Sometimes, your Wi-Fi signal just isn’t strong enough. Normal routers aren’t designed to reach outside of building and into outdoor areas. That’s why some families and businesses need extra power. In this article, we’re looking at outdoor access points. These products are designed to create a wireless local area network (WLAN). That means they can send a Wi-Fi signal into a much larger area. For example, they can be used to send Wi-Fi into a large courtyard outside the main building. There are also outdoor access points that send a wireless signal from one router to another, which is really useful if you have a guest house that you want Wi-Fi in. Whatever your Wi-Fi needs, we’ve found the best outdoor access point for you.
The Best Outdoor Access Point
1Hawking Technology Outdoor Access Point
The Hawking Technology Outdoor Access Point is the daddy of wireless access points. We could have featured it as our Premium Product, but we thought it deserved a place as our Best Choice product instead. If you’re running a business and you need Wi-Fi outside, this is the product for you. The first thing we really like about it is the high-resistance industrial metal casing. That makes it more than just weatherproof; it’s everything proof. It will withstand pretty much anything you can throw at it, which makes it perfect for building sites and other tough outdoor environments.
It’s also capable of extremely impressive wireless speeds – up to 1750Mbps. Basically, it can handle any connection you can throw at it. And to make sure that you get the maximum speed out of your router, it has a Gigabit Ethernet port. The only repeated complaint about this product is that there are some issues with configuration. It’s not the most user-friendly product, so we’d only buy it if you have some experience with this type of technology or have an IT technician on site. If you are struggling with the signal in your home, check out our guide to the best wifi extenders and pick the perfect one.
1750Mbps wireless speeds
Supports all wireless AC devices
High-resistance metal casing
IP-67 certification
Gigabit Ethernet port
Includes wall and pole mount
- BrandHawking Technology
- ModelHOW17ACM
- Weight9.5 Pounds
2EnGenius Technologies Wireless Outdoor AP/Client Bridge
The EnStationAC is an outdoor access point designed especially for point-to-point and point-to-multipoint deployments. That means it can send wireless signals over impressive distances of up to 5 miles. It’s ideal for businesses that need a long-range connection where ethernet or fiber cabling isn’t possible. It has a maximum performance of 867Mbps, but the signal becomes weaker the further the distance. Having said that, it still has a reported performance of 50Mbps at a 3-mile distance. It can achieve this because it’s has embedded high-gain directional antennas that emit a narrow signal beam. That means you get a stable connection over great distances.
It’s also ideal for use with long-range surveillance networks. In fact, EnGenius make their own security camera and surveillance equipment called the EnGenius IP Surveillance Camera. This product is made specifically to work with that surveillance equipment and send video back through the wireless network. This is one of the most effective ways to keep an eye on your property.
High 400mW Power and 19 dBi Dual Polarization
IP-55 Certification
360-Degree, 3-Axis Pivoting Arm
Capable of 5-mile point-to-point deployments
- BrandEnGenius
- ModelEnStationAC
- Weight1 Pound
3Ubiquiti UniFi HD 802.11ac Wave 2 Enterprise Wi-Fi Access Point
If you’re looking for the perfect access point for use around the home, we think we’ve found it. The Ubiquiti UniFi HD Access Point is actually capable of so much more than use around the home, but that makes it plenty powerful to power a connected home. If your home is full of smartphones, smart TVs, smartwatches, gaming laptops, tablets, and anything else using Wi-Fi, this product will change your life.
If you’re using a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, it can handle speeds of up to 800Mbps, but if you’re using 5GHz, it can go right up to 1733Mbps. But there are two features that make this access point amazing for use in a business or home with many devices. Firstly, it can handle over 500 client connections, so it’s very unlikely that you’re going to need any extra access points. Secondly, it has MU-MIMO technology. For the uninitiated, this stands for Multiple-User, Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output and it basically means that the access point can communicate with multiple devices at the same time. This improves everyone’s experience and means your signal isn’t going to be weakened just because your kids are streaming games upstairs. We think this is the best outdoor access point for a modern connected home.
2.4 GHz – 800Mbps wireless speeds
5 GHz – 1733Mbps wireless speeds
500+ client connections
MU-MIMO technology
- BrandUbiquiti Networks
- ModelUAP-AC-HD
- Weight1.83 Pounds
4MikroTik RBSXTG-5HPnD-SAr2 Outdoor Wireless Sector Access Point
The MikroTik RBSXTG-5HPnD-Sar2 is probably the cheapest way to get a solid point-to-point wireless connection. It’s not that effective for giving the signal to an outside area, but if you need to create a connection between two routers, it will do the job just fine. They don’t actually state how far this access point can reach, but theoretically, it can reach up to 10 miles if there wasn’t anything in the way.
It comes with a 14-dBi 90-degree antenna, which provides a much wider coverage area than this company’s previous models. And, it comes with a pretty comprehensive mounting kit, so you can mount it in the perfect position to get a solid connection.
5GHz outdoor wireless sector access point
14 dBi – 90-degree antenna
Mounting kit included
600 MHz CPU, 64 MB RAM, 128 MB Storage, Passive PoE
- BrandMikroTik
- ModelRBSXTG-5HPND
- Weight9.3 Ounces
Outdoor Access Point Buying Guide & FAQ
How We Chose Our Selection Of The Best Outdoor Access Points
Price – Access points are most commonly bought by small businesses. That means the price is an important consideration because they might not have a lot of expendable income. We’ve included a range of outdoor access points, in an attempt to provide something for everyone. There are cheaper, less powerful access points that are perfect for home use. And, there are top-of-the-range access points that can handle over 60 simultaneous connections.
Brand – Before we included any products in this Buying Guide, we checked out the brand behind it. Because outdoor access points are relatively new technology, there aren’t many well-established brands. But don’t worry, we have included ten outdoor access points from the most reputable brands in the industry.
Reviews – With this sort of product, you are always going to get some bad reviews. But, it’s normally because the access point hasn’t been set up right or something similar. We filter through the reviews and find genuine, authoritative opinions about products.
Features To Look For In An Outdoor Access Point
Location – When you get your access point, you have to think really carefully about where you put it. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a weak connection. They can normally provide a connection through walls, doors, and windows, but it’s better if they don’t have to. Also, think about where you’re going to place it and check that the mounting options are suitable. For example, if you want to put it on the wall, make sure it’s got a wall-mount.
Weatherproof Abilities – If you haven’t guessed by the name, outdoor access points are normally for use outside. That means they need to be weatherproof. Some, like our Best Choice product, have an industrial metal casing to make sure they can withstand anything, whereas some are just waterproof.
High Speed – There’s nothing more irritating that slow Wi-Fi. So, make sure that outdoor access point you choose can handle high-speed internet. Check the speeds that your internet is currently capable of and buy an access point that roughly matches that speed.
The Antenna Signal Gain – In simple terms, a high-gain antenna provides a narrow beam, which means it can provide a longer-range connection. So, it’s an important feature of an outdoor access point.
Range Of Service – The range of service is basically how far the Wi-Fi signal will reach. You should measure the area you want to cover and make sure the range of service will cover it.
User-Friendly/ Easy Setup – Unless you’ve got an IT technician on site, you need something that’s going to be easy to set up. Wi-Fi networks are generally easy to set up until something goes wrong. This is one of the main problems with outdoor access points – they are normally quite complicated to set up.
Type Of Devices – Most outdoor access points will cover all devices – laptops, smartphones, tablets, etc. – but it’s worth checking before you buy.
The WDT (Watchdog Hardware Timer) – A watchdog timer is something that helps the device detect and recover from a computer malfunction.
Outdoor Access Point FAQ
Q: What is an outdoor access point?
A: It’s a device that creates a wireless local area network (WLAN). They are normally used in offices and large buildings because they’re more powerful than range extenders. They can be used to send a wireless signal from one router to another.
