There is no “best antenna for wardriving or penetration testing”. There are a variety of antenna types, and each type is built with specific needs in mind. These results indicate that there is a definite performance boost when an external antenna is used-how significant this boost is would depend on the suitability of the antenna for the receiving conditions. We were able to obtain a reliable connection using the external antenna under same conditions. For the internal antenna, both the link quality and the signal level were extremely poor. Let us examine the performance of both antennas in terms of link quality and signal levels. As evident from the roundtrip delay time of several milliseconds, the internal antenna was performing poorly and there were multiple packet drops.Īt the same distance, our standard 5 dBi omidirectional external antenna was able to outperform the internal antenna, as evident by the decreased roundtrip delay time. We noticed that at this distance, using the internal antenna, we were barely able to ping the wireless router at 192.168.0.1.
The right type of antenna, with proper orientation, is able to pick up signals from miles away. The short answer is: If correctly chosen, they perform well. A 2 dBi antenna aims to cover signals equally in all directions, and is not well-suited for wireless penetration testing or wardriving. If the transmitter is at a different elevation and at a long distance from the receiver, a 7 dBi antenna would offer you the right combination of elevation and range. However, if the transmitter is placed vertically above the receiver-as in floors of a building-then a 5 dBi antenna would be your best bet. To understand why this is a misconception, consider the following rough sketch :Īs evident from this figure, a higher (9) dBi antenna is suitable for long horizontal ranges with the receiver and transmitter at roughly the same elevation. A common mistake is to think that the one with a high dBi would be the best (e.g. Antennas with a gain of 2 dBi, 5 dBi, 7dBi, 9 dBi, 13 dBi etc are available. Antenna gain is a figure that reflects how efficiently your receiving antenna would convert Wi-Fi radio waves into electrical power. Accordingly, higher link quality will imply lower number of packet errors.Īntenna Gain: Do not be confused by this term, the antenna does not actually amplify anything. Link Quality: Simply stated, link quality is indicative of the SNR (Signal to Noise Ratio), which is a measurement of interference versus the strength of your ‘point-to-point’ or ‘point-to-multipoint’ link.
-90 dBm- Barely able to maintain a connection SNR is low functionality is severely impaired.-80 dBm- Minimum requirement for maintaining a basic connection you will experience some packet drops.-70 dBm- Minimum requirement for reliable packet delivery (e.g.
-67 dBm- Minimum requirement for timely packet delivery (e.g.-30 dBm- Maximum possible value you are right next to the access point (within a few feet).
For instance, to get a 0.00 dBm signal, you would need a transmission power of 0.001 watts. The negative sign is used because the transmission power is never strong enough for the signal level to be positive. Wi-Fi network signal levels are usually measured using dBm. In order to be able to comprehend discussions germane to the performance of antennas, you must familiarize yourself with the following terms:ĭBm – dBm means decibel milliwatts. Wi-Fi operates in the 2.4 GHz radio frequency that is measured in decibels or db. Whether you are a wardriving aficionado or a wireless penetration tester, this paper is intended to help you deduce the best antenna for your requirements. The antennas in your arsenal can make or break your wardriving or wireless penetration testing efforts.