Why Do Wireless Routers Have Two Antennas

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You may have seen some wireless routers having two antennas that are identical. If you wonder why some Wi-Fi-equipped devices have a pair of antennas, then here is the reason behind it. Dual antennas are generally affixed at two nearby reference points for antenna diversity. This means that there would be two points of signal transmission or reception and you would be able to make use of the better one out of them. You receive a signal from the reference point that offers better signal strength at a specific wavelength.

There is a connected voter within your device that selects one of these antennas based on stronger signal strength. Some additional hardware makes your device ready for integrating two antennas and choosing the best transmitter out of them. This helps avoid any signal disturbances that you may experience while on the move. For example, when you drive and use a Wi-Fi-equipped device, its sound may fade away at some spots. There may be several dead spots where you do not receive any signal. At such places, dual antennas can come to rescue.

Even if one of your device’s antennas does not receive a signal, the other antenna may be receiving it. Thus, you can at least be put in a workable mode. Similarly, your signal may be disturbed at various places due to interfering objects. If you cannot afford to lose your signal on a constant basis, it is better for you to use devices that have dual antennas. Using dual antennas can help you avoid dead spots and weak signals. There will be constant monitoring of both the antennas and you will continuously receive a better signal without fading. Even though a wireless router with two antennas may cost a little higher, you would find it worth when you look at the improved performance.