We are having a 2 day event that we need to bring up a hotspot across 1/2 mile of a park. As of right now we are planning on using CradlePoint MBR1400 Mission-Critical Broadband Router with Clear 4G service attached that has 3 to 6 mbps down and 1 mbps up as the main internet with AT&T USB Datacards as the failover internet connection. CradlePoint's website says that their router can reach up to 750 feet. I was told that 50 people could be on one of the clear routers and while it would be slow it would still work. I don't expect 50 people to all be on at the same time but there will be 20,000 to 100,000 people at the park which only a VERY small % will be given the wireless passcode to connect.
So below are my questions
1. The CradlePoint router has three antennas, would you suggest just replacing the middle antenna with a Omni Antenna just to help increase the distance of the WiFi range? If so, do you have a favorite?
2. If I did connect a 15 dbi Omni Antenna, how many feet would you expect it to reach?
3. With that many people in the area, would it cause the WiFi to not travel as far?
the backhaul antennas are on the right side. page 7
The calculator show -63 dbm signal strength at .2 miles with 2 dbi omnis and .9 miles with 15 db omnis
for comparison, a Linksys WRT54G shows -65 dbm signal strength at .1 miles by this calculator with a standard 2.1 db omni, and .4 miles with a 15 db omni
With that many people in the area, would it cause the WiFi to not travel as far?
if the antennas are chest high. if the antennas are just above head high, not so much. if the antennas are very high you will have a coverage hole beneath the antennas
Last edited by Mark Oney; 05-13-2012 at 10:49 PM..
Wifi in park over 1/2 mile distance 
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