"Boosting" the ability to receive a wireless signal??

Hello,

I'm asking this question for my father-in-law. 6 mths out of the year,
he travels in his motorhome. Many of the campgrounds are now offering
"free" wireless connections with their campground fees. Basically,
they are putting their router in the window of the campground office
and allowing folks to connect to it. In a few of the campgrounds, my
FIL has experienced too low of a signal to connect to (he's too far
away from the office). He is wanting to know if there is something
that HE can put on/in his laptop or motorhome to boost the receiving of
this signal? We understand the technology of boosting the signal from
the router location, but that's not an option.

Thanks for any help.

~Daughter-in-law to a camping papa

On 15 Aug 2006 21:07:32 -0700, (E-Mail Removed) wrote in
<(E-Mail Removed) .com>:

>I'm asking this question for my father-in-law. 6 mths out of the year,
>he travels in his motorhome. Many of the campgrounds are now offering
>"free" wireless connections with their campground fees. Basically,
>they are putting their router in the window of the campground office
>and allowing folks to connect to it. In a few of the campgrounds, my
>FIL has experienced too low of a signal to connect to (he's too far
>away from the office). He is wanting to know if there is something
>that HE can put on/in his laptop or motorhome to boost the receiving of
>this signal? We understand the technology of boosting the signal from
>the router location, but that's not an option.

If his wireless adapter has an antenna connector, he can use an external
high-gain antenna, which can make a considerable difference. Otherwise
he needs a new wireless adapter. In that case I recommend the Hawking
USB wireless adapter with integrated high-gain antenna as the simplest
solution.

--
Best regards, FAQ for Wireless Internet: <http://Wireless.wikia.com>
John Navas FAQ for Wi-Fi: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi>
Wi-Fi How To: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_HowTo>
Fixes to Wi-Fi Problems: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_Fixes>

(E-Mail Removed) wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I'm asking this question for my father-in-law. 6 mths out of the
> year, he travels in his motorhome. Many of the campgrounds are now
> offering "free" wireless connections with their campground fees.
> Basically, they are putting their router in the window of the
> campground office and allowing folks to connect to it. In a few of
> the campgrounds, my FIL has experienced too low of a signal to
> connect to (he's too far away from the office). He is wanting to
> know if there is something that HE can put on/in his laptop or
> motorhome to boost the receiving of this signal? We understand the
> technology of boosting the signal from the router location, but
> that's not an option.
>
> Thanks for any help.
>
> ~Daughter-in-law to a camping papa

Quite a few people use wireless on their laptops in the motorhomes, and many
have the USB wireless devices that have a 6 ft cord on them (you can be
sitting in your chair using the laptop, and have the USB device in a window
pointing at the office)... If you have built in wireless, there is
absoluteloy no reason you can't ALSO have another wireless device, and use
that when needed (like use the built in one when out and about, and the
external USB one when in the RV and can't get a signal on the internal
one)...

Specifically:
Hawking Technologies Hi-Gain USB Wireless-G Dish Adapter ( HWU8DD )

available at amazon for about $60 (and can be ordered online)
<http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000DINCIQ/ref=pd_cp_e_title/002-3244203-1935261?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=172282>

There seems to be two models of this product. The newer one has a satellite
dish looking type antenna which is rated by users as "fragile". There is a
previous (discontinued) model which I have found for sale at some online
retailers which is rated by some users as superior to the new one.

Which one of these are you recommending?

--
Carlos

"John Navas" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> On 15 Aug 2006 21:07:32 -0700, (E-Mail Removed) wrote in
> <(E-Mail Removed) .com>:
>
> >I'm asking this question for my father-in-law. 6 mths out of the year,
> >he travels in his motorhome. Many of the campgrounds are now offering
> >"free" wireless connections with their campground fees. Basically,
> >they are putting their router in the window of the campground office
> >and allowing folks to connect to it. In a few of the campgrounds, my
> >FIL has experienced too low of a signal to connect to (he's too far
> >away from the office). He is wanting to know if there is something
> >that HE can put on/in his laptop or motorhome to boost the receiving of
> >this signal? We understand the technology of boosting the signal from
> >the router location, but that's not an option.
>
> If his wireless adapter has an antenna connector, he can use an external
> high-gain antenna, which can make a considerable difference. Otherwise
> he needs a new wireless adapter. In that case I recommend the Hawking
> USB wireless adapter with integrated high-gain antenna as the simplest
> solution.
>
> --
> Best regards, FAQ for Wireless Internet: <http://Wireless.wikia.com>
> John Navas FAQ for Wi-Fi: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi>
> Wi-Fi How To: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_HowTo>
> Fixes to Wi-Fi Problems: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_Fixes>

On Wed, 16 Aug 2006 14:39:17 GMT, "CarlosAntenna" <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote in <p6GEg.541$(E-Mail Removed)>:

Re; Hawking USB wireless adapter with high-gain antenna.

>There seems to be two models of this product. The newer one has a satellite
>dish looking type antenna which is rated by users as "fragile". There is a
>previous (discontinued) model which I have found for sale at some online
>retailers which is rated by some users as superior to the new one.
>
>Which one of these are you recommending?

Either.

p.s. Please don't switch posting styles (top vs bottom) in mid-thread
-- it's confusing. Thanks.

--
Best regards, FAQ for Wireless Internet: <http://Wireless.wikia.com>
John Navas FAQ for Wi-Fi: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi>
Wi-Fi How To: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_HowTo>
Fixes to Wi-Fi Problems: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_Fixes>

>"CarlosAntenna" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>There seems to be two models of this product. The newer one has a satellite
>dish looking type antenna which is rated by users as "fragile". There is a
>previous (discontinued) model which I have found for sale at some online
>retailers which is rated by some users as superior to the new one.
>
>Which one of these are you recommending?

I have both. While the older HWU54D has a 6 db antenna and the newer
HWU8DD has an 8 db antenna, I can detect no difference in the strength
of the signal when I use them side by side.

That said, I prefer the HWU54D because in very marginal conditions the
antenna is not as directional as the one of the HWU8DD. The latter can
be difficult to "aim" at a very weak signal.

--
Dave

"Dave Rudisill" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> >"CarlosAntenna" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
> >There seems to be two models of this product. The newer one has a
satellite
> >dish looking type antenna which is rated by users as "fragile". There is
a
> >previous (discontinued) model which I have found for sale at some online
> >retailers which is rated by some users as superior to the new one.
> >
> >Which one of these are you recommending?
>
> I have both. While the older HWU54D has a 6 db antenna and the newer
> HWU8DD has an 8 db antenna, I can detect no difference in the strength
> of the signal when I use them side by side.
>
> That said, I prefer the HWU54D because in very marginal conditions the
> antenna is not as directional as the one of the HWU8DD. The latter can
> be difficult to "aim" at a very weak signal.
>
> --
> Dave

Thanks Dave.

It's always best to hear from the man who owns one.

--
Carlos