What are the advantages of using sector antennas instead of an omni?
There are several good reasons to use sector antennas: More capacity – By using 3 sector antennas on DSSS channels 1, 6 and 11 with 3 AP’s, you can triple the number of clients in a given area. Better signal levels – Sector antennas usually have more gain than omni’s and can be mechanically downtilted to focus where the users are. This results in fewer retries and less packets lost. A WIPOP sector antenna will pay for itself if just one customer did not need an amplifier. Channel Re-Use – Because the sector antenna can be downtilted, the signals are not thrown out to the horizon. This allows that channel to be re-used several miles away at a different cell site. Eliminate interference – Because a sector antenna is directive and usually has good front-to-back (F/B), it can reduce or eliminate interference from sources that are behind the sector antenna.
