Hi

We are busy seting up a distribution tower on 2.4GHz.

Is it better to use one sectorised antenna, connected to the main output of the mini pci card, or have 2 sectorised antennas covering the same area one reciving (aux connector) and one transmitting (main connector). Using SR2 cards.

Want to serve about 300 clients, so would i use 3 sectorised antennas, or 3 sets of 2 sectorised antennas. Clients will be using AP's as recivers, only ONE antenna.

Thanx
Carel

The only real reason to use dual antennas is to stay within power limits on transmit, so if you have a 26db SR2, you have a 10db sector panel (assuming FCC 36db EIRP). But legally you can use a 20db sector panel to recieve, so you have an extra boost. But in reality, you have a reduce vertical coverage area - most manufacturers talk about the -3db zone, instead of say 15 degrees of a 10db you might get only 6 degrees with a 20.

But for all intents and purposes, you might as well just lower the power and use whatever gain you need, because I don't see myself the real value in doing that in FCC territory - now maybe in 5.4-5.7 with 250mW EIRP, you might have a 20db RX sector and a 6db TX sector on a CM9 card, which would greatly help range, plus you can get the same signal boost your CPE's get based on PtP rules. Essentially it makes your system gain much higher, esp, if you use high gain CPE's with the power turned down (say on a 19db panel, using 5db TX power). But you could add a second RX-only dish, 29, 33, even 37 db, to get the extra gain without turning the TX power OFF (24db EIRP - 37db = -13db TX power)

Very few people do this at all.