Boosting your WiFi signal
On my router it only lists DCHP clients, ie those devices for which the router has doled out an ip address. The computers with fixed addresses as set by me don't show up. Not the most useful of distinctions.
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More WiFi Madness
Some aluminum sheet, a USB cable, a USB plug-in, epoxy all over the garage floor, and hey presto, 15 sources within view, one open down in the town (most towns here have free wifi).
This little device would fit very well inside a top hat, methinks, cable down neck into concealed netbook.......
This little device would fit very well inside a top hat, methinks, cable down neck into concealed netbook.......
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Mr. Optimistic, I just venture to query your arithmetic in your post 19. Are you sticking with a fifth of 0.1 metres being 20 cms? I don't know about the original wavelength calculation so perhaps the wavelength was 1m and only finger trouble gave the 0.1 metre so perhaps the 20cms. is correct after all (but for the wrong reason!).
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...along with being illegal. Expect a knock on the door from Ofcom
Town Halls here in Catalunia - big, medium and village - have been falling over themselves to install free WiFi for the residents. The way it works is you pop into the Town Hall with your Padro', which shows you are registered in that Community, and they give you your password. And that's it.
Why do the Town Halls do this ? Estimates of costs, the Town Hall budget for the forthcoming year, etc., on which a juicy subsidy from the government of Catalunia is allocated to each Town Hall, are based on how many residents each Town Hall has registered on the Padro' so the more names they get, the better. And free WiFi which costs the Town Halls virtually nothing, is a good bait to dangle in front of the residents' noses.
Non-residents ? They just pop along to the local bar, since they are allowed to offer free WiFi to everyone who buys a drink.....
Town Halls here in Catalunia - big, medium and village - have been falling over themselves to install free WiFi for the residents. The way it works is you pop into the Town Hall with your Padro', which shows you are registered in that Community, and they give you your password. And that's it.
Why do the Town Halls do this ? Estimates of costs, the Town Hall budget for the forthcoming year, etc., on which a juicy subsidy from the government of Catalunia is allocated to each Town Hall, are based on how many residents each Town Hall has registered on the Padro' so the more names they get, the better. And free WiFi which costs the Town Halls virtually nothing, is a good bait to dangle in front of the residents' noses.
Non-residents ? They just pop along to the local bar, since they are allowed to offer free WiFi to everyone who buys a drink.....
Quote:
Originally Posted by mixture
Concentrating your WiFi signals into a more focused beam sounds like a lovely way to get yourself a brain tumour.
And then:
...along with being illegal. Expect a knock on the door from Ofcom*
Interesting. Not sure that it's illegal dunnunder. People are using dishes screens and yagis quite openly to squirt WiFi (and wireless internet) in the desired direction and have been for years.
So the use of signal enhancing devices for WiFI appears to be widespread in Aus without any apparent offense being taken by the authorities.
Perhaps they don't care. But somehow I don't think there's a problem.
Originally Posted by mixture
Concentrating your WiFi signals into a more focused beam sounds like a lovely way to get yourself a brain tumour.
And then:
...along with being illegal. Expect a knock on the door from Ofcom*
So the use of signal enhancing devices for WiFI appears to be widespread in Aus without any apparent offense being taken by the authorities.
Perhaps they don't care. But somehow I don't think there's a problem.
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US EIRP is 4W for 802.11b, so you can probably run at full power with an antenna having 12 dB gain.
Much of the rest of the world is 100 mW EIRP, with Japan being at a slightly odd 10 mW/MHz & China being a flat 10 mW EIRP. In Japan, that means you can only use 50 mW even at 0 dB gain. In China, unless things have changed recently, you can't use any antenna above 3 dB gain. Dunno about Australia. Numbers are different for 11a, especially in the US.
Much of the rest of the world is 100 mW EIRP, with Japan being at a slightly odd 10 mW/MHz & China being a flat 10 mW EIRP. In Japan, that means you can only use 50 mW even at 0 dB gain. In China, unless things have changed recently, you can't use any antenna above 3 dB gain. Dunno about Australia. Numbers are different for 11a, especially in the US.
My arithmetic is ALWAYS suspect, and the theory can be a bit wobbly too, especially if I am too lazy to go read the books (which I am).
Edit: just been to look, erm mm not cm was the source of my embarrassment.
Edit: just been to look, erm mm not cm was the source of my embarrassment.
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is the most brilliant thing for boosting WIFI reception 
It is quite small and nowhere near as directional as one might expect, but obviously you need to be discrete when using it.
I find just leaving it in a backpack is good enough, to pick up an unsecured access point.
It is one of the best things I have ever bought for travelling, and I pack it on every long holiday. Even in hotels with "free wifi" it has proved essential most of the time.
Wifi is becoming a rarity in Europe these days. On a recent trip to northern Greece (Kavala area) I found not one single open access point. Loads of commercial ones. Pretty obviously the operator did a sweep of the area and knocked on thousands of doors to get the residents to secure them.
Still, nothing beats an E585 with a local SIM. I got 3GB in Greece for 15 euros for 10 days. If you can get a local SIM like that, forget WIFI. In these "late developing" countries, 3G is almost everywhere - unlike the UK.
It is quite small and nowhere near as directional as one might expect, but obviously you need to be discrete when using it.
I find just leaving it in a backpack is good enough, to pick up an unsecured access point.
It is one of the best things I have ever bought for travelling, and I pack it on every long holiday. Even in hotels with "free wifi" it has proved essential most of the time.
Wifi is becoming a rarity in Europe these days. On a recent trip to northern Greece (Kavala area) I found not one single open access point. Loads of commercial ones. Pretty obviously the operator did a sweep of the area and knocked on thousands of doors to get the residents to secure them.
Still, nothing beats an E585 with a local SIM. I got 3GB in Greece for 15 euros for 10 days. If you can get a local SIM like that, forget WIFI. In these "late developing" countries, 3G is almost everywhere - unlike the UK.
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Wifi is becoming a rarity in Europe these days
???????? Not Spain.
From my terrace I can 'see' about 10 wifi spots of which two are open (public service) and one more open (idiot neighbour). Most of the 'closed' spots only require you to sign up. Other towns in Catalunia are the same: Figueras has a good completely open system.
Most Spanish cafés round here offer WiFi for free.
IO540, buy it from amazon US, far cheaper. Or make a cantenna, then nobody will know what you've got.
???????? Not Spain.
From my terrace I can 'see' about 10 wifi spots of which two are open (public service) and one more open (idiot neighbour). Most of the 'closed' spots only require you to sign up. Other towns in Catalunia are the same: Figueras has a good completely open system.
Most Spanish cafés round here offer WiFi for free.
IO540, buy it from amazon US, far cheaper. Or make a cantenna, then nobody will know what you've got.
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Ah, perhaps because I don't have a UK address.
I know it's an enormous thread drift, but when I order stuff from the USA to be sent to Spain it doesn't bother the Spanish authorities at all, but when I have items sent from the USA to the UK (even small very cheap items) they are frequently intercepted and have to be collected (usually unopened) from The Authorities so they can administer a slap on the wrist if necessary.
I know it's an enormous thread drift, but when I order stuff from the USA to be sent to Spain it doesn't bother the Spanish authorities at all, but when I have items sent from the USA to the UK (even small very cheap items) they are frequently intercepted and have to be collected (usually unopened) from The Authorities so they can administer a slap on the wrist if necessary.
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Help Please - It's a bit technical
I have just purchased a new laptop. The system is Win7. My office uses WIFI picked up from the office above (with their permission, included in the rent). It is too weak to pick up without boosting. I have been using a Realtek USB Wireless Lan Driver and Utility system with a booster and external antenna. The driver is a RTL8187_windriver. It will not work on Win7. I have tried every way to get a compatible driver for Win7. Have down loaded one, was told by the computer that it was not compatible and it would find me one on the internet that is. It did that, downloaded that and it still doesn't work. Any idea boffins? I can't run a cable from their system due to the distance.
I currently have to go up to the taverna above to work and this is not good for the liver
I currently have to go up to the taverna above to work and this is not good for the liver
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Bushfiva, Many thanks. I looked at this page and downloaded one but it didn't work. I am not very technical. Which one do you think I need?
I have just removed the driver which my computer thought that I needed it was: 'RTL818SE Wireless Lan Driver'
Thanks also for your advise Mike, but it was working fine on my other computer it is just a case of getting the correct driver, I am sure. The current hardware was not cheap and in this location takes weeks to arrive. I need to sort the problem out very fast.
I have just removed the driver which my computer thought that I needed it was: 'RTL818SE Wireless Lan Driver'
Thanks also for your advise Mike, but it was working fine on my other computer it is just a case of getting the correct driver, I am sure. The current hardware was not cheap and in this location takes weeks to arrive. I need to sort the problem out very fast.
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Either "RTL8187B, UI and Driver auto install package(Support XP/Vista/Win7) version 1181", or "RTL8187L Windows7 InstallPackage (Beta) version 1316(Beta)"
I don't know which would be most appropriate. If neither work, you may want to try uninstalling the existing driver before installing again.
But, I think RTL8187 is supported by Windows Update, so I don't know why you are having problems.
Edit: Your first post referred to 8187. Were you mistaken?
I don't know which would be most appropriate. If neither work, you may want to try uninstalling the existing driver before installing again.
But, I think RTL8187 is supported by Windows Update, so I don't know why you are having problems.
Edit: Your first post referred to 8187. Were you mistaken?