Slightly boaty - WIFI conn

[poter]

Elp!!!
I know this has been done before but I still can not get a sensible answer...

OK, I have a Dell Laptop, 1 year old, with an on-board wifi modem.
I want to enhance the reception to the laptop from the shore based wifi hot spots
I have been to both PC World & Maplins today & neither can offer a solution to the problem, apparently there is not a wifi plug in (Card Or USB) modem for a laptop that has a connection to an external high gain aerial.

So is there such a thing? or do I have to sail up the beach to get some reception?

poter

 

[DavidJ]

Search wifi on the livaboard link. I seem to remember this coming up a month or two back

 

[BrendanS]

Tome has posted on this several times. He simply opened up his wifi card, and soldered an external connnector in.

 

[poter]

Brendan...
yup I seem to remember that, but I dont really want to open up my laptop & start soldering bits on, surely there is a plug in card with an external socket???

poter

 

[sarabande]

Buy a RepeatIT aerial from wifi spark.

It plugs into a USB port, and massively increases the gain. I have one, and with no aerial, I can "see" 2 services, but with the aerial plugged in, I can see 14.

http://www.wifispark.com/index.php/content/view/90/

 

[BrendanS]

It's an external card he soldered, not the laptop. There used to be cards with external antenna connections, but these were largely on pci cards not suitable for laptops, and laptop wifi adaptors with external antenna connections seem to be very rare

There are loads of websites showing how to add an external antenna connection to cheap usb wifi adaptors however

 

[Richard10002]

[ QUOTE ]
I have been to both PC World & Maplins today & neither can offer a solution to the problem, apparently there is not a wifi plug in (Card Or USB) modem for a laptop that has a connection to an external high gain aerial.


[/ QUOTE ]

there are more permutations and combinations than you can shake a stick at.

I'm not surprised at PC World..... they do have the solutions, but the staff generally dont know their arses from their elbows, (there will be some exceptions.... before someone shouts at me).

I am surprised at maplins... they have a little section and I think they at least have the Hawking dish thing.

Until about an hour ago, I have been using this:

http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satellite...FVisitorWrapper

which I got from PC World!

I attach it to a 5m USB cable... which I got from PC`World, (but the staff didnt even know they existed until I found it and showed them!)

I improved it by fitting this:

http://www.tritium.co.uk/Flatennaroot.htm

and it's been fabulous in Lagos for several months.

Tomes solution with the same linksys adapter is here:

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showflat.php?C...rue#Post1455546

others use a variety of adapters and cables..... I have just bought this little lot, and have it bodged to make sure it works.... wires all over the place, and the aerial attached to the steering pedestal for now.... not sure whether it will be hauled up the mast as and when it's needed, or whether it might be permanently fitted somewhere:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/54Mbps-USB-WiFi-Ac...oQQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/500mW-BiDirectiona...oQQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/5-Meter-RP-SMA-WiF...oQQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/9dBi-Omni-Directio...oQQcmdZViewItem

Ordered last Sunday, delivered Tuesday!

Havent got the booster fitted at the moment, but I'm getting the same signal level and quality as I did with the Linksys/Flatenna combination. Also seeing several more access points, although signal strenth very low on most ... and other new ones are protected.

I think this could be the finished article .... just need to find cheap roaming data sim/s to get complete coverage.

Hope this helps...... should be an improvement on Maplins and PC World

Richard

 

[Richard10002]

[quotehttp://cgi.ebay.co.uk/54Mbps-USB-WiFi-Ac...oQQcmdZViewItem


[/ QUOTE ]

BTW - the adapter is connected to the end of the 5m USB cable used in the previous system to hopefully give me 10 meters to play with.

 

[Sixpence]

Richard , do you have to keep promoting e bay /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif you know how I feel about them /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Richard10002]

Sorry! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif I suppose it's habit.

Anyway..... Instead of getting upset, you should be getting hold of the people I/we buy boaty stuff from, and get them on the site..

every cloud has a silver lining and all that.

When you start to threaten ebay, they will probably make you an offer you cant refuse, and we'll not see you for dust!

 

[Sixpence]

Not my intention to be honest , if I involve too many big firms too quickly things loose the personal touch , at the moment I can still ring people if there is a problem , which I've done a few times , so when was the last time you spoke to a person at e bay ?
and before I get any accusations from others , as far as I know , nobody is selling anything like the item asked for , if you want an argument just wait until I say something about something that is listed /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[poter]

Richard......brill.

I will see how it goes in the Med......

thanks

poter. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[Nick_H]

I used a smartbridge on the last boat with an external aeriel, not the cheapest option but worked very well.

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