Then those people's expectations were not realistic. I have nowhere near the longest link out of the people I know, but I have one link at 4 miles that has been absolutely rock steady for over two years with a
13dbi panel. And that's shooting by, through and over a shitload of other users with wireless routers who sit and whine about why they can't get good distance. Unless you care to back up your claims that antennas don't work as well as they're supposed to, then I'd have to assume you've become an expert in just the last few days. If you'd care to see some other people's opinions on antennas, look at just about any work concerning the use of radio signals (the name Marconi ring a bell?). Hell, take those puny antennas off of your beloved MIMO router and see what kind of distance you get without them.