Best High-Gain Antennas for WiFi Router

End the struggle with wireless internet coverage with some of the best high-gain antennas for routers.

If you are struggling with network coverage in your home, either because of lackluster WiFi signals or because you have what could be the worst router ever, specifically one with the most useless antennas, then you are in the right place and are eligible for the best high-gain antenna for your WiFi router.

Note that a high-gain antenna is a great addition to your wireless home network setup because it is designed to increase your router’s broadcast range, it gives you control over the broadcast, and it also allows for fast WiFi speeds.

Below are some of the best high-gain antennas, all designed to offer all the benefits of high-gain antennas. All you need to do is to make sure that the antennas you choose come with all the features that you need for the best wireless performance.

Comparison Table for the Best High Gain Antennas for WiFi Router

Best High-Gain Antennas for WiFi Router
Best for
Price
Alfa APA-M25 Dual-Band 10dBi high-gain Directional Indoor Panel Antenna
Best Overall High-Gain Antenna
Proxicast 10dBi 3G/4G/LTE High-Gain Omnidirectional Outdoor Fiberglass Antenna
Best Antenna for Signal Strength and Speed
CC X Mile High-Gain 8dBi 2.4GHz Outdoor WiFi Antenna
Best Outdoors High-Gain Antenna
Proxicast 11dBi Yagi High-Gain Universal Directional Antenna
Best Yagi Directional High-Gain Antenna
Highfine 2 x 6dBi Dual-Band WiFi RP-SMA Antenna
Best Value for Money

Reviews of the Best High Gain Antennas for WiFi Router

  1. Alfa APA-M25 Dual-Band 10dBi high-gain Directional Indoor Panel Antenna – Best Overall High-Gain Antenna

This Alfa Dual-band high-gain antenna with an RP-SMA connector is one of the best high-gain antennas on the market for indoor use. It operates at the 2.4GHz and the 5GHz band frequencies, which means that this antenna is an excellent option for you if you are looking for a reliable indoor antenna to boost signals throughout your home.

It is a patch directional antenna with a linear and vertical polarization at a 16- and a 66-degree vertical and horizontal signal transmissions. It’s also one of our best high-gain antennas on the market because of its compatibility with a majority of routers, including Linksys, D-Link, Alfa, TRENDnet Asus, and TP-Link routers.

The other things that stand out from this router include the dual-band design that ensures the best network coverage in your home. It also features a tilt and swivel design for the best wireless signal reception, a long-range design for increased sensitivity up to 10dBi, and it’s also an omnidirectional antenna, which means the best performance.

Pros

  • Multiple device compatibility
  • Works best as a replacement antenna on your existing router
  • Easy setup
  • Dual-band wireless design
  • Good coverage
  • Stable, with a good range
  • Increased wireless signals’ power
  • Well-constructed

Cons

  • It doesn’t swivel at a 180-degrees angle
  • Not omnidirectional as advertised, but directional

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  1. Proxicast 10dBi 3G/4G/LTE High-Gain Omnidirectional Outdoor Fiberglass Antenna – Best Antenna for Signal Strength and Speed

Proxicast 10 dBi High Gain 4G / LTE, 5G Omni-Directional Pole/Wall Fixed Mount Fiberglass Outdoor Antenna for Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile & Other Cellular Networks (ANT-127-002)
  • IMPROVES SIGNAL STRENGTH and SPEED on Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Telus, Bell Canada, Rogers, DigiCel and...
  • COMPATIBLE WITH Routers, Modems and Gateways from CalAmp, Cisco, Cradlepoint, Digi, MoFi, Netgear,...

If you are looking for a versatile high-gain antenna that works with most of the router brands on the market, along with cellular broadband services, you might like this fiberglass antenna by Proxicast. It’s the go-to high-gain antenna for Sprint, AT&T, as well as Verizon, and it might be the best antenna option for you if you need to improve the speed and the strength of your wireless signals.

It comes with an integrated female N connector, which means that you can look forward to the easiest connections, and also, you won’t need a ground plane. There’s also a wall/ pole mounting bracket that enhances the ease of installation. You need to buy the mast separately, though, and you also need to make sure that you connect the antenna through a 50ohm coaxial cable – this cable must be connected to your existing router/ cellular modem or your radio device.  Keep in mind, however, that this antenna will not improve cell phone signals.

It is weather-resistant, thanks to the highly sleep gloss from the white urethane/ fiberglass finish. The glossy finish allows the antenna to blend in with different environments.

The performance of the router is also quite impressive, and you could use it to connect to the unlicensed 900MHz radio applications, as well as the 2.4GHz WiFi bands, and for GPS use.

It’s omnidirectional, and it offers the best high-gain signal effects without the need for a cellular tower positioning or the alignment issues common with the directional antennas.

Pros

  • Impressive frequency range of between 698 and 2700MHz
  • 10dBi high gain
  • Vertical polarization
  • Easy installation
  • Glossy finish blends well with different surroundings
  • Ideal for outdoor use
  • Omnidirectional
  • Compatible with most modems and broadband networks
  • Reliable signals
  • Works well

Cons

  • The threaded area could be longer

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  1. CC X Mile High-Gain 8dBi 2.4GHz Outdoor WiFi Antenna – Best Outdoors High-Gain Antenna

This high-gain antenna boasts a powerful, weatherproof, rugged design, and it is one of the best high-gain antennas on the market for anyone looking for an excellent outdoor high-gain antenna. As an 8dBi outdoor vertical antenna, it makes an excellent option for anyone looking to boot their local WiFi connections or to create a local neighborhood hotspot.

It’s easily configured, and you can use it in different environments, including big rigs and boats, or basically any open space where you need wireless internet coverage to up to ¾ miles.

It’s perfect for the outdoors because of the rugged outdoor design from the cast-aluminum mount design, along with the “U-shaped” stainless steel bolts that make the antenna easy to attach. All you need for the attachment of the antenna is a vertical and a flat surface.

You might also like this antenna because it allows for uniform signal coverage in all directions. But before you buy it, keep in mind that it is only ideal for use on the 2.4GHz band.

Pros

  • Easy to set up and use
  • Multidirectional signal transmission
  • Work well outdoors in all kinds and weather
  • Sturdily built
  • Works with wireless networks at speeds of up to 150Mbps
  • Direct connection to Windows PC
  • Comes with 30ft cable
  • Ideal for the 2.4GHz WiFi band

Cons

  • The signal isn’t very strong
  • Not compatible with Mac OS
  • Waterproofing could be better

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  1. Proxicast 11dBi Yagi High-Gain Universal Directional Antenna – Best Yagi Directional High-Gain Antenna

This Yagi antenna is one of the best directional antennas on the market, and it boasts a high gain of 11dBi to ensure that you enjoy seamless access to strong wireless signals at longer distances. It’s ideal for use in areas with low-strength signals, and you might like this antenna if you have been looking for more power in your antennas. Thanks to the high-gain performance at 11dBi, these antennas will boost your signal strength, enhancing your marginal coverage.

It is quite versatile, and it works with 2G/ 3G/4G, as well as LTE and XLTE networks, among other cellular carriers. It’s also compatible with the 2.4GHz band and radio systems in the 900MHz range.

 Pros

  • Easy setup, thanks to the female N connector
  • Comes with a wall-mounting bracket
  • Directional antenna
  • 11dBi gain
  • Versatile
  • Small and lightweight
  • Large frequency range between 698 and 2700MHz
  • Durable, thanks to the Aluminum/ ABS/ Brass construction and it’s RoHS-compliant
  • Allows for MIMO setups, and you only need two antennas at 90 degrees

Cons

  • You need two Yagi antennas for MIMO applications

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  1. Highfine 2 x 6dBi Dual-Band WiFi RP-SMA Antenna – Best Value for Money

Highfine 2 x 6dBi 2.4GHz 5GHz Dual Band WiFi RP-SMA Antenna + 2 x 35cm U.fl/IPEX Cable for Wireless Routers Mini PCIe Cards Network Extension Bulkhead Pigtail PCI WiFi WAN Repeater
  • 100% Brand New and High Quality WiFi Antenna for Router
  • Package Includes: 2 x 6dBi 2.4GHz 5GHz Dual Band WiFi RP-SMA Antenna +2 x 35cm U.fl / IPEX to RP-SMA...

Last on our list is this Highfine High-gain antenna. It boasts a 2xdBi, it’s a dual-band antenna, and you might like it if you are looking for a set of two high-performance high-gain antennas that will not break the bank.

Each of the antennas comes with a 35cm pigtail cable, as well as IPEX cables with a gold-plated bulkhead connector. While you can only use the antennas for the MINI-PCI-E interface and not the M.2 interface, the performance of the antennas is greatly reliable.

Pros

  • It’s compatible with all wireless routers, PCs, gaming consoles, network cards, and mini PCIe.
  • 6dBi gain means a great range
  • Multiple angle adjustments
  • Dual-band system
  • Set of two
  • Great value for money
  • Excellent performance
  • Great Bluetooth antennas

Cons

  • Doesn’t work with the NGFF connectors
  • It doesn’t connect to M.2 cards without necessary wires

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Buying Guide for the Best High Gain Antennas for WiFi Routers

Before you buy and install your high-gain antenna, there are numerous factors that you will need to keep in mind and under consideration. High-gain antennas aren’t created equal, and this means that you need to look at all the features and the functions of the antenna before you buy it in a bid to make sure that the antenna offers the best-desired benefits.

As the high-gain antennas are designed to increase the broadcast range for your WiFi router and others even capable of increasing your home’s WiFi speeds, you need to ensure that you have the right antenna for your router. Other antennas will also work by enhancing your broadcast control, specifically the omnidirectional antenna rather than the directional antenna, which will result in a higher level of precision over the direction of the signals broadcasted. With all these possibilities in mind, you need to make sure that you have the best of the high-gain antennas. To bring this dream into reality, you need to know the basics of the high-gain antennas, as well as the things that make some of these antennas better than others.

Types of High-Gain Antennas

There are two types of high-gain antennas for the wireless routers: the omnidirectional and the directional antennas.

The omnidirectional antennas work by broadcasting the radio frequency in all directions by creating a sphere of wireless coverage. On the other hand, the directional antennas are designed to focus radio signals/ frequencies in only specific directions, hence the creation of a larger coverage and distance.

There also are specialized high-gain antennas such as the Yagi and the parabolic antennas, which have the potential of broadcasting wireless signals for large distances over miles. Obviously, you don’t need that much coverage, but if you need a significantly larger coverage, then you might want to opt for the smaller designs of the parabolic antennas.

Gain

Note that the ‘gain’ in high-gain antennas refers to a meter of the sensitivity of the WiFi antenna. With a high level of sensitivity of the antenna’s gain, it means that the antenna will be able to receive the long-distance WiFi waves better.

The gain is measured in dBi or decibels, and the decibels of gain refer to the algorithmic relationship between the antenna’s emission power, the intensity of the emitted radiation, and the directivity of your antenna. But these aren’t the only factors that will affect the gain of the antenna because the gain is highly influenced by the shape and the size of the antenna.

In this case, the large, flat antennas are designed to receive more of the signals that are further away from the router. In the case of extreme connections that cover kilometers, you will find that the commonly used high-gain antennas are the large parabolic antennas (these are about 1meter in diameter).

Radio Bands

To choose one type of high-gain antenna over the other, you need to bear in mind important questions and factors like the design of the high-gain antenna and your router’s operating frequency.

Generally, the WiFi broadcasts on the 2.4GHz and the 5GHz bands, with the 2.4GHz being the slower frequency range and the 5GHz band as the faster frequency. But that is not all that you need to know, and within the broad bands, there are broadcast channels. Often, most routers will pick the broadcast channel automatically, but others use their default specifications. In other cases, the routers are designed to assign the channels that have the least possible interference thanks to the use of the ‘smart analysis’ technology.

Router Placement

When it comes to the search for the best high-gain antennas, you need to always keep in mind the placement of the router because it will play a vital role in the router’s broadcast range. If you have your router placed too far off the corner of your living room might not be the best idea if you want the router to broadcast signals to your backyard, especially if your backyard is on the other side of the house. For the best range throughout your home, consider placing the router at the center of your home, and away from solid restrictions and walls.

Wireless Standards

You need to consider the router’s WiFi standard because WiFi is not WiFi. There are different WiFi standards in the WiFi world, and they all govern your router’s broadcast frequency and range. The mainstream wireless standard 802.11ac, for example, will broadcast wireless signals in the 5GHz band to distances around 100 or 150feet at high speed of up to 1Gbps – but this will only happen on the 5GHz band. On the other hand, you have the longer-range 2.4GHz band that broadcasts WiFi signals at speeds of 300Mbs over longer distances between 200 and 250ft. What this all means, in a nutshell, is that you need all your router/ network devices running on the same wireless standard for the broadcast signals to reach as far as you’d want them to.

Broadcast channels

Before buying/ installing your high-gain antenna, you need to bear in mind that your router will broadcast WiFi signals on specific channels, often the default channels. Make sure that the antennas are designed to broadcast on that channel too.

Integrated power boost

The other important consideration that you need to keep in mind is the router’s power boost function. This might increase the range and performance of the router’s WiFi signals, especially with the antennas in play. So, makes sure that the power boost is on before you install the antennas.

  • Distance

Besides the size of the antenna, the coverage of WiFi signals is often affected by distance, and this means that you must keep in mind the distance when buying an antenna.

Essentially, you’ll need a USB WiFi adapter that comes with a simpler Omni-directional antenna is you need to improve wireless coverage in smaller spaces. However, you will need bigger antennas for larger areas, especially if there is a lot of interference for you to deal with.

Power

There also are high-power antennas, but before you buy a high-power antenna, you will need to bear in mind that the WiFi’s power is measured in mW or in dBm, and for the use of the most powerful antennas, your router must also have a powerful antenna.

FAQs

What is a high-gain antenna?

A high-gain antenna or an HGA refers to an antenna that features a narrow radio beam that increases WiFi signal strength. These antennas offer a more precise option for targeting radio signals, and it is essential in long-range networks where they can be used to amplify the weak signals in satellite communications.

Do I really need the high gain antennas?

Before you invest in antennas for your WiFi router, you first need to know that the antenna will not make any power for the wireless signals, and all it will do is to propagate the radio waves. Also, the antennas will propagate the signals in different patterns – Unity Gain, ¼ wave antennas, are designed to propagate the signals in a circular/ omnidirectional pattern. In the case of a high-gain antenna, increasing the fain in one direction will result in decreased propagation in the other direction, which means that the high-gain antennas will result in the loss of the roundness or the vertical propagation of the signal pattern, where they will be more elongated and flattened in part with the higher-gain. Therefore, you should only get these high-gain antennas if you want the wireless signals to be more focused on one area and not the other.

Is the high-gain antenna beneficial?

Well, it depends. You only get to enjoy the full benefits of the high-gain antenna is you know exactly where you wish to enjoy the directional signals (the area where you’d like to have the maximum gain). But if you don’t know the direction that the desired signals will be coming from, then it will be better to have the low-gain antennas.

Conclusion

The high-gain antennas above are some of the best antennas on the market, and they offer excellent performance. To choose the best antenna option for you, all you need to do is to consider your needs.

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