[brickcam]

Thanks for reading my post.

I'm trying to find a product -- or build one -- to extend the range of my wireless card so that I can pick up a far-away wi-fi signal. I have searched the macnn forums and found some useful posts (e.g. http://forums.macnn.com/92/networkin...airport-power/ ) and I've searched the web and found some relevant sounding products (e.g. Ibook G4 Antenna | Applefritter or MacWireless 11g Airport Booster or Hawking Technologies USB Dish --- but I'm still not sure which is the right one. I hope you can help advise me. I need a two-way communication to a far-away network, and I need to connect it either to my Netgear WGR614 wireless router (is that possible?) or directly to my ibook g4 w/Airport card (sounds like a USB connection is the safest way to do this, and I'm disinterested in soldering anything).

I'm envisioning a directional antennae on my porch, pointing at a nearby building, and running a USB cable from it to my computer (or could it communicate in line with my router?). I would consider just a big dish on the porch, but I need my computer's outgoing signals to be heard, as well, so it has to be active as well as passive (right?). I'm not sure if an antenna or a booster would be the best choice.

I'm just trying to figure all of this out and I greatly appreciate your advice. I can DIY this project, if it's feasible, or I have a budget of perhaps $100. Thank you very much for your time.

[brickcam]

I've found these DIY links, but I'm still concerned about the connection from the antenna to my ibook: I'm not a confident enough electrical DIYer to want to solder this anywhere. So I can build a unit cheaply to receive the signal. How does signal from my laptop get back to said network?

Wifi/Building an antenna - Wikibooks, collection of open-content textbooks

Antenna on the Cheap (er, Chip)

How to build a tin can waveguide antenna

[brickcam]

Amazon.com: D-Link DWL-G800AP Wireless Range Extender, 802.11g, 54Mbps: Electronics

My dad has one of these laying around: perhaps I can use it. It doesn't pick up the signals as powerfully as a directional antenna, but it might work.

[ghporter]

Directional antennas do not terminate in USB connections. I think you want something like a wireless bridge WITH a directional antenna. Bridges are fairly common (just search for "WiFi bridge"), and the instructions for highly directional antenna construction are abundant. Search for "cantenna" and you'll find what seems to be THE directional solution for a fairly long distance connection. The "tin can waveguide antenna" is close, but the cantenna beats it for both focus and gain.

[brickcam]

Thanks ghporter, I think you're correct. The d-link "extender" that I quoted above sounds like the "bridge" you are talking about: I hope to modify it to accept input from a cantenna, and then mount the whole setup on my porch. If that wasn't what you were imagining, I would appreciate hearing what you meant.

[ghporter]

I think that's a decent choice. It's far easier (and safer in terms of FCC regulations) to buy a bridge that has an external antenna or antennas with available connectors-that way you just put the appropriate connector on the end of the cantenna's coax and plug it in. Otherwise you could cause the device to produce interference, which would not make you popular. Make sure you get the right connector; D-Link says that they use a "reverse SMA" connector (which means that the center conductor pin is of the opposite gender from the normal SMA connector). These are not sitting on the shelf at Radio Shack, so shop thoroughly.

Good luck!

[brickcam]

Good info to know. I'm hoping it will be sufficient without an external antenna... perhaps I'll mount it in a giant bowl.

Thank you for your help, I very much appreciate it.

[ghporter]

I found instructions somewhere for making a "corner reflector" that you put on the existing antenna. The spacing and reflector angles are critical, but not THAT critical. This particular example was for a Linksys box, but the principle-and the dimensions for the reflector-are identical. Corner reflectors exhibit significant gain and are extra simple. http://www.freeantennas.com/projects...u 10dB of gain; that's quite a lot! And Seattle Wireless is always a great resource for all sorts of wireless stuffs. Enjoy!

[brickcam]

This has been an interesting project. I hooked up the d-link extender in repeater mode, scanned for available networks, and noticed more than I could see with just my ibook and airport card. Not surprising. Then I put it on the porch of my apt complex and I could see perhaps 6 networks, all encrypted.

Thanks for the link about the corner reflector: I built one easily and used it with the extender to be able to see even a few further-away networks, none of which let me on.

I have LOS to an open network perhaps 150' from my porch. My thought now is to get a directional antenna (e.g. cantenna), hook it up to the RP-SMA connection on my extender, and try to point it carefully at the origin of the signal.

My question is this: without another directional antenna at the other end, will this work? I understand the benefit of two directional antennae pointed at each other: of course that makes a good link. But can I use one to pick up the signal from a weak omni-dir router in another building?

(It's too bad I don't have an easy way to power the extender outside; otherwise I'd mount it outside somewhere in-between and I suspect I would be able to see the signal from within my house.)

----edit: my father suggests this would work. I guess I'll build a cantenna or buy one on eBay.

[ghporter]

It will probably work. But unless you have permission-or at least inform the owner of the network about what you're doing-it's unethical. And in some localities, it's illegal too. Hunt down that "open network"'s home and let the people know that their network is open. At least then you will be assured that they know about it.

[brickcam]

My current preferred solution would be to share bandwidth and cost with someone in my building. We'll see.

[ghporter]

I realize that it's difficult to find exactly where some wireless network originates, but aside from the legal ramifications, I feel the need to point out the ethics of the situation, as much to any potential reader as to any specific reader. Offering to share a connection's cost in exchange for permission to use that connection is an excellent option.

[brickcam]

Surprising amount of views on this thread -- good to be open about all of the issues, practical, moral and otherwise.