Re: Connecting to neighbors wireless

Wifithis <Wifithis.2zfkac@no-mx.wirelessforums.org> hath wroth:

>I want to connect to my neighbors wireless (Linksys) who is about 300
>to 400 feet away. I get a weak signal now but need to be able to boost
>it. I bought a Hawking Hi gain directional antenna that plugs into the
>laptop uing a USB port. This sucks as I feel like I have a ball and
>chain on my laptop and I am limited to one room. Is there a way I can
>boost the signal I am receiving and then boost that signal in my house?
>What products can I use?

Did you get the nighbors permission to use their wireless system? In
some jurisdictions, that's considered a crime.

300-400 ft is beyond the range where a simple antenna will work. As
you discovered, a higher gain antenna will help. However, the walls
of your house offer considerable attenuation to 2.4GHz. For example,
if there is aluminum foil backed fiberglass insulation in the walls,
nothing will penetrate. Concrete and anything containing water is
also a barrier. Unless you can see the neighbors wireless through a
window, I don't think you have much of a chance at maintaining a
connection.

You might be able to get something to work using a repeater (range
extender) located in a window, where it can see both the neighbors and
your laptop at the same time. Compatibility is the major problem as a
random repeater product does not necessarily work with every access
point.

--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

On Fri, 02 Nov 2007 11:06:56 -0700, Jeff Liebermann <jeffl@cruzio.com>
wrote in <vgpmi3lmsj3unt1chgvvvi1obim0dslpup@4ax.com>:

>Wifithis <Wifithis.2zfkac@no-mx.wirelessforums.org> hath wroth:
>
>>I want to connect to my neighbors wireless (Linksys) who is about 300
>>to 400 feet away. I get a weak signal now but need to be able to boost
>>it. I bought a Hawking Hi gain directional antenna that plugs into the
>>laptop uing a USB port. This sucks as I feel like I have a ball and
>>chain on my laptop and I am limited to one room. Is there a way I can
>>boost the signal I am receiving and then boost that signal in my house?
>>What products can I use?
>
>Did you get the nighbors permission to use their wireless system? In
>some jurisdictions, that's considered a crime.
>
>300-400 ft is beyond the range where a simple antenna will work. As
>you discovered, a higher gain antenna will help. However, the walls
>of your house offer considerable attenuation to 2.4GHz. For example,
>if there is aluminum foil backed fiberglass insulation in the walls,
>nothing will penetrate. Concrete and anything containing water is
>also a barrier. Unless you can see the neighbors wireless through a
>window, I don't think you have much of a chance at maintaining a
>connection.
>
>You might be able to get something to work using a repeater (range
>extender) located in a window, where it can see both the neighbors and
>your laptop at the same time. Compatibility is the major problem as a
>random repeater product does not necessarily work with every access
>point.

Or with a wireless client bridge wired back to back to a wireless access
point, ideally on different channels, which neatly avoids any
compatibility issue.

--
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