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The best 5G outdoor MIMO antennas for your 5G router

10th July 2025

The best 5G outdoor MIMO antennas for your 5G router

When using a 5G router, the location where the router is installed is not always the best for network signal. There are two options, either move the router to a location with a better signal or use an external antenna where signal is better and connect to the 5G router via low loss coaxial cables.

If moving the router to a new location is not practical or desirable, then selecting a good quality antenna and low loss coaxial cables is key to a successful installation.

5G and 4G routers have multiple external antenna ports, often 2 or 4 depending on the router type, therefore you will need to select either multiple antennas or a single antenna with multiple ports (known as a MIMO antenna).

Some pointers on the selection of a quality MIMO antenna for 5G routers:

  1. Ease of mounting – the antenna should facilitate mounting on a pole, wall or rail and be straightforward to install
  2. Weatherproofing – the antenna should be sealed and waterproofed to resist the elements for outdoor longevity
  3. UV-Resistant – the antenna radome (or cover) should be UV-Resistant so as not to degrade in sunlight over time
  4. The electrical performance of the antenna including gain and efficiency should be robust, consistent and reliable.
  5. Customisation of low loss cables – the antenna should be able to easily accommodate low loss coaxial extension cables of any length without incurring signal losses (too many antennas have fixed 5M cables meaning for longer cable runs “daisychaining” cables is necessary).

For the low loss extension cables connecting the antenna to the 5G router, it is worth considering the following:

  1. Use a quality RF coaxial cable, minimum 195 or 240 type for cable runs from 5-15M. Check out RF240 for a good quality low loss cable that’s only 6mm in diameter
  2. For cable runs beyond 15M, then using a 400 type cable like RF400 is necessary otherwise there will be excess signal loss across the cable between the antenna and the 5G router
  3. Use the exact length of extension cable needed, coiling extra cable means additional signal losses across the excess cables
  4. Avoid high loss cables such as RG58 as the loss at higher frequencies is too high for a successful external antenna installation

An excellent 2 port MIMO antenna is the LMO6138 antenna. Housed in a UV-resistant, weatherproof radome and offering flexible mounting options, the LMO6138 offers excellent gain figures for optimal signal reception whilst its two short SMA pigtails at the base of the antenna lend themselves well to the fitting of custom low loss coaxial extension cables.

For a 4 Port MIMO antenna the LPO-Max is a good choice. A waterproof and UV resistant radome housing 4 elements offering exceptional gain across most worldwide 5G bands, this antenna can be wall, pole or railed mounted. 4 short SMA cables allow connectivity to customised low loss extension cables.

In summary, in selecting the best 5G outdoor MIMO antennas there are many factors to consider to maximise your 5G installation.