# External antenna for Bolt remote RF?



## scht99 (Oct 12, 2010)

My rf remote range is pretty terrible in my house. We have TONS of 2.6ghz interference. 

I already cracked open my bolt to upgrade the drive and I noticed it has a pretty standard looking wifi card in it. However it has 3 antennas instead of what I would have expected to be 2. Can I assume one is for the RF remote? Anyone know which one?

I have a connector on order from amazon coming Friday and wil try an external entenna on all 3 and see if one increases my rf remote range.

Anyone else try something like this?


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## ThAbtO (Apr 6, 2000)

I assume you are talking about the wireless and interference.

In your router for wireless channel, make sure you are using channel 1, 6, or 11, never Auto. Auto will most likely to choose a channel with more interference than these 3.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

Or use a 5Ghz channel instead of a 2.4Ghz if you have interference with 2.4Ghz frequencies.

Although I have dozens of devices using 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz. And I have ten of the TiVo RF remote sin use. I don't have any interference issues with anything except the Roku 3 with WiFi DIrect.(WHich if using the same channel as wireless devices will cut the bandwidth in half)And with that I just force it to use channel 165 for WiFi direct. A channel I don't use so it won't cause issues with anything.


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## scht99 (Oct 12, 2010)

aaronwt said:


> Or use a 5Ghz channel instead of a 2.4Ghz if you have interference with 2.4Ghz frequencies.
> 
> Although I have dozens of devices using 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz. And I have ten of the TiVo RF remote sin use. I don't have any interference issues with anything except the Roku 3 with WiFi DIrect.(WHich if using the same channel as wireless devices will cut the bandwidth in half)And with that I just force it to use channel 165 for WiFi direct. A channel I don't use so it won't cause issues with anything.


No not talking about WiFi. Talking about the RF remote control. I have an RC car and it operated on 2.4Ghz and it gets about 2 feet of range around my house. That said my WiFi covereage is terrible (I had to swithc to a comercial AP to get any kind of reliability) but I have that pretty much solved. I can't max out internet over WiFi but I get acceptable speeds.

I suppose you could place an external Wifi antennas as well. Thats pretty striaghtforward and may help with WiFi. I however wanted to know how the RF remotes work. I really think one of the antennas must be for that.

Will report back.


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## Time_Lord (Jun 4, 2012)

scht99 said:


> That said my WiFi coverage is terrible (I had to switch to a commercial AP to get any kind of reliability) but I have that pretty much solved. I can't max out internet over WiFi but I get acceptable speeds.


Where is all the interference? you live in an apartment or a major city with neighbors blasting 2.4Ghz stuff at you all day?

I too went the commercial A/P grade route but for different reasons... Now I have 3 A/Ps along with a wireless controller....

Yeah I need to get out more often.

-TL


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## scht99 (Oct 12, 2010)

Well bad news. All 3 antennas seem to be part of the WiFi (maybe bluetooth too?).

So the antenna for the rf remote must be on the board somewhere and very small.

oh well was worth a shot. I'm only out $4.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

My Bolts get the same coverage as my Roamio Basics and Roamio Pro. I can use the TiVo RF remotes from end to end in my condo and the Bolts will still respond. If you are getting interference maybe it is one specific device? Because here, just in my condo there are dozens of devices on 2.4Ghz using channels 1,6, and 11. Then with the neighbors added in there are at least nine more networks using those three channels on 2.4Ghz.


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## Mischief47 (Aug 30, 2007)

I don't mind using an external hard drive on my Bolt. I understand you extend right angle eSATA cables out the back of the Bolt and attach to external case and attaching to hard drive. It is recommended to use a case with fan and the case will provide power to the hard drive. I want to use a 3tb hard drive in the case and wanted to know what hard drive I should use?


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

Mischief47 said:


> I don't mind using an external hard drive on my Bolt. I understand you extend right angle eSATA cables out the back of the Bolt and attach to external case and attaching to hard drive. It is recommended to use a case with fan and the case will provide power to the hard drive. I want to use a 3tb hard drive in the case and wanted to know what hard drive I should use?


Because it is external and with it's own power supply the heat and power requirements no longer need to be a consideration. So you really could use any drive, but I would guess that the WD AV drives with 3 year warranties still have other advantages over other drives with shorter warranties.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

atmuscarella said:


> Because it is external and with it's own power supply the heat and power requirements no longer need to be a consideration. So you really could use any drive, but I would guess that the WD AV drives with 3 year warranties still have other advantages over other drives with shorter warranties.


The WD Red drives will work very well and also have a 3 year warranty. Plus you can get them in sizes up to 6TB.


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