RP SMA (wifi antenna) connectors

Forums › LAN (ethernet/Wifi/routers/Bluetooth) › RP SMA (wifi antenna) connectors

mdf

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#317431 14-Oct-2024 20:57

Is it possible to fit replacement wifi antenna connectors, without a crimping tool? Google suggests this is a "RP SMA" connection, the tiny mini f-type connector things.

I have a wifi card in a desktop that has external antennaes with an "extension cord" to connect. This style:

I've always been a bit underwhelmed at the quality of the wifi connection. Turns out it was because one of the connectors at the end of the extension cord to connect to the PC was hanging by a thread and has now broken off (so only one antenna working). Just wondering if I have any practical hope of reviving this?

mentalinc

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#3297449 14-Oct-2024 20:59

There is no photo of the actual connectors or cord...

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elpenguino

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#3297469 14-Oct-2024 22:14

The little gold ones for wifi and cellular are usually SMA, thats right.

Solder type connectors are your other option.

Bit left field but what if you got a connector with cable already attached and re-wired the whole aerial ?

Assuming you can disassemble the thing, of course.

Most of the posters in this thread are just like chimpanzees on MDMA, full of feelings of bonhomie, joy, and optimism. Fred99 8/4/21

nzben

31 posts

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#3297516 15-Oct-2024 08:58

You can get fairly cheap pre-made cables from Aliexpress, etc, or locally there may well be some on trademe or try GoWifi in CHCH. (cheaper than sourcing the connectors and making yourself)

Make sure you get RP if thats what the connectors are - there are normal SMA and RP SMA, usually antennas for Wifi will be RP SMA.

Also make sure that the cable is as short as possible for your use, the more cable between the antenna and the card, the more the signal degrades to the point that if the cable is too long you may as well not bother extending the antennas.

richms

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#3297540 15-Oct-2024 10:13

+1 on the premades from aliexpress if you can wait.

It was on a different aliexpress account to mine, but when a friend needed a whole lot of cables there was a seller on there that had some custom options where you would tell them what you wanted and they made a listing for you. All the cables (SMA to N and SMA to ipex) were very well made and performed perfectly and the price was about what it would have cost to just get some plugs and wire.

Richard rich.ms

nzben

31 posts

Geek

#3297552 15-Oct-2024 10:41

...also given that he card isn't worth that much $$ before spending more on cables try connecting the antennas directly to the card - you might be happy with the result from that. Or if its obvious which of the connectors on the extender is the good one (ie with the non-damaged cable) you can try one on the extension and one on the card.

nitro

658 posts

Ultimate Geek

#3297558 15-Oct-2024 11:24

nzben:

try connecting the antennas directly to the card

that might be difficult if they both have female sma connectors.

presumably, you need something like below? pb tech has them for $25 - https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/NETMKT1284/MikroTik-SMASMA-SMA-Male-to-SMA-Male-Coax-cable-1m

nzben

31 posts

Geek

#3297576 15-Oct-2024 11:48

The connector on the card should be the same gender as the connector on the extension block. Antennas are designed to go on either position, unscrew one of the antennas and look at it. It should look the same as the end of the extension cable (thread on the inside of the outer part and a pin in the middle for RP SMA

Have a look at the images here:

https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/NETDLK56300/D-Link-DWA-X3000-AX3000-Dual-Band-WiFi-6-PCIe-Wire

Usually the cable you want would be opposite gender at either end. But check first.

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mdf

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#3297966 16-Oct-2024 09:22

Thanks team, good suggestions. I've looked at this further and annoyingly, the cord from antenna to PC is a double cord and very hard wired into the antenna base. So I can't just replace the cord or part of it, it would be the whole antenna unit. Hardly an extreme cost (https://www.ebay.com/itm/126653946274) but I've always planned to run ethernet to that PC anyway. If I can't attach a new connector to the existing unit, I think I've got some other antennae from an old router (without the extension cord) and I will start by trying those as a stop gap while trying to summon the energy to crawl around in the dirt under the house to run ethernet.