielded cat5 to the gate or add a second access point for outside and connect both to a switch or hub. Note: if the 2412D antenna is located very close to anything metal it will De-tune the resonance of the antenna and change its radiated rf pattern. Then it is no longer considered omni-directional. .

I read somewhere that antenna signal confronts interference by mirror, concrete, strong metal. He might not know that something is causing this dead-zone to expand his signal. But I am curious to find what antenna has in the market right now which could actually eliminate this kind of obstacle and make it more approachable to the signal.........Could a directional antenna work in that case?

[R1D2]

Could a directional antenna work in that case?

No, as long as the remote device doesn't also use a directional antenna in a fixed position, they won't help, but would make the problem even worser.

[w20grippy]

No, as long as the remote device doesn't also use a directional antenna in a fixed position, they won't help, but would make the problem even worser.

Can't he get signal using Tplink CPE ?