Wifi Antenna

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Skittles

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A bit off topic but maybe relevant anyway

Need an external antenna for my laptop in order to get wifi signal, wonder if I am better of with a flat panel antenna or a Yagi type?

Any experts here on antenna help would be appreciated.
 
Skittles said:
A bit off topic but maybe relevant anyway

Need an external antenna for my laptop in order to get wifi signal, wonder if I am better of with a flat panel antenna or a Yagi type?

Any experts here on antenna help would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

Into what will you plug the antenna? Surprised if you have a WiFi SMA or similar.

By the way, the licence for WiFi equipment limits the ERP - by adding a higher gain antenna, you legally need to reduce the amplifier output power.
 
Assuming you do get a sensible answer, how/where do you attach it to the WiFi adapter?
I would guess some kind of rubber duck attached to the spreaders would do the trick - a yagi would be too directional and get in the way I think.
 
We have the Alfa on board, which is sooo much better than any internal antenna. Works on the laptop (XP) and the notebook (Win7). Good for about 500 yards from various hot spots around Gosport waterfront. Won't quite reach Alderney Sailling Club Wifi when anchored in the middle of Braye harbour, might need a little height to achieve that.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/High-Gain-L...4AIG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348587672&sr=8-1

A little bit more performance wise is something called the bullet 2 which uses ethernet to connect between the antenna and the laptop so doesn't loose signal in a long coax when mounted outside.

http://www.wifigear.co.uk/ubiquiti-bullet2hp-24ghz-access-pointcpe

Pete
 
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Pete7 said:
We have the Alfa on board, which is sooo much better than any internal antenna. Works on the laptop (XP) and the notebook (Win7). Good for about 500 yards from various hot spots around Gosport waterfront. Won't quite reach Alderney Sailling Club Wifi when anchored in the middle of Braye harbour, might need a little height to achieve that.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/High-Gain-L...4AIG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348587672&sr=8-1

A little bit more performance wise is something called the bullet which uses ethernet to connect between the antenna and the laptop so doesn't loose signal in a long coax when mounted outside.

http://www.wifigear.co.uk/ubiquiti-bullet2hp-24ghz-access-pointcpe

Pete
Click to expand...

I have a Alfa like in the first link with the smaller antenna, was looking at this

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/330765065240?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649
 
I use a similar adapter to PETE7, although mine has a flat-plate antenna (about 3"x2") which is somewhat directional but with a beamwidth of around 45deg. Works very well perched on deck and beamwidth copes with swinging on mooring/anchor.

I do also have an 18 element YAGI. This is highly directional and only useable when completely static - such as when boat is ashore, or maybe in a very calm marina. (Even then I find it necessary to use the flat-plate initially to identify the signal I want to use). Attaches to standard connector on the adapter after removing the flat-plate.
 
nigelmercier said:
Same here, the Alfa AWUS036NH + 7dbi is an excellent bit of kit. I get over 20 Wi-Fi signals on it, my internal card gets 1 or 2.
Click to expand...

I have the same and am very pleased with it - range can be up to 500m. Also when using it even over a longish distance the battery on my Macbook Pro lasts longer than using the internal antenna over a short distance.
 
outdoor antenna

Outdoor antenna 8 db ( all round not directional)

2 km range over the water this week

inexpensive

plugs into usb on computer

with 16 feet of cable


less than 40 pounds complete kit


No more mumbo jumbo or purchasing sepate parts and trying to link them with obscure plugs!


http://store.rokland.com/products/alfa-tube-ug-802-11g-outdoor-long-range-usb-8-dbi-antenna-kit


just a good deal


I have no link with this company

I purchased the UN model


http://store.rokland.com/products/alfa-tube-ug-802-11g-outdoor-long-range-usb-8-dbi-antenna-kit
 
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The higher the gain the bigger the range we had a 12 db one, an American brand not availabe in the UK. Be very careful of networks that don't have a password they have become a hackers dream
 
r_h said:
I have the same and am very pleased with it - range can be up to 500m. Also when using it even over a longish distance the battery on my Macbook Pro lasts longer than using the internal antenna over a short distance.
Click to expand...

I am currently in Spain on the side of a mountain, using the directional aerial I am picking up about 20 connections from the valley below and several are open. I am connected now using one that is at least a kilometer away as there is no habitation closer.
I have also been moored outside St Peter Port harbour and picked up open connections ashore. Its an amazing piece of kit.
 
Also worth noting that if your home ISP is BT, in the UK you have free unlimited and legal WiFi access to any BTWifi/BTFon/BTOpenzone signals you can find. (charges are pretty steep otherwise). In any populated area it is rare not to find at least one signal.
 
Stu Jackson said:
The Alfa has worked for us for over a year now, but we find it hard to get unsecured spots anymore. People seem to be reading the directions when they buy wifi routers these days!
Click to expand...

The Alfa can be used to hack into a WEP network. Not that I am advocating anything illegal, this is purely for testing your own network, should you be foolish enough to use WEP :D
 
If you connect an antenna to a WifI adapter via a long bit of cable then you will have a lot of signal loss. That's why a USB adapter with close coupled antenna is better as there's minimal loss from antenna and obviously no loss in USB cable (well it's digital so will fail if wire is very long).

I've avoided the Alfa AWUS036NH and stuck to AWUS036H (newer 1000mw & older 500mW versions). It's better in real life unless you are connecting to a dedicated N router and most are still G. I believe that this is due to better receive sensitivity to G networks with H model vs. NH.

I've had 5nm range quite often (but line of sight is everything. A marina recently apologised about their WiFi as people had complained that it didn't work from pontoons and I'd need to come to the office. I didn't like to tell them that I'd been using is for 2-3 days from an anchorage 5nm away.

I did try a AWUS036NH from a neighbouring boat but it wouldn't lock to weak G signals as well as my AWUS036H. It has a good chipset and as mentioned earlier is liked for hacking networks (not unique but well supported).

I'm obviously referring to 802.11g & 802.11n standards when I mention G & N above.
 
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