Increasing Receiver Range

Ok long story short, I get a wireless connection from a coffee joint
outside my apartment(they offer it for free for everyone to use for
their enjoyment). The signal is pretty weak(Very Low to Low). I cannot
actually walk in there and install a new antenna on their
router(LinkSys) or set up a repeater or anything like that. So what
should I do instead?


How can I increase my receiver's range?


The signal strength improves when I move the computer across the room.
Unfortunately, it's a desktop, and I live in an apartment meaning there

is only 3 feet of room to move across.


I know I cannot improve the signal strength without moving closer to
the signal but would special antennas or anything like that help?


I also heard there are repeaters out there that don't require
modification to the settings in a router? Is this true?

TheKerpal wrote:

> Ok long story short, I get a wireless connection from a coffee joint
> outside my apartment(they offer it for free for everyone to use for
> their enjoyment). The signal is pretty weak(Very Low to Low). I cannot
> actually walk in there and install a new antenna on their
> router(LinkSys) or set up a repeater or anything like that. So what
> should I do instead?
>
>
> How can I increase my receiver's range?
>
>
> The signal strength improves when I move the computer across the room.
> Unfortunately, it's a desktop, and I live in an apartment meaning there
>
> is only 3 feet of room to move across.
>
>
> I know I cannot improve the signal strength without moving closer to
> the signal but would special antennas or anything like that help?
>
>
> I also heard there are repeaters out there that don't require
> modification to the settings in a router? Is this true?

Why not get a USB wireless card. These usually come with cables
and if that cable is not long enough you can get longer ones at
most PC stores. Then you can position the wireless unit where you
get the best signal even if it is away from the desktop.

David
_________________________________________
Usenet Zone Free Binaries Usenet Server
More than 120,000 groups
Unlimited download
http://www.usenetzone.com to open account

Others here have more expertise in this than I but perhaps you should
look into the Linksys Range Expander. I think you don't need to
physically attach it to the router but instead can simply plug it into
an electrical outlet at the strongest signal source and that may give
you a stronger signal (I don't know if there is a need to configure the
router and/or the range expander though...that could be a gotcha).

Thought it may be worth looking into though.

TheKerpal wrote:
> Ok long story short, I get a wireless connection from a coffee joint
> outside my apartment(they offer it for free for everyone to use for
> their enjoyment). The signal is pretty weak(Very Low to Low). I cannot
> actually walk in there and install a new antenna on their
> router(LinkSys) or set up a repeater or anything like that. So what
> should I do instead?
>
>
> How can I increase my receiver's range?
>
>
> The signal strength improves when I move the computer across the room.
> Unfortunately, it's a desktop, and I live in an apartment meaning there
>
> is only 3 feet of room to move across.
>
>
> I know I cannot improve the signal strength without moving closer to
> the signal but would special antennas or anything like that help?
>
>
> I also heard there are repeaters out there that don't require
> modification to the settings in a router? Is this true?
>

Try the Hawking HWU54D Wireless G adapter. I got one and it does
increase the range. Unfortunately, the drivers only work in Windows.
Now I'm looking for the same thing but with Linux drivers.

www.hawkingtech.com

It should be on this page.
http://www.hawkingtech.com/prodList.php?FamID=62

-Mike

A repeater would only work if you could mount it somewhere about half way
between you and the access point.

Try making or buying a directional antenna.
Mount it near the window (or better yet outside your window) and point it
at the coffee shop.
If you get a weak signal with your computer antenna this thing will get you
a big gain.
Here is a link about making a high gain antenna from common cans.

www.turnpoint.net/wireless/has.html

One of these antennas pointed at the access point will work from blocks
away.

William Lee


"TheKerpal" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) oups.com...
> Ok long story short, I get a wireless connection from a coffee joint
> outside my apartment(they offer it for free for everyone to use for
> their enjoyment). The signal is pretty weak(Very Low to Low). I cannot
> actually walk in there and install a new antenna on their
> router(LinkSys) or set up a repeater or anything like that. So what
> should I do instead?
>
>
> How can I increase my receiver's range?
>
>
> The signal strength improves when I move the computer across the room.
> Unfortunately, it's a desktop, and I live in an apartment meaning there
>
> is only 3 feet of room to move across.
>
>
> I know I cannot improve the signal strength without moving closer to
> the signal but would special antennas or anything like that help?
>
>
> I also heard there are repeaters out there that don't require
> modification to the settings in a router? Is this true?
>

"Will-Lee-Cue" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>A repeater would only work if you could mount it somewhere about half way
>between you and the access point.

Consider a different scenario, which happens to be quite likely
in this case. It may be that the only place in the house where
a good signal is likely just happens to be right at a second
story window facing the building where the AP is located. A
repeater placed there may or may not need a high gain antenna,
and it is very likely that even with a high gain antenna there
will be no other location in the house where it works well.

The easy way is to put the repeater at that location. Then the
client can be anywhere within range of the repeater, which will
likely provide coverage to just about anywhere in the house.

There are two problems with a repeater that need to be checked
first though. One is that they tend to not work with an AP
unless it is the same brand. Hence it is important to know what
that AP across the road is.

The second point is that if a high gain antenna is needed, some
repeaters have integral antennas that cannot be changed, and
should be avoided in that circumstance.

It also happens that some are convenient, but less functional.
For example the Linksys WRE54G repeater is not nearly as
functional as a Linksys WRT54G with third party firmware. The
WRE54G is smaller, looks nicer, and costs more money though.

>Try making or buying a directional antenna.
>Mount it near the window (or better yet outside your window) and point it
>at the coffee shop.
>If you get a weak signal with your computer antenna this thing will get you
>a big gain.
>Here is a link about making a high gain antenna from common cans.
>
>www.turnpoint.net/wireless/has.html
>
>One of these antennas pointed at the access point will work from blocks
>away.
>
>William Lee
>
>"TheKerpal" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>news:(E-Mail Removed) roups.com...
>> Ok long story short, I get a wireless connection from a coffee joint
>> outside my apartment(they offer it for free for everyone to use for
>> their enjoyment). The signal is pretty weak(Very Low to Low). I cannot
>> actually walk in there and install a new antenna on their
>> router(LinkSys) or set up a repeater or anything like that. So what
>> should I do instead?
>>
>>
>> How can I increase my receiver's range?
>>
>>
>> The signal strength improves when I move the computer across the room.
>> Unfortunately, it's a desktop, and I live in an apartment meaning there
>>
>> is only 3 feet of room to move across.
>>
>>
>> I know I cannot improve the signal strength without moving closer to
>> the signal but would special antennas or anything like that help?
>>
>>
>> I also heard there are repeaters out there that don't require
>> modification to the settings in a router? Is this true?
>>

--
Floyd L. Davidson <http://web.newsguy.com/floyd_davidson>
Ukpeagvik (Barrow, Alaska) (E-Mail Removed)

Well Floyd, I guess you just answered a question that has been puzzling me
for a while.
I have tried two repeaters and could never get them to function properly.
I did not pay much attention as to what brand they were (didn't think it
mattered).
I think the last one I tried was a D-link DWL-G710.

Anyhow, I replaced my old Netgear router (MR814) with a new Linksys wireless
router (WRT54GX) and the SRX technology really improved the signal strength
and internet performance to the other end of my house.



"Floyd L. Davidson" wrote:

> There are two problems with a repeater that need to be checked
> first though. One is that they tend to not work with an AP
> unless it is the same brand. Hence it is important to know what
> that AP across the road is.

(Barrow, Alaska) (E-Mail Removed)

Ken, I bought one of them and could not get it to work. (D-Link G54)
I wanted to use it in motels but it never could get it to repete any of
them.
They do require configuration. (least mine did)

It has been my experience that motels will buy cable service and a wireless
router thinking it will cover all their rooms but with all the metal studs
in the walls it seldom covers much more than six or seven rooms away. I
always ask if there are rooms available near the access point.
The best connections I have found are the motels with Ethernet ports in each
room.
(much more secure too)

Anyhow, Someone else told me that most range expanders (repeaters) have
problems working with access points that are not of the same manufacture.
That may explain why I was having problems.

I had a wireless setup at my home (802.11b) and it had problems reaching the
garage at the other end.
I replaced it with the new 802.11G wireless router from LinkSys (the one
with the three antennas) and the signal improved greatly.

I think most wireless systems offered today have problems going thru all the
walls required to cover an entire house. They work great in a large room
like an auditorium or warehouse where there is basically a line of site to
the access point but if they need to go thru very many walls the signal
drops off quickly.


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

> Others here have more expertise in this than I but perhaps you should look
> into the Linksys Range Expander.