Boost Your WiFi

[Andy Sjostrom]

<a href="http://www.pocketpcmagic.com/wifi_booster/">http://www.pocketpcmagic.com/wifi_booster/</a><br /><br />So you're not satisfied with your WiFi coverage at home or at work? Linksys might have what you're looking for: a WiFi Booster. Our friend Phillip "Help Save Lower Case" Torrone has picked one up and exclaims: "so far, it seems i can go down the street and still get signal on my laptop and ipaq, i'll have more scientific data later, but wow-- it's pretty good, i can get almost around the block which i wasn't able to before. so for now, that's my review." Follow the link for pictures and more information!

[numo]

"to boost the signal 14 dBm or 55 - 75%" in the article or "14 dBm gain" from the product description is nonsense - dBm means decibel over milliwatt and as such is an absolute power value and not the gain. Even if it is the gain, there are regulatory limits and you cannot legally transmit at more than 20 dBm in Europe (and I think 23 dBm in the U.S.A., but I might be wrong here) and that is EIRP, i.e. with gain-less antenna.

The receive gain is most probably irrelevant, as the problem here is signal to noise ratio and unless they are using some liquid nitrogen cooled input amplifiers :-), the amplifying is not going to help.

A summary: if this device really helps. it only means that the original AP is ... erm ... suboptimal.

Hack yourself an antenna (the best directional DIY I tested is http://trevormarshall.com/biquad.htm without the dish, it was significantly better than the various Pringles designs) and I bet you get the same signal as with this device and it will cost you $5 or so.

[Mike Temporale]

"Hack yourself an antenna (the best directional DIY I tested is http://trevormarshall.com/biquad.htm without the dish, it was significantly better than the various Pringles designs) and I bet you get the same signal as with this device and it will cost you $5 or so.

That looks like a pretty good antenna. However, I already have 2 satelite dishes on the back of my house. I don't think my wife will let me put up another!

[Chris Hendriks]

for those waiting on "g" generation of Linksys products ...

GemTek denies rumors of WLAN product return
Irene Chen, Taipei; Chinmei Sung, DigiTimes.com [Monday 20 January 2003]


GemTek Technology has denied rumors that the WLAN products it makes for Linksys are being returned.

The rumor broke last Friday, saying Linksys has returned the 802.11g-standard WLAN routers and access points (APs) GemTek makes for the company. The news sent GemTek’s stock tumbling the daily limit to close at NT$92, down 5.2% from the day before, despite some bouncing back before closing.

According to sources, a local distributor, selling chips for Broadcom’s competitors, told a foreign institutional investor that several major flaws were found in Broadcom chips, which GemTek used in Linksys products.

GemTek said it shipped about 50,000 units of 802.11g-standard products for Linksys last month. It expects to double those shipments this month and is preparing to work overtime during the Chinese New Year holiday in February to meet demand.

[Janak Parekh]

A summary: if this device really helps. it only means that the original AP is ... erm ... suboptimal.
I was wondering about that. I use Orinoco base stations and their signal beats the pants off Linksys or D-Link base stations. And that's without Orinoco's Range Extender antennas.

--janak

[Dave Beauvais]

I noticed this product on Linksys' Web site a few weeks ago and the first thing I thought was, "why didn't they just make the internal antenna/radio stronger to begin with?" The answer, of course, is that now they can charge you US$80 more! ;)

Since the device is designed to stack on top of an access point or wireless-enabled router, it would be nice if they had a single power adapter with two outputs instead of having to plug two bricks in somewhere.

--Dave

[Jonathan1]

:? And of course the newer high end routers aren't compatable with this thing. Ex. My Linksys dual A+B router

[wxrman]

That may be great for your portable needs as far as "LISTENING" for a signal but your wireless device isn't going to "TRANSMIT" any better...

Does it have the ability to pick up a more distant signal... I mean, these devices do work BOTH ways?

[Janak Parekh]

That may be great for your portable needs as far as "LISTENING" for a signal but your wireless device isn't going to "TRANSMIT" any better...
Yes, but the base station will be more "sensitive". The question is what's the SNR between the two devices.

In any case, for best range you can buy an Orinoco PC card, which has a little plug for an external antenna. Depending on the relative positions of your PC card and the base station, you can get 15-35% improvement in reception. (Then put an antenna on the other end - the two combined make a big difference).

Unfortunately, Orinoco doesn't make CF cards :cry:

--janak

[bbarker]

I'm getting ready to sell an Orinoco Residential Gateway 1000 (Wi-Fi wireless access point) and two Silver PC Cards (Wi-Fi notebook adapters). Would eBay be the best place to sell them or is there a better way?