7.8db Antenna and 100mW Card - Still no boost?

Dear group,

I've an Alvarion DS.11b 100mW PCMCIA card for my laptop and a 7.8db Magmount
Aerial for my shed. I've messed around with the positioning of the antenna
at the bottom of my garden to no avail. My shed sits around 300m from my
house where my AP is based. It's almost direct line of sight. Problem is,
when I use the card without the antenna I get Windows XP telling me the
signal strength is "Very Poor". When I plug in the antenna, I still get the
same result. No performance boost.

Yet, I've tried the antenna in all sorts of positions and oritentations. Any
ideas?

Perhaps it is the Alvarion card? Anybody had any experience with these?

Cheers,


Richard.

don't know about that particular card....

you say "almost direct line of sight"

this and the area around it called the "Fresnal Zone" needs to have no more
than 40% blockage ?

check the area and clear anything, or if things are a problem, re locate the
ae.

the last resort, are the cables/connectors etc going to the ae, the same
impedance ?


"Rich" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:bontol$eou$1$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Dear group,
>
> I've an Alvarion DS.11b 100mW PCMCIA card for my laptop and a 7.8db
Magmount
> Aerial for my shed. I've messed around with the positioning of the antenna
> at the bottom of my garden to no avail. My shed sits around 300m from my
> house where my AP is based. It's almost direct line of sight. Problem is,
> when I use the card without the antenna I get Windows XP telling me the
> signal strength is "Very Poor". When I plug in the antenna, I still get
the
> same result. No performance boost.
>
> Yet, I've tried the antenna in all sorts of positions and oritentations.
Any
> ideas?
>
> Perhaps it is the Alvarion card? Anybody had any experience with these?
>
> Cheers,
>
>
> Richard.
>
>

Is your magmount sitting on a metal surface?
If not, I would highly recomend that you sit it on something metal, as this
will give it a "ground plane" and will increase the db, and lower the SWR


if you place the ant at an extreme corner it will be slightly more
directional to the oposite corner of the surface that it is on, you could
then also point the Rectangular/Square sheet towards the AP and I think you
will find that its helps.


I am no expert, but have had experence with other frequencies and have read
and experenced, that you will gain "directioablity" using that method..
I would use at least a two foot suqare sheet, or a one foot by two foot
sheet of thin sheet metal.

eg:
if you put a magmount/antenna on the rear of a vehicle, the "diretionablity"
goes toward the FRONT of the vehicle

I have no idea if it will work on the 2.4 Ghz, but I suspect that it will as
it is the same as any other frequency. Its just higher than the ones i am
used to using.

Hope this is of some help
Regards
Alan


"Rich" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:bontol$eou$1$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Dear group,
>
> I've an Alvarion DS.11b 100mW PCMCIA card for my laptop and a 7.8db
Magmount
> Aerial for my shed. I've messed around with the positioning of the antenna
> at the bottom of my garden to no avail. My shed sits around 300m from my
> house where my AP is based. It's almost direct line of sight. Problem is,
> when I use the card without the antenna I get Windows XP telling me the
> signal strength is "Very Poor". When I plug in the antenna, I still get
the
> same result. No performance boost.
>
> Yet, I've tried the antenna in all sorts of positions and oritentations.
Any
> ideas?
>
> Perhaps it is the Alvarion card? Anybody had any experience with these?
>
> Cheers,
>
>
> Richard.
>
>

On Mon, 10 Nov 2003 11:47:36 -0000, "Rich" <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>7.8db Magmount
>Aerial for my shed

is that an omnidirectional aerial ? be better off with a 14 dB
directional you can point at the AP. High gain omnis just have flatter
discs of signal with 360° pattern, tilting it may help if it brings
the disc of sensitivity into line with the AP - are they ate the same
level ?

Also look at rotating AP by 90° and tilting its antenna

Phil

Rich wrote:

> Dear group,
>
> I've an Alvarion DS.11b 100mW PCMCIA card for my laptop and a 7.8db Magmount
> Aerial for my shed. I've messed around with the positioning of the antenna
> at the bottom of my garden to no avail. My shed sits around 300m from my
> house where my AP is based. It's almost direct line of sight. Problem is,
> when I use the card without the antenna I get Windows XP telling me the
> signal strength is "Very Poor". When I plug in the antenna, I still get the
> same result. No performance boost.
>
> Yet, I've tried the antenna in all sorts of positions and oritentations. Any
> ideas?
>
> Perhaps it is the Alvarion card? Anybody had any experience with these?
>
> Cheers,
>
>
> Richard.
>
>
Get a directional antenna for the shed. At least a 12dbi panel or yagi,
maybe a 19 dbi. And if you aren't needing 360* coverage from the house,
put a directional antenna there too to hit the shed.

Rich wrote:
> Dear group,
>
> I've an Alvarion DS.11b 100mW PCMCIA card for my laptop and a 7.8db
> Magmount Aerial for my shed. I've messed around with the positioning
> of the antenna at the bottom of my garden to no avail. My shed sits
> around 300m from my house where my AP is based. It's almost direct
> line of sight. Problem is, when I use the card without the antenna I
> get Windows XP telling me the signal strength is "Very Poor". When I
> plug in the antenna, I still get the same result. No performance
> boost.
>
> Yet, I've tried the antenna in all sorts of positions and
> oritentations. Any ideas?
>
> Perhaps it is the Alvarion card? Anybody had any experience with
> these?

How long is the cable (and what type of cable is it?) between your AP and
your antenna?