Hi,
I bought Mikrotik Metal 2shpn and I configured it as a wireless access point. I was told it can travel 1km with an 18db Cyberbajt Omnidirectional antenna, but what I got was just a distance of 110m. Please I need an explanation and if probable configuration that will give me the output that I needed.
Thanks
IF are on clear line of sight, what device you use on other side? One smartphone?
More higher are the omnidirectional antenna and more worst are on distance the signal.
Wifi works both ways; You can put a very powerful radio like the metal to a high power omni like your 8dBi mentioned and it will carry the signal probably way over a kilometer. (I pick up 2,4Ghz signals from my normal power units miles away.) But the ‘client’ end also needs to be able to send some signal back to maintain a communication to AP. If this is a smartphone or tablet or laptop, well; these have 150 or 200mW radios and probably only 1 or 2dBi antenna.
So although they might ‘see’ some signal over big distances, the AP will never see that device so there is no communication possible.
If you say you can’t even pick-up signal at 110mtrs with that hardware something is wrong with either your station device or the setup of the metal-omni combination.
I can’t advice on your station but the metal needs to be connected with a proper coax (pre-fab!) cable and also make sure the radio works with full power. Maybe you set it to ‘regulatory domain’ and put the antenna details in? If that is the case probably you squeezed your metal radio to a tiny mouse compared to the Elefant potential it has… 
Thank you for the explanation. I used 2.4GHz frequency but I might have missed certain settings.
Can you please guide me on how to set the radio to its full power and at what frequency.
Set the power according to your local law regulations and select the free frequency that will not harm others. Surely you have 18db omni antenna? Remember that it would have really very narrow usable vertical angle. You should be right in the same height like the antenna is to make good connection.
English explanation:
To get the higher gain of an antenna you need to focus the radio energy in a smaller bundle. Since Omni means 360 degrees around, the only bundle we still have to play with is the vertical pane.
A low gain antenna will have a pane of say 90-60 degrees horizontally. Meaning a client can be reached at relative short distance even if it is close to the tower is the tower is high.
But since the energy is dispersed 360 degrees around and in this bundle, it law a nature the energy dissipates quickly by distance. Some hundred meters away this antenna is hardly noticeable any more…
If we now construct an omni with a very narrow bundle of energy leaving the antenna, say 10 degrees vertical pane, we concentrate most of the energy in this section. Since now the energy level leaving antenna is much higher for same radio, reach is also much longer. So this type of antenna can reach clients at bigger distance.
Problem now is that since this bundle is so narrow, client has to be in the bundle to get a reasonable signal. If client is not relative close to mast and the antenna is high above his head, the signals are sort of ‘overshooting’ the client. So although this antenna is having much higher gain than the first low gain antenna, it only serves clients in its bundle. Wider V-pane bundle omni has better change reaching the clients at a bigger array around antenna.
You can also put a high gain antenna low so it just shoots over roofs etc. Now you might reach more clients. But if this is a urbanised array, the signals have lesser change of getting in between the buildings and through windows etc. to reach the indoor client.
Study a bit on antenna characteristics and you’ll find that choosing the right antenna for its purpose is much more important than just to go for one that has best price, looks best or has highest gain.
Just to add to jarda’s question; 18dBi Omni? That’s a very narrow (V-pane) antenna. Omni’s usually are maximal 12dBi. So I really don’t think this is a good antenna.
This would be a typical antenna to reach far on a beach, desert or plains where there are hardly obstructions (buildings, trees, hills) to block signal and you can keep the antenna low to ground (same level as the clients).