With the internet becoming an ever more important part of our day-to-day lives, there is more of a demand than ever before for strong, reliable WiFi signals. Unfortunately, WiFi has several key weaknesses when it comes to range, distribution and penetration which means this isn’t always possible, particularly when it comes to an external WiFi signal having to penetrate through surfaces such as the exterior of a vehicle or building. Such cases include being inside a caravan on a campsite, being inside a boat at a marina, and being inside an out-building that’s remote from your house.

With all this in mind, Solwise can offer some solutions designed to resolve precisely this kind of issue and improve connection speeds to your devices when the main WiFi signal is just too weak to sufficiently reach them. This article will go over the differences and key advantages of each option.

Firstly, is the PATRIOT-3000AC-KT, which consists primarily of an external WiFi antenna and an indoor broadcasting / repeating device. The antenna is designed to be placed outside and preferably mounted on a pole / wall as high up as possible, so that it can pick up the external WiFi signal without it being dampened by any physical obstructions. There is also the option to temporarily mount the outdoor antenna to a window using suction cups, this option is particularly popular within the motorhome & caravan community.

A USB cable connects the outdoor antenna and indoor repeater device together, transporting the WiFi signal collected from the outdoor antenna inside to the repeater device. The indoor repeater device then provides its own WiFi signal for your devices to connect to, including phones, tablets, laptops & smart TVs. The repeater device also has Ethernet ports if you want to use a LAN cable connection instead of WiFi.
The PATRIOT-3000AC-KT has an easily-understood set-up wizard to go through when powered on and access via its web interface, allowing it to be swiftly set-up with a connection to any local WiFi networks.

Next is the PATRIOT-DB. Unlike the PATRIOT-3000AC-KT, the PATRIOT-DB device isn’t really an antenna but a Wireless Access Point (WAP) all on its own, meaning it uses an Ethernet cable to link inside to any network device with a LAN port. This means it is capable of transmitting faster speeds than the PATRIOT-3000AC-KT, and it has the additional functionality of being able to broadcast its own WiFi signals outside too if needed.

However, because this WAP is designed more for broadcasting WiFi signals than receiving them, it comes configured as an Access Point by default and doesn’t have a wizard for setting it up to extend an external WiFi signal. You would want to purchase a standalone indoor broadcasting device to go along with the PATRIOT-DB to provide strong internet inside, this could be an Ethernet router or another WiFi AP like the TAP200.

Ultimately, the PATRIOT-3000AC-KT is generally going to be the best option for extending / repeating WiFi, based on its ease of setting up and the fact that it comes with everything needed in the box. The PATRIOT-DB could potentially provide a stronger WiFi signal if configured correctly, but a second indoor broadcasting device would need to be purchased to go along with it.