A stronger antenna made half the patio disappear

The Wi-Fi box sits on the wall in the middle of the patio. The antenna built into it is directional: a cone. More power, one direction. From the center of that wall, one side of the patio got a fat signal. The other side sat in a hole.

I wanted both sides. In June 2026 I screwed on the weaker omnidirectional antennas — the ones that spray in a ring, not a beam. Less range on the spec sheet. Coverage that matches a space you walk around.

One catch: the fastest band, 6 GHz, does not follow those extra antennas. It stays on the internal cone. Face the box toward the seats that care. Keep it upright so the ring is wide and flat.

I traded a bigger number for a patio that works on both sides of the wall.