Selecting And Installing Antennas; Antenna Installation Best Practices - Cisco IG21 Series Installation Manual

Selecting and Installing Antennas

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Selecting and Installing Antennas
Before you mount an IG21R or IG31R gateway, install the antenna or antennas. It is difficult to install antennas
after the device is mounted.
The IG21R has three SMA(f) connectors for a main LTE antenna, a diversity LTE antenna, and a GNSS
antenna.
The IG31R has three SMA(f) connectors for a main LTE antenna, a diversity LTE antenna, and a GNSS
antenna, and two RP-SMA (jack) connectors for two Wi-Fi antennas.

Antenna Installation Best Practices

The optimal site location for antennas plays a significant role in determining overall performance. For example,
devices that are located at the farthest coverage points might have limited bandwidth available compared to
devices that are located closer to the cellular base station tower, away from obstructions, and with an
unobstructed view of the cellular tower.
Because antennas transmit and receive radio signals over the air, the signal propagation and antenna performance
may be adversely affected by the surrounding environment, including physical obstructions. Radio frequency
(RF) interference may also occur between wireless systems located close to each other, especially if the
antennas of these systems are located close to each other. Interference may also occur when the antenna is in
close proximity to cable clutter or other sources of radio interference.
To ensure performance, follow these guidelines:
• When you use any cellular antennas such as 3G UMTS, 4G/LTE, 4G/LTEA (LTE Advanced), try to
Cisco IG21 IoT Gateways, Cisco IG21R Rugged IoT Gateways, and Cisco IG31R Rugged IoT Gateways Hardware Installation Guide
Selecting and Installing Antennas, on page 29
Antenna Installation Best Practices, on page 29
Supported Cisco Antennas and Cables, on page 30
Selecting and Installing Antennas, on page 30
mount the antenna a certain distance away from the router. For example, in indoor deployments, an
appropriate extension cable and antenna stand can be utilized. For outdoor installations, choose a suitable
outdoor antenna, and mount it away from obstructions that ideally have a direct view of the cellular
tower. The antenna performance, and therefore that of the router, will not be optimal if mounted directly
on a device. Primary reasons for possible degradation of performance include:
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