Netgear MR814v2 external antenna

My SMC7004WFW doesn't seem to like Windows XP. Either that, or it's just
flaking out after two years. The Orinoco and DWL-122 both connect fine to
other WAPs. They connected fine to the SMC when they were running Win2000,
but running WinXP they flake out every couple of hours. I have to reset
the SMC to get internet access again, although the connection still shows
solid.

Both wireless are useless once the SMC locks up. Wired continues to be
fine.


So, wandering through Fry's Electronics on Thursday, I bought a Netgear
MR814v2 for $22.00. I figured I was having more than $22 worth of
frustration with the current setup.

But the antenna on the MR814v2 is fixed instead of removable, so I can't
use my external Connifer antenna. I wouldn't be able to use my RP-SMA
cable anyway, so I would have needed a new cable even if the Netgear were
detachable. I'm thinking of hacking the Netgear open and wiring in a
short length of cable and an N-connector to go directly to the Connifer.

In the meantime, I thought I'd drop back to a reflector on the existing
MR814v2 rubber duckie. But wait... I get excellent signal at the far end
of the house. That was never true on the SMC, which is how I got
interested in reflectors and USB-cantennas in the first place.


Is the WR814v2 a wonderful new toy? Why is it only $22? 802.11b that far
out of favor? It's faster than my cable modem anyway.

--
---
Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley (Lake County) CA USA 38.8-122.5

On Sat, 4 Dec 2004 00:13:20 +0000 (UTC), (E-Mail Removed)
wrote:

>My SMC7004WFW doesn't seem to like Windows XP.

Nobody really likes Windoze.

>But the antenna on the MR814v2 is fixed instead of removable, so I can't
>use my external Connifer antenna.

Yep. If you tear it apart, you'll find U-FL connectors on the board
(or soldered directly to the board), and some thin coax going into the
antenna. I have two ways around this:

1. Destroy the antenna leaving only the coax pigtail hanging out the
back of the box. Attach an SMA or TNC connector on the end of the
coax.

2. Replace the antenna and coax with a panel mount SMA or TNC
pigtail.

I've done both and they both work.

>I'm thinking of hacking the Netgear open and wiring in a
>short length of cable and an N-connector to go directly to the Connifer.

Yeah, that would also work. I'm partial to smaller connectors for the
small cables.

>In the meantime, I thought I'd drop back to a reflector on the existing
>MR814v2 rubber duckie. But wait... I get excellent signal at the far end
>of the house. That was never true on the SMC, which is how I got
>interested in reflectors and USB-cantennas in the first place.
>
>Is the WR814v2 a wonderful new toy? Why is it only $22? 802.11b that far
>out of favor? It's faster than my cable modem anyway.

Just about anything in 802.11b is out of favour and on sale these
days. $22 is an amazingly good price. Congrats.


--
# Jeff Liebermann 150 Felker St #D Santa Cruz CA 95060
# 831.336.2558 voice http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
# (E-Mail Removed)
# 831.421.6491 digital_pager (E-Mail Removed) AE6KS

Jeff Liebermann <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>>I'm thinking of hacking the Netgear open and wiring in a
>>short length of cable and an N-connector to go directly to the Connifer.

> Yeah, that would also work. I'm partial to smaller connectors for the
> small cables.

What, you don't like a connector that weighs more than the router?

> Just about anything in 802.11b is out of favour and on sale these
> days. $22 is an amazingly good price. Congrats.

$20 or so is my sucker point.

I buy stuff I don't need for $20. This looks like a good thing.

Sitting here on the same couch where the SMC wouldn't connect, and I have
good signal. Reflector as soon as I get around to it. Maybe some
learnbydestroying in a month, when I can't return it to Fry's anyway.

--
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Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley (Lake County) CA USA 38.8-122.5

(E-Mail Removed) wrote:
> Jeff Liebermann <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>> Just about anything in 802.11b is out of favour and on sale these
>> days. $22 is an amazingly good price. Congrats.

Did I mention that it was "refurb"?
I assumed that meant a euphemism for "I took it home and didn't like it".
Sometimes it is, and I buy a lot of refurb stuff.
Sometimes it means it's no good, and I suspect that in today's environment,
the same serial number might got Return to Vendor several times before it
gets tossed. I doubt if any are really repaired.

Mine died. I'll try another one, maybe two, before I give up and buy a
full priced Linksys.

--
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Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley (Lake County) CA USA 38.8-122.5

On Sun, 5 Dec 2004 17:45:07 +0000 (UTC), (E-Mail Removed)
wrote:

>(E-Mail Removed) wrote:
>> Jeff Liebermann <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>> Just about anything in 802.11b is out of favour and on sale these
>>> days. $22 is an amazingly good price. Congrats.

>Did I mention that it was "refurb"?

Oh-oh.

>I assumed that meant a euphemism for "I took it home and didn't like it".

Not always. It sometimes means that someone screwed up on the
production line and the whole lot had to be "remanufactured" to
replace some erronious or defective component. Unfortunately, it can
also mean that a significant percentage of the production line units
failed an accellerated burnin test and have a potentially short
lifetime. At best, it meant that the firmware was some really
disgusting version and the manufactory did not see fit to upack all
the boxes and replace it with something that actually worked.

>Sometimes it is, and I buy a lot of refurb stuff.

So do I. I take my chances and have come out ahead more often than
not.

>Sometimes it means it's no good, and I suspect that in today's environment,
>the same serial number might got Return to Vendor several times before it
>gets tossed. I doubt if any are really repaired.

I've seen some rework on more complex products (full computers), but
not on sealed boxes.

>Mine died. I'll try another one, maybe two, before I give up and buy a
>full priced Linksys.

Optimist. So, what died? I've had problems with 5V 3A wall warts
blowing up. Any chance it's something that simple?



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

Jeff Liebermann <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> lifetime. At best, it meant that the firmware was some really
> disgusting version and the manufactory did not see fit to upack all

This was the latest firmware available on the site.

> Optimist. So, what died? I've had problems with 5V 3A wall warts
> blowing up. Any chance it's something that simple?

It didn't really die, it just stopped talking to the cable modem.

I power cycled, and a few hours later, same thing. Wireless and wired were
connected to the router, but the router wasn't connected to the cable
modem.

I'm also a sucker for rebates. I might return the refurb netgear and buy a
brand new "g" for $29 instead.
DLink at Office Depot:
<http://officedepot.crossmediaservices.com/officedepot/listing_detail.asp?listingid=-2097522328&storeid=2397652&offerid=&L1CatID=5208&L 2CatID=5216>

Netgear WGR614 at Amazon, $27.44
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00008SCFL/ref=pd_pym_ka/002-1727204-6727201>

--
---
Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley (Lake County) CA USA 38.8-122.5

FWIW, I've been running one of these 24/7 since July '03 and it has
passed many GB of wired and wireless traffic w/o a single problem.

Check the NG site for firmware updates, but it turns out the best
Firmware is 5.03 (instead of the 5.30, unless there's one later.)

-Kenny

--
Kenneth R. Crudup Sr. SW Engineer, Scott County Consulting, Los Angeles
H: 3630 S. Sepulveda Blvd. #138, L.A., CA 90034-6809 (310) 391-1898