I’ve recently purchased a new wireless router here – a LinkSys WAG354G – and I’ve been thinking about fitting a high gain antenna (probably the LinkSys HGA7S) as the signal drops about two or three times an hour when I am in my office. The router sits on a shelf in the kitchen and my office is in the summer house, so the signal passes through about ten feet of clear conservatory; then through the window; across around twenty-five feet of garden; through a thin wooden wall and some rockwool insulation; and then a further three feet to my laptop. I currently get between 49% and 61% signal here and transmission speeds between 2.0Mbit/s and 11.0Mbit/s.
I have no experience of using a high gain antenna and all I can find online are endless repetitions of the LinkSys blurb, which naturally espouses the virtues of the device. Have any of you had any experience of using antennas? Would I be better advised to upgrade my 3Com 3CRWE154A72 WiFi card?
UPDATE: I’ve ordered a cheap DabsValue 5dBi antenna to see if it makes a difference. I did get tempted by some very expensive kit that would have permitted me to wander off across four or five fields, park myself and my laptop under a tree and still listen to the live stream of Arrow Jazz FM; but that would have been, well, unnecessary.
Comic Book Guy: “I’m interested in upgrading my twenty eight point eight kilobaud internet connection to a one point five megabit fibre-optic T-1 line. Will you be able to provide an IP router that’s compatable with my token ring ethernet LAN configuration?”
Homer: “Can I have some money now?”
Hmmm, is this one of those instances when a homebaked solution would be better? If you don’t move your laptop around much then I’m sure I’ve seen a cheap signal boost method that involves.. er.. a can of pringles (empty of course).
Might’ve been on makeit.com but Google will find it.
I did think about investigating the Pringles can idea, but was concerned that (a) it wouldn’t look too professional when I have visiting clients; (b) my mother-in-law would think it was rubbish and throw it out; (c) it wouldn’t be toddler-proof.
The LinkSys antenna is quite expensive (around £30), but I have seen cheaper ones (DabsValue antennae are around £14). Maybe I could just use an old coat hanger?
Hi Graham
have you tried Novatech?
http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/products/a665x1y0z1p0s0n0m0
Regards
Paul
I haven’t tried Novatech, although I’ve used them before for bits and pieces.