Newbie needs to boost RF gain

Hi guys.

My friend lives in the house across the road, and we thought we'd set
up a WiFi network, so we could share broadband costs, and play LAN
games without having to leave the comfort of our won facilities.

I have got a cheap generic PCMCIA Wireless card in the side of my
laptop, and although I am detecting the signal, it's only just. It
comes up as "very low" and keeps dropping the connection.

He says that he's done all he can to boost the signal at his end (he
is using a 3Com 64 connection access point box), but we've still got
the problem. Is there a way I can crank up the gain on my card, so
that we can make this work?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

All the best,

Lifson Kofie

Your friend could try sticking a reflector (http://www.freeantennas.com/) on
his access point antenna pointing at your house. Also make sure that you
have line of site between both devices. If you already have line of site the
reflectors should help. Tell me how it goes.

In most cases like this it is reasonable to buy two linksys wap11 access
points from ebay or something for cheap and make a wireless bridge with
them. You could stick the waps in the window of both houses and have them
see each other. Or better yet on the roof with the proper protection.


"Lifson Kofie" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) om...
> Hi guys.
>
> My friend lives in the house across the road, and we thought we'd set
> up a WiFi network, so we could share broadband costs, and play LAN
> games without having to leave the comfort of our won facilities.
>
> I have got a cheap generic PCMCIA Wireless card in the side of my
> laptop, and although I am detecting the signal, it's only just. It
> comes up as "very low" and keeps dropping the connection.
>
> He says that he's done all he can to boost the signal at his end (he
> is using a 3Com 64 connection access point box), but we've still got
> the problem. Is there a way I can crank up the gain on my card, so
> that we can make this work?
>
> Any help would be greatly appreciated.
>
> All the best,
>
> Lifson Kofie

Lifson Kofie <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> Hi guys.
>
> My friend lives in the house across the road, and we thought we'd set
> up a WiFi network, so we could share broadband costs, and play LAN
> games without having to leave the comfort of our won facilities.
>
> I have got a cheap generic PCMCIA Wireless card in the side of my
> laptop, and although I am detecting the signal, it's only just. It
> comes up as "very low" and keeps dropping the connection.
>
> He says that he's done all he can to boost the signal at his end (he
> is using a 3Com 64 connection access point box), but we've still got
> the problem. Is there a way I can crank up the gain on my card, so
> that we can make this work?

Probably not without changing your card.
However, what is "all he can" ?
has he (for example) tried a reflector, or better antenna?

Nite Rider <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> Your friend could try sticking a reflector (http://www.freeantennas.com/) on
> his access point antenna pointing at your house. Also make sure that you
> have line of site between both devices. If you already have line of site the
> reflectors should help. Tell me how it goes.

Or, rather than buying accesspoints, a USB wireless adaptor, a 5m USB cable,
and maybe even a little box to put it in on the wall outside may work.
If the OP is happy to use it wired, it's probably cheapest.

Lifson Kofie wrote:

> I have got a cheap generic PCMCIA Wireless card in the side of my
> laptop, and although I am detecting the signal, it's only just. It
> comes up as "very low" and keeps dropping the connection.

Regarding WiFi cards, the more inexpensive cards have simply a built in
antenna, which is non-orientable, and non upgradable. The next step up
in cards have orientable, built in antennas. The best cards have both a
built-in antenna, and small jacks for connnection of external or even
exterior-mounted antennas, like on your roof. This applies to both PCI
and also PCMCIA/Cardbuss devices, and even APs/Boosters/Routers, etc.
>
> He says that he's done all he can to boost the signal at his end (he
> is using a 3Com 64 connection access point box), but we've still got
> the problem. Is there a way I can crank up the gain on my card, so
> that we can make this work?

You can't boost up the gain in your card, but CAN purchase a card with
greater gain. Cards vary from approx. 20mWatt of power all the way up
to 100 and even 200mWatts of power. It is becoming ever more difficult
to find the more powerful cards these day. They are mostly the older
cards. You can find out if the other guys AP has provisions for
connecting an external antenna. These can be purchased/constructed from
very cheap to very expensive, and constructed from easy to not so easy.

The cards/APs all vary in which kind of antenna connector they accept.
Each manufacturer chooses which connector they will support, and some
vendors make products with different connectors. The common connectors
are Reverse SMC, MC, MMC, etc. When choosing an external type antenna,
one must choose one with the correct type connector, or "pigtail" as
they are called.

And then of course, there are the "amplifiers" which can be purchased.
They are made to either increase the power of WiFi cards, or of devices
like APs/Extenders/Routers, etc. These amplifiers are generally used
with Exterior Mounted Antennas, like on your roof. They require VERY
low loss cable to connect them to the antennas, and the cable is always
of the LMR400 specification type.

I'm bootlegging my Internet Access by logging into other peoples APs
with my WiFi card, from as far as several miles away, by using a roof
mounted parabolic microwave antenna. So the issue here is how much
you're willing to spend to connect to where you want a connection.

Post again if you have any questions......:-)
>
> Any help would be greatly appreciated.
>
> All the best,
>
> Lifson Kofie

Lifson Kofie wrote:

> Any help would be greatly appreciated.
>
> All the best,
>
> Lifson Kofie

There are basically two ways to boost your Rx/Tx gain on equipment you
alreasy have (assuming that your equipment is designed to accomodate
external antennas):

Increase your electronic's current poweroutput efficiency with more
efficient antennae, or

Increase your current device's output power, or both!

Here are a couple of representative links regarding what is available
out there. Remember that your present equipment must be capable of
plugging in these devices/equipment, AND to shop judiciously. Prices
vary tremendously, so don't rush! And if need be ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS
first, then buy!

http://www.advanced-wireless-lan-amp...l-rf-amp.shtml
http://www.wirelessinteractive.com/

Spend days, and even weeks researching and comparing, on the web, to
find what is best for you and your situation......

On Sun, 22 Feb 2004 14:09:10 -0700, Valentin Guillen
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Lifson Kofie wrote:
>
>> Any help would be greatly appreciated.
>>
>> All the best,
>>
>> Lifson Kofie
>
>There are basically two ways to boost your Rx/Tx gain on equipment you
>alreasy have (assuming that your equipment is designed to accomodate
>external antennas):
>
>Increase your electronic's current poweroutput efficiency with more
>efficient antennae, or
>
>Increase your current device's output power, or both!
>
>Here are a couple of representative links regarding what is available
>out there. Remember that your present equipment must be capable of
>plugging in these devices/equipment, AND to shop judiciously. Prices
>vary tremendously, so don't rush! And if need be ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS
>first, then buy!
>
>http://www.advanced-wireless-lan-amp...l-rf-amp.shtml
>http://www.wirelessinteractive.com/
>
>Spend days, and even weeks researching and comparing, on the web, to
>find what is best for you and your situation......


There is also the issue of exceeding the power limits placed on these
devices by the FCC, if any. They DO investigate interference
complaints. I got nailed many years ago because of an unshielded
computer screwing up the neighbors TV.



Kirk

"Moe, Larry, the cheese!", Curly

www.sandpoint.net/captkirk
www.stormyacres.com

Having looked into this a bit further now - are cantennas actually any
good - or just a load of urban myth? I thought I'd better ask
/before/ destroying my WiFi card.

Purchase a Cisco Aironet Card or even the new Netgear WAG511 for your
system.
Have your neigbor get a decent AP

The Cisco AP1200 has variable output, and a host of external antanna
options. Don't go over 4 Watts on the AP antenna. FCC violation if
you do.

Cisco AP 1200 $400.00
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...category=44997

Cisco PC card $40.00
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...category=45000

19dBi pannel antenna - Boost the signal almost 100 times $55.00
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...category=11175

You should be good to go. It's a bit expensive, but well worth it.
Don't forget to secure the entire system with WEP, you don't want the
whole
neighborhood surphing for free.


There's a whole host of other options to choose from, e-mail me if you
have
any questions.

Good luck,

Mike
(E-Mail Removed)
www.netopsed.com
Wireless training at it's finest
CWNA and CWSP Certification Training

FCC power output limitations for 802.11b wireless networks
are 1 watt IR and 4 watts EIRP

That means....

1 watt just before the antenna, and 4 watts radiating from the antenna.

Point to point links are different.


This means that your shouldn't have any more than a 16dBi antenna if your
AP is set for 100mW.


Mike
www.netopsed.com