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Howard
Super Nomad
Posts: 2353
Registered: 11-13-2007
Location: Loreto/Manhattan Beach/Kona
Member Is Offline
Mood: I'd rather regret the things I've done than regret the things I haven't done.
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WiFi antenna?
Without getting a 2nd mortgage or sell my blood to pay for what I need, does anyone have a solution for the same problem I do?
I travel with my laptop in Baja, mostly to Loreto, and where I stay in Loreto, Rivera del Mar RV Park, and the WiFi reception is very poor or
non-existent where the RV’s spots are. There is one or 2 spots that are OK but for the most part I have to get out of the RV and walk to the area
closer to their computer system where the reception is good.
I have tried some cards in the laptop, which is supposed to extend the range however I have not found one that works a darn. Anyway, does anyone have
experience with this and have solved the problem with an “extender”, an external antenna or?
Gracias
We don't stop playing because we grow old;
we grow old because we stop playing
George Bernard Shaw
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Woooosh
Banned
Posts: 5240
Registered: 1-28-2007
Location: Rosarito Beach
Member Is Offline
Mood: Luminescent Waves at Rosarito Beach
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A high-speed wireless N router is less than $50 now at Target. Why not offer to "upgrade" their system with one. They just plug in and have built-in
security. The newer routers have much greater wifi distance technology.
\"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing\"
1961- JFK to Canadian parliament (Edmund Burke)
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MrBillM
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 21656
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Out and About
Member Is Offline
Mood: It's a Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Day
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Wireless Adapters with external antennas
There are numerous USB Adapters with detachable (RP-SMA) antennas. The supplied antenna is usually a 2 or 3db, but there are antennas available at
minor cost with that thread up to about 9db. In any case, the supplied antenna will be more effective than the Laptop internal.
I bought one of these Chicom units from EBay awhile back as a test. When I bought, it was under $15 including free shipping from Hong Kong. Seems to
work fine, although I haven't used it extensively. I've purchased two others (different brands) from Tiger Direct which I've used often. The most
expensive was $29.99.
There are also low-cost "extension" cables available with RP-SMA connections which would allow you to move the antenna itself a short distance from
the laptop and adapter. You can also use a USB extension cord to do the same.
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MrBillM
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 21656
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Out and About
Member Is Offline
Mood: It's a Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Day
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More Choices
All with detachable (RP-SMA) antennas.
The Top Two from Tiger Direct. The bottom from EBay. If you're attracted to "Name" Brands, the one on the upper left is Hawking.
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comitan
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4177
Registered: 3-27-2004
Location: La Paz
Member Is Offline
Mood: mellow
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I have the Alpha with a 9db antenna and it works well for me, I haven"t checked any distance yet.
Strive For The Ideal, But Deal With What\'s Real.
Every day is a new day, better than the day before.(from some song)
Lord, Keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth.
“The sincere pursuit of truth requires you to entertain the possibility that everything you believe to be true may in fact be false”
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skipowell
Nomad
Posts: 156
Registered: 11-9-2009
Location: San Diego
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I hope this is not considered hijacking a thread (still nervous about posting on this site) but there is so much good knowledge and advice I would
love your help!
We have a vacation rental house about 400 ft from our home in Mexico. Would a Wi-FI antenna allow us to share our wireless with the rental house?
If so would the one that Woosh mentioned at Target suffice??
Thanks for any advice!
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Diver
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4729
Registered: 11-15-2004
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We use a high gain 16 db, 120 degree panel antenna that we mount on the raised TV antenna of our camper when we are in a situation like you describe.
The La Ventana campground and surrounding service area is the same situation.
We also have a smaller 9 db like Comitan's that we use in hotels and other places where we are inside and the service is sketchy. We used to use this
antenna in campgrounds and it works fairly well but the directional I mention above is "da bomb" ! (for $159)
The 9 db plug-in antenna also allows use to wifi (2 bars) while lounging about 500 yards away on the neighbor's patio.
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Woooosh
Banned
Posts: 5240
Registered: 1-28-2007
Location: Rosarito Beach
Member Is Offline
Mood: Luminescent Waves at Rosarito Beach
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| Quote: | Originally posted by skipowell
I hope this is not considered hijacking a thread (still nervous about posting on this site) but there is so much good knowledge and advice I would
love your help!
We have a vacation rental house about 400 ft from our home in Mexico. Would a Wi-FI antenna allow us to share our wireless with the rental house?
If so would the one that Woosh mentioned at Target suffice??
Thanks for any advice! |
400 feet is doable if there is clear line of sight. My Telnor dsl modem has wireless built in that carries that far. The USB adapters are great- but
only if the signal is strong enough. The original poster had a weak signal because he was either too far from the signal source or his receiving
unit is either older or doesn't get the higher speed and longer distance "n" frequencies. Hard to tell which one.
\"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing\"
1961- JFK to Canadian parliament (Edmund Burke)
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skipowell
Nomad
Posts: 156
Registered: 11-9-2009
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
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Thanks for the info provided so far to my hijack of the thread
I am leaning away from USB adapters as I dont want them walking off with the renters as the home is used for short term rentals (mainly medical
patients)
would the 16 dp antenna work that Diver shared for the campground situation work with our Telnor wireless if we do not have a direct line? There are
5-6 home between the properties. I would be willing to pay $150 to not have to deal with getting Telnor out here (took over a month of hassles when
we got ours in)?
Howard- thanks for posting your question as it got us thinking of alternative ways to solve our problem!
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toneart
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4901
Registered: 7-23-2006
Member Is Offline
Mood: Skeptical
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Skipowell,
I don't see that you have "hijacked" this thread. You are right on topic.
Regarding line of sight, I receive the internet from my neighbor, about 100' away (with his permission). He has a telnet router just inside his
upstairs window. My line of sight is a clear shot from my upstairs window.
However, I cannot receive the signal if I move away from that window to anywhere else in my house. The house walls are made of concrete block with
plaster inside and stucco outside...impenetrable!!
It looks like one of the devices touted in this string would work for me.
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sancho
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2524
Registered: 10-6-2004
Location: OC So Cal
Member Is Offline
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There is an Rv'er who lives in Mex, he uses
an External Pickup made by the already mentioned
Hawking Co., a smallish 5 " plastic dish,
he claims it works, I believe it is $60 or so
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BajaKeela
Junior Nomad
Posts: 94
Registered: 5-9-2008
Location: Vancouver Island
Member Is Offline
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Try this link...http://www.wifi-link.com/ I have used all of the usb adapters on this thread .. this one has been the best so far ..I have the
1000mv usb adapter along with a 18dbi antenna directional and I also have a 15dbi omni directional.(one or the other will work)or use the small dbi
antenna. To give an example I can be camping at the BOLA turtle farm and I pick up at least 5 signals .Some encryted and some are not ..I have found
that if I can receive a 20% signal ,it's enough for e-mails and surfing .Not to mention my favorite Baja Nomads forum.(Skype needs grande signal) I
don't think anybody works harder than me to get a Wifi signal in Baja. Good luck whatever you choose.
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rhintransit
Super Nomad
Posts: 1588
Registered: 9-4-2006
Location: Loreto
Member Is Offline
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don't know if this will help, as it involves doing something at the wifi source, but my neighbor and I have came up with a zero cost 'antenna' to
boost his wifi signal to my place. he simply took a piece of scrap aluminum (I think, I'd have to ask to be sure what the metal actually is, or if
that matters) maybe 6 inches wide and 18 inches long bent it into an arc shape and placed it behind his router pointed at my house. spotty reception
before, excellent post. yeah, Dick...a true Baja expert!
reality\'s never been of much use out here...
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MrBillM
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 21656
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Out and About
Member Is Offline
Mood: It's a Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Day
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Cheap and Cheaper
While it's hard for me to imagine that someone, especially someone traveling and staying in RV parks, would feel the need or desire to be THAT cheap,
there are numerous sites to be found which explain how to build WiFi antennas from tin cans and such.
Here's one:
http://www.turnpoint.net/wireless/cantennahowto.html
There are MANY others.
BTW, any advantages to 802.11n are non-existent IF your end is b/g.
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AmoPescar
Senior Nomad
Posts: 835
Registered: 7-15-2006
Location: North San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Need a Fish Taco and a Pacifico!
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TRY THIS WEBSITE...
For information about building your own antenna or improving your reception.
http://www.wonderhowto.com
Just type in wi-fi antenna or anything else with wi-fi in the search.
Miguelamo  
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noproblemo2
Super Nomad
Posts: 1088
Registered: 4-14-2006
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by sancho
There is an Rv'er who lives in Mex, he uses
an External Pickup made by the already mentioned
Hawking Co., a smallish 5 " plastic dish,
he claims it works, I believe it is $60 or so |
Had one and threw it away, never worked well for us at all.
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Udo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6364
Registered: 4-26-2008
Location: Black Hills, SD/Ensenada/San Felipe
Member Is Offline
Mood: TEQUILA!
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Check out this post from the Monaco RV forum:
http://www.irv2.com/forums/f53/wilson-antenna-our-internet-a...
Udo
Youth is wasted on the young!
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wiltonh
Nomad
Posts: 306
Registered: 2-2-2007
Member Is Offline
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Most people who are in an RV with aluminum sides have issues. You need to get your antenna/radio outside the aluminum shield. I have been helping
both home owners and campers get connected for the last few years and now have two recommendations.
For short term usage I like the Alpha. It can have an external antenna added if necessary. Here is a page where I report on some testing:
http://windsurf.mediaforte.com/wifi/Alfa_Antenna_Testing/Alf...
For longer term applications such as a home owner, I would recommend a Nano station2 from Ubiquiti. It takes longer to setup but comes in a water
proof box and an internal antenna. These run Linux and are very stable.
http://www.amazon.com/UBIQUITI-NANOSTATION-LOCO-802-11B-WIRE...
For the person wanting to go 400 feet, I would first try putting the router in a window and see if that is all it takes. If not then I would put a
panel antenna on the source router and point it towards the rental. This assumes the router has removable antenna. If it does not, try building a
reflector out of tin foil and cardboard. They actually work quite well.
http://www.freeantennas.com/projects/template2/index.html
Wilton
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Santiago
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3531
Registered: 8-27-2003
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by BajaKeela
Try this link...http://www.wifi-link.com/ I have used all of the usb adapters on this thread .. this one has been the best so far ..I have the
1000mv usb adapter along with a 18dbi antenna directional and I also have a 15dbi omni directional.(one or the other will work)or use the small dbi
antenna. Good luck whatever you choose. |
Perfect - this is going to fix my issue of wondering all over camp with my netbook trying to find the hot spot.
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Russ
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6742
Registered: 7-4-2004
Location: Punta Chivato
Member Is Offline
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Here's the one 90% of the folks use here. http://www.airlink101.com/products/awll3055.php Some times you find them at Fry's for $25 or so. There have been several people that used my WiFi
from 2 miles away, barely, with one. Look for 10db when buying a USB or any antenna. Mostly they're 6db. Good luck!
Edit: forgot the URL
[Edited on 8-15-2010 by Russ]
Bahia Concepcion where life starts...given a chance!
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