Cisco HGA7S HighGain Antenna for R-SMA Connectors

by Cisco

Product Details

• Item Weight: 1.4 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0002F3E9M
• Item model number: HGA7S
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: July 7, 2004

Product Description

Increase the range of your wireless network Attach thishigh gain antenna to your Linksys wireless networkingdevice, and increase both the effective strength of theoutgoing signals, and the receive sensitivity for incomingsignals.The added signal strength and sensitivity also improvesclose-range communication reliability because everypacket comes through loud and clear, reducingretransmissions due to weak signal reception errors.To install, just unscrew your current antenna, and attachthe High Gain Antenna in its place. There are no drivers toinstall, and no modifications to your setup are necessary.The Linksys High Gain Antenna saves wiring costs andhelps to build corporate wireless infrastructure by drivingstronger signals into distant corners and hard-to-reachareas. And its perfect for covering large areas inwarehouse environments, public spaces, wirelesshotspots, and outdoor venuesanywhere you needextra coverage for your wireless network.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

61 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Antennas and their impact on wireless communications, April 12, 2006

By 

Tom Carpenter "- www.sysedco.com" (Marysville, OH) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Cisco HGA7S HighGain Antenna for R-SMA Connectors (Personal Computers)

It is important to understand that antennas are passive gain devices. This means that they focus the signal or energy but do not actually increase the literal power of the signal. Think of it like placing your thumb over the end of a water hose. You can focus the water being expelled so that it travels farther, but there is no more water being expelled. In the same way, higher gain antennas (7 dBi being higher than 2 dBi) focus the energy coming out of the antenna so that it travels farther.

This can have the impact of increasing signal quality within a coverage area and extending the coverage area to a greater distance.

These 7 dBi antennas will work as well as any other 7 dBi antennas, generally speaking. The big thing is to be sure that the antennas have the right connector type to connect to your device. While these antennas will connect to a Linksys infrastructure device (access point or router) or some Cisco devices, you may need different antennas for your client devices. For example, the Buffalo card I mentioned uses an MC type connecter which these antennas do not support.

Keep these issues in mind and you'll be on your way to a successful and better functional wireless home or small business network. Good luck.

-Tom Carpenter
Author - Wireless# Certification Official Study Guide

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Expensive, but it helped, October 3, 2005

By 

M. McMillin "Digimanmike" (Charlotte, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cisco HGA7S HighGain Antenna for R-SMA Connectors (Personal Computers)

I purchased a Linksys WRT54GC Compact Wireless-G Broadband Router for my in-laws place so I could have wireless access while visiting. My mother-in-law liked the little compact router because it was unobtrusive compared to the bigger routers. So, we bought it. After we installed it and got it working we found out the range on the little compact was router very limited (25 feet). To extend the range I purchased this High Gain Antenna. I attached it the router and it now has the range I need (50 feet). The down side of it is, now the router is very obtrusive with this tall ugly stick coming out of the top it and the cost of the two items purchased separately was a lot more than if I had just purchased a non-compact router.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Works Great, August 26, 2006

By 

Hector Ordorica (UCSD, La Jolla, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cisco HGA7S HighGain Antenna for R-SMA Connectors (Personal Computers)

My Router: Linksys WRT54GC - Compact G Wireless Router

I was skeptical at first because of all the negative reviews of this antenna, but my concerns are now put to rest because it really has improved the strength of my wireless range and quality.

I already had excellent signal connection throughout my apartment in terms of percentages (55% lowest, 3-4 bars) but my connection wasn't very reliable. I was experiencing dropped connections for no apparent reason besides possible interference from the neighboring APs in my apartment complex.

Even the strongest 100% connections were dropping every so often with the WRT54GCs internal antenna, which is very small when I last had a look at the internals.

Now with the HGA7S Linksys Antenna I am getting a 70-75% connection in the same area that was previously giving me 55%, and now my connection is Excellent with 5 bars and 54Mbps. The best thing about the new antenna is that I no longer have dropped connections and my internet experience is better: no more lag, faster throughput, and a stable connection.

The antenna swivels around 360 degrees and bends 90 degrees from vertical to horizontal. That feature also helped with my wireless G USB dongle that I have connected to my computer tower which is oriented to the horizontal. Aligning the antenna with the USB dongles orientation helped the signal quality go up.

Overall an excellent product if you are having problems with signal quality and dropped packets. Really helped in my situation.