Re: Few Questions about external antenna etc before purchase!

Thecheekymonkey wrote:

>
> Hi, have read the forums and a hell of a lot of internet sites about
> external antennas etc etc. Basically what i want to do is be a bit
> nosy around my area, and also provide my cousin who lives 400 yards
> away with some internet access. I knwo there are lots of access
> points in my immediate vicinity, a quick dog walk with my PDA reveals
> 36 on my block alone, with a further 76 within a 150 meter radius.
> some are open, some are are not, however the moment i step into my
> house only a few are avzailible (4 max) and on some equipment on my
> own.
>
> OK so here is what equipment i have.
>
> laptop with intel 3945 abg mini pci.
>
> tplink pcmcia card which ive modded with an sma connector.
>
> linksys wrt150n router.
>
>
> my plans are to flash the router with the dd-wrt firmware (i do have
> access to a wrt54g also).
>
> buy one of these kits > 'Wireless antenna,WiFi Antenna,2.4GHz 5GHz
> Wlan Antenna,RF connector,RF pigtail cable,Lightning Protector,802.11
> a/b/g, Omni ,panel ,yagi ,Grid antenna' (http://tinyurl.com/3cd9dr)
>
>
> which comes with everything ill need.
>
> my questions are will this work, will i be able to hook my laptop, or
> the router in access point mode and gain access to the many wireless
> networks surrounding me. Im a bit dubious due to a frien buying both
> expensive and cheap 14dbi panel directional antenna and them generally
> being worse than if there wasnt an antenna on (one was a hawking one).
>
>
> will i need power amplifier (thats not so say i wont get one anyway in
> the future) , the wrt150n from what i can gather outputs about 175 mW
> on B 155 mW on G and 150mW on N , @ about 23dbi (standard firmware)
> this should be more than enough should it not without taking into
> consideration tinkering with the dd-wrt firmware?
>
>
> any thoughts, suggestions etc etc much appreciated, .
>
>
> many thank,.
>
>
> p.s. i am in the UK .
>
>
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An omni is useless for what you want to do. You can add a reflector to
get decent directional performance.

Any high gain directional antenna will probably get a decent signal out
to about 150 meters from inside a house.

An outside antenna should go double that.

Cable length can nulify any antenna performance.

Bit naughty pinching wifi.

Cheers

Rob

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