External Antenna vs Internal Antenna

[phillip.vansickle]

Is there any performance gain by using external dipole antenas in a standard indoor office environment?

I would think this introduces a greater chance that the antenna elements do not maintain the proper spacing as each element can be adjusted to varying positions.

What would be the benefit to using a 2702E with AIR-ANT2524DW-R dipole antennas vs a standard 2702I model?

The external antenna arrays have a lower gain (2.4 Ghz, 2 dBi and 5 Ghz, 4 dBi)

The standard internal antenna arrays have higher gains ( 2.4 Ghz, 4 dBi and 5Ghz, 6 dBi), are spaced correctly at the factory and are a bit cheaper.

I have used external antennas in the past, but they have allways been a MIMO array(like Terrawave's MIMO 6 pack) , not individual dipoles. These were deployed in environments where the greater temeperature tollerances of the "E" model AP added value to the deployment (such as outdoors in an enclosure).

Is the "I" model APs would the best solution for the vast majority of deployments in a standard indoor office environment? My opinion would be that this is the case.

[phillip.vansickle]

Are the antenna elements adjusted properly on the AP in the photo?

[EvaldasOu · Accepted solution]

Hi,

No, that's marketing style... You should stick antennas  vertically.  Like this: " | " .

[Leo Laohoo · Accepted solution]

Is there any performance gain by using external dipole antenas in a standard indoor office environment?

Depends on the antenna used.  But if used in an office environment, then you've SPENT MORE for this kind of setup.

But with your setup, the antennas would be ideally be pointed towards the floor and not at a diagonal.