Chuck Norcutt wrote:
> This weekend was only the second time I've left home with my laptop which has
> built-in wireless network support. On the first trip I encountered some
> minor problems with weak signals.... so I was without internet support for
> the entire weekend.
>
That's the point of vacation, isn't it? :-) Truth is, I run so much of
my life, banks, bills, etc. over the web that anything more than a few
days without is a problem.
I've had the same problem, both with hotels and staying with friends.
Not infrequently, there is an unsecured network around, but signa'ls are
often low and some disappear when the users shut done their computers.
Not fair to complain, when my network is fully secured, I suppose.
I've found that moving around can make quite a difference. The place we
stayed last month had WiFi, but off and on in our room - fine in the
common/whale watching room. It also depended on where in our room I was.
Did you know that your body attenuates the signal? Simply turning the
computer and sitting on the other side sometimes helps.
> That started me thinking about the round-the-country trip I'm planning for
> early fall. If I'm gone for 4-6 weeks in catch-as-catch-can hotels I'll
> undoubtedly encounter some which have no access point at all but also some
> where I'm simply too far away for a strong, clean signal.
>
I've been surprised how many places do have access. We're usually gone
for about 4 weeks at a time in your general neck of the woods, and I
have always found connections often enough. Absolutely nothing at the
fish camp on Moosehead lake, though.
> My question is how to resolve the weak signal problem. Using a built-in
> WO-FI adapter as is in my Dell laptop I don't see how to add a signal
> boosting antenna. Therefore, it would seem that what's needed is a signal
> boosting, short distance re-transmitter or else a separate receiver/modem
> with ethernet output to go around the built-in WI-FI
> card. But this stuff is mostly a mystery to me and maybe there's some other
> magical way to boost and recover the signal.
>
I thought this might be overkill, until I read your ideas for a
repeater. Mixed reviews, but might be worth a try. The trucker's review
is reassuring.
<http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?EdpNo=2399648&sku=H300-2092&srkey=usb%20wifi%20antenna>
There are a number of USB WiFi adapters, some of which have antenna or
antenna-like designs that you can move and direct. Here's another.
<http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2659052&CatId=2688>
Come to think of it, I have a ZyXel version sttting in a box, waiting
for the old desktop to be set up in another room. Maybe I'll try it out
with the laptop to see if it works farther away than the built-in antenna.
Moose
==============================================
List usage info: http://www.zuikoholic.com
List nannies: olympusadmin@xxxxxxxxxx
==============================================
|