Amplifying wireless internet signals

[Weapon_R]

I am in an area that provides wireless internet to its users, but my apartment is the only one which receives a very poor signal.

If I step outside of my room, I can get the signal perfectly. Once I walk back inside, nothing I do with my laptop gets that signal.

I am wondering if there is something I can buy that will be able to boost this signal so I can get a better connection. I was thinking along the lines of an antenna I can keep outside that would gather the signal and direct it inside somehow.

Does this even exist? If not, what can I do in terms of improving reception? I already tried a D-link Wireless N card. Although it was able to detect the signal, the signal was very weak and I was unable to surf.

[lint]

google "pringles can wireless antenna"

there are a bunch of sites with DIY signal boosters. This one has a good step-by-step guide
http://www.oreillynet.com/cs/weblog/view/wlg/448

[boredengineer]

Originally posted by lint
google "pringles can wireless antenna"

there are a bunch of sites with DIY signal boosters. This one has a good step-by-step guide
http://www.oreillynet.com/cs/weblog/view/wlg/448

You realise that is useless if he is trying to receive a signal which he is not broadcasting?

Anyways back to the topic... What you want to buy is a wireless bridge. Then you can mount that outside your room and just run a wire into your room. Alternatively you can piggy back both a wireless router and bridge but you might have noise issues if they are blasting on the same frequency. Or just run a ethernet cable into a neighbor's suite :p

[Rav4Guy]

Get an antenna extension. It replaces your existing antennae with about 2 feet of wire and a bigger stand up one.

[Jericho99]

You can also get a router like the linksys 54gl and load 2nd party firmware like dd-wrt then set it up as a repeater... although the firmware is still in beta I think and not stable or have mixed results. And thats if you mean you can still get signal outside of your bedroom and not meaning if you step out of your apartment. You can also set it up as a bridge as well but have to run wires...(or get yet another wireless router and connect to this bridge)

[Xtrema]

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1533895&CatId=374

It should work as long as security is not set.

[lint]

Originally posted by boredengineer


You realise that is useless if he is trying to receive a signal which he is not broadcasting?

Anyways back to the topic... What you want to buy is a wireless bridge. Then you can mount that outside your room and just run a wire into your room. Alternatively you can piggy back both a wireless router and bridge but you might have noise issues if they are blasting on the same frequency. Or just run a ethernet cable into a neighbor's suite :p

It's a cheap antenna to boost reception. What difference does it make who's broadcasting the signal?

[dr_jared88]

Originally posted by Jericho99
You can also get a router like the linksys 54gl and load 2nd party firmware like dd-wrt then set it up as a repeater... although the firmware is still in beta I think and not stable or have mixed results. And thats if you mean you can still get signal outside of your bedroom and not meaning if you step out of your apartment. You can also set it up as a bridge as well but have to run wires...(or get yet another wireless router and connect to this bridge)

:werd: exactly what i did. excellent for war driving.. hehe

[tha_bandit]

only if u had a desktop, get a cheap ass wireless g card, and an adaptor, and u can pull in shit from like 2 kms away.

http://www.netgear.com/Products/AntennasandAccessories/OutdoorAntennas.aspx

i got myself one of these, nice signal booster/catcher.

[ex1z7]

or try sticking a wireless access point outside your door.. can you get signal if you open your door? lol, something tells me your apartment has some sort've sound proofing done to it - like concrete walls etc..

excessive moisture will inhibit wireless too - so if you're jamaica-hot boxing your apartment a lot .. stop.

[EmJay]

give the "cantenna" idea a go, i got one of those built with an orinnoco card that i plug it into and i can pick up pretty much every single wireless network in my entire neigbourhood.

the orinnoco card, there are others with the external antenna feature but i can't seam to find the list i used to have anymore
http://www.isp-planet.com/img/fixedwireless/2001/Orinoco_card.jpg

these cards have the ability to plug in antennas, i don't remember correctly but i think it's called the n connector

one of these guys to connect your wireless card to your cantenna
http://www.bizsyscon.com/pics/PIGTAIL_RPMMCX-NM.jpg

and one of these to find your signal, i know you can make them fairly cheap but i've never tried, this is just the one that i have experience with and it works fairly well

http://www.antenex.com/c_search.asp?txtFunction=browse2&selFamily=WFI&txtSubFamily=BASE+AND+FIXED+DIRECTIONAL+ANTENNAS

just an idea, good luck

oh and you can also use the cable/cantenna in a desktop with a wireless card to expand your range.