antenna - reflector design question for USB wireless NIC

I've been looking at the various 2.4 GHz antenna reflector designs,
trying to get better reception on my D-Link DWL-G132 USB adapter.
Since I can not add an external antenna or use a PCI network card
(used with a laptop) I figure this is my only other choice.

Looking ot the various designs on www.freeantennas.com which one do I
need for this USB NIC? Apparrently there are different designs
depending upon the antenna design, dipole or not. Without going
through the process of building and testing different models to find
the best one, does anybody know which one I need for the G132? Do I
focus the reflector to the center of the G132 or somewhere else? This
adapter is 0.5 inch thick by 1 inch wide. Thx.

Squish wrote:
> I've been looking at the various 2.4 GHz antenna reflector designs,
> trying to get better reception on my D-Link DWL-G132 USB adapter.
> Since I can not add an external antenna or use a PCI network card
> (used with a laptop) I figure this is my only other choice.
>
> Looking ot the various designs on www.freeantennas.com which one do I
> need for this USB NIC? Apparrently there are different designs
> depending upon the antenna design, dipole or not. Without going
> through the process of building and testing different models to find
> the best one, does anybody know which one I need for the G132? Do I
> focus the reflector to the center of the G132 or somewhere else? This
> adapter is 0.5 inch thick by 1 inch wide. Thx.
Why not use a tin cantenna

http://webpages.charter.net/bobalsto...Adapter%20.htm

Bob

On Sun, 11 Jun 2006 19:21:13 -0500, Bob Alston <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>Squish wrote:
>> I've been looking at the various 2.4 GHz antenna reflector designs,
>> trying to get better reception on my D-Link DWL-G132 USB adapter.
>> Since I can not add an external antenna or use a PCI network card
>> (used with a laptop) I figure this is my only other choice.
>>
>> Looking ot the various designs on www.freeantennas.com which one do I
>> need for this USB NIC? Apparrently there are different designs
>> depending upon the antenna design, dipole or not. Without going
>> through the process of building and testing different models to find
>> the best one, does anybody know which one I need for the G132? Do I
>> focus the reflector to the center of the G132 or somewhere else? This
>> adapter is 0.5 inch thick by 1 inch wide. Thx.
>Why not use a tin cantenna
>
>http://webpages.charter.net/bobalsto...Adapter%20.htm
>
>Bob

Thx. I will check it out.

Squish <(E-Mail Removed)> hath wroth:

>I've been looking at the various 2.4 GHz antenna reflector designs,
>trying to get better reception on my D-Link DWL-G132 USB adapter.

Salad Bowl Dish:
| http://802.11junk.com/jeffl/antennas...ish/index.html

Wok dish:
| http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/g.m...o%20aerial.htm

Parabolic noodle strainer:
| http://www.usbwifi.orcon.net.nz/

Coffee Can:
| http://www.rahul.net/dold/clarence/u...42-800x600.jpg

--
Jeff Liebermann (E-Mail Removed)
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

Squish wrote:

> I've been looking at the various 2.4 GHz antenna reflector designs,
> trying to get better reception on my D-Link DWL-G132 USB adapter.
> Since I can not add an external antenna or use a PCI network card
> (used with a laptop) I figure this is my only other choice.
>

Up to 5 kil. use the wok,past that, use the can with
the usb as a feed for a satelite dish.

Bob Alston <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> Why not use a tin cantenna

> http://webpages.charter.net/bobalsto...Adapter%20.htm

An associate of mine preferred the less directional 3lb coffee can (150mm
diameter), over the more directional 1lb-coffee-can (100mm) that Bob
and I both used. He found that the 150mm would keep a connection, where
the 100mm had stronger signal, but would lose the connection over time, and
have to be re-aimed. The 100mm needed a tripod, like Bob's, the 150 could
be propped up on the back of a couch and wedged into place with books.

Bob's single can:
http://members.cox.net/tulsaalstons/images/IMG_1571.JPG
Clarence's double can:
http://www.rahul.net/dold/clarence/u...42-800x600.jpg
I used the turnpoint calculator to decide where to poke the hole.
http://www.turnpoint.net/wireless/cantennahowto.html

I see Jeff provided some other good links.

I've seen mention of some folks using the USB dongle with the EZ-10 corner
reflector, as well as the original freeantennas reflector.

It's not rocket science. Nothing is going to blow up, and a useful signal
increase can be had with large errors in the positioning.

Simply folding a sheet of aluminum in half, you could move the dongle
around (taped to a stick) while watching the signal strength.

I've seen debate as to whether the folded sheet of metal should be at
90 degrees or some other value.

--
---
Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley Lake, CA, USA GPS: 38.8,-122.5

On Mon, 12 Jun 2006 18:20:55 +0000 (UTC),
(E-Mail Removed) wrote:

>Bob Alston <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>> Why not use a tin cantenna
>
>> http://webpages.charter.net/bobalsto...Adapter%20.htm
>
>An associate of mine preferred the less directional 3lb coffee can (150mm
>diameter), over the more directional 1lb-coffee-can (100mm) that Bob
>and I both used. He found that the 150mm would keep a connection, where
>the 100mm had stronger signal, but would lose the connection over time, and
>have to be re-aimed. The 100mm needed a tripod, like Bob's, the 150 could
>be propped up on the back of a couch and wedged into place with books.
>
>Bob's single can:
>http://members.cox.net/tulsaalstons/images/IMG_1571.JPG
>Clarence's double can:
>http://www.rahul.net/dold/clarence/u...42-800x600.jpg
>I used the turnpoint calculator to decide where to poke the hole.
>http://www.turnpoint.net/wireless/cantennahowto.html
>
>I see Jeff provided some other good links.
>
>I've seen mention of some folks using the USB dongle with the EZ-10 corner
>reflector, as well as the original freeantennas reflector.
>
>It's not rocket science. Nothing is going to blow up, and a useful signal
>increase can be had with large errors in the positioning.
>
>Simply folding a sheet of aluminum in half, you could move the dongle
>around (taped to a stick) while watching the signal strength.
>
>I've seen debate as to whether the folded sheet of metal should be at
>90 degrees or some other value.

Thx. I did try the 90 fold of aluminum toil foil but it freaked out
(for the lack of a better term) my D-Link USB NIC. Got a blue screen
of death while running Network Stumbler (only after using the
reflector) and the USB adapter was very hot to the touch! Not sure if
I want to try that again otherwise I may damage something. The signal
level reported back by NS was only -77 dBm at the time so I am not
sure why it got so hot unless the reflector was picking up on
something else I was unaware of.

Oh well, lots of other options to try.

Squish <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> (E-Mail Removed) wrote:

> >It's not rocket science. Nothing is going to blow up, and a useful signal
> >increase can be had with large errors in the positioning.

> Thx. I did try the 90 fold of aluminum toil foil but it freaked out
> (for the lack of a better term) my D-Link USB NIC. Got a blue screen
> of death while running Network Stumbler (only after using the
> reflector) and the USB adapter was very hot to the touch! Not sure if

Oh, that part ;-)
If you disconnect a USB dongle while NetStumbler is running, bad things
happen. My laptop would hang, but I guess a blue screen isn't far from
that. I would occasionally disconnect it while fussing with the can.

The dongles do run hot.

--
---
Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley Lake, CA, USA GPS: 38.8,-122.5

On Tue, 13 Jun 2006 04:35:53 +0000 (UTC),
(E-Mail Removed) wrote:

>Squish <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>> (E-Mail Removed) wrote:
>
>> >It's not rocket science. Nothing is going to blow up, and a useful signal
>> >increase can be had with large errors in the positioning.
>
>> Thx. I did try the 90 fold of aluminum toil foil but it freaked out
>> (for the lack of a better term) my D-Link USB NIC. Got a blue screen
>> of death while running Network Stumbler (only after using the
>> reflector) and the USB adapter was very hot to the touch! Not sure if
>
>Oh, that part ;-)
>If you disconnect a USB dongle while NetStumbler is running, bad things
>happen. My laptop would hang, but I guess a blue screen isn't far from
>that. I would occasionally disconnect it while fussing with the can.
>
>The dongles do run hot.

Never disconnected it while running. I suspect the USB NIC had some
sort of driver malfunction, probably a result of the excess heat. I
guess that in turn caused NS to crash. The BSOD indicated a problem
with the USB NIC driver, A5AGU.sys. The USB NIC was connected via a
powered USB 2.0 hub, just to make sure it had enough power.