going wireless

[ultraport]

between now and when I get new home service I am stuck on this
dreadful iPhone
<violins playing>

planning to go wireless BUT WITH A REAL KEYBOARD AND MONITOR

anybody use this type of device
  Alfa 1000mw 1W Waterproof Marine high power Long Range Outdoor
802.11 G USB CPE wireless network Wifi Adaptor with Integrated 12dBi
2.4GHz Antenna

I have a legitimate use for it but it looks like it might be fun to
play with too

 

[Paul]

between now and when I get new home service I am stuck on this
dreadful iPhone
<violins playing>

planning to go wireless BUT WITH A REAL KEYBOARD AND MONITOR

anybody use this type of device
Alfa 1000mw 1W Waterproof Marine high power Long Range Outdoor
802.11 G USB CPE wireless network Wifi Adaptor with Integrated 12dBi
2.4GHz Antenna

I have a legitimate use for it but it looks like it might be fun to
play with too

There is a long winded review article here (in the customer reviews),
that discusses the power the thing is allowed to use. The FCC gives
you a free license (you don't have to register or anything), up to
a certain power level. And that power level takes into account
Effective Radiated Power (you can violate the limit, if you
use a fancy enough antenna).

http://www.amazon.com/Alfa-802-11b-Wireless-Original-9dBi/dp/B001O9X9EU

With some antennas, the dBi improvement, comes at the expense of the
radiation pattern. For example, if you live in a two story house,
a fancy antenna can prevent a second story tenant, from being able
to Wifi with a first floor router. The signal goes further on the
second floor level, but the signal is lost on the first floor. And
it's a function of the radiation pattern that comes with a directional
antenna.

Antenna radiating patterns are three-dimensional. To pump more power
in a particular direction, means stealing power from another
direction. So be careful what you wish for.

http://www.antenna-theory.com/antennas/travelling/yagi6.jpg

Extra power isn't always what it's cracked up to be. In one
lab experiment, the reviewer installed an RF absorbing mat into
the lab, and the computer data transfer rate went up. If there
are significant reflections in the environment, a high RF power
can actually make things worse.

In isolated circumstances (you're in a farm house by yourself,
trying to reach the barn), all this dBi nonsense and high power
output gear makes sense. In an apartment building, it might be
worse than your low-power built-in Wifi (spend the money, and
be very unhappy). Wifi is fickle.

Paul

 

[ultraport]

(e-mail address removed) wrote:
....

In isolated circumstances (you're in a farm house by yourself,
trying to reach the barn), all this dBi nonsense and high power
output gear makes sense. In an apartment building, it might be
worse than your low-power built-in Wifi (spend the money, and
be very unhappy). Wifi is fickle.

It picks up about 10x more access points than my iPhone.

It changes modes, from Station to Access Point.
Might it be used as a Mobile Hotspot? If so, I guess that would
require some codes from the wireless provider.

When I switch to Access Point (I guess), my iPhone sees it as wifi.

I am currently connected to a 1Mbps something. Hopefully a friendly
thing.

 

[John Doe]

I am currently connected to a 1Mbps something. Hopefully a friendly

thing.

Enabling a real monitor and speech recognition... Yea.

I don't think that my iPhone 3G works as an Access Point.
If it did, I suspect it would require a password, at least.

 

[John Doe]

Enabling a real monitor and speech recognition... Yea.

Now I canned spell!

 

[GMAN]

It picks up about 10x more access points than my iPhone.

It changes modes, from Station to Access Point.
Might it be used as a Mobile Hotspot? If so, I guess that would
require some codes from the wireless provider.

When I switch to Access Point (I guess), my iPhone sees it as wifi.

I am currently connected to a 1Mbps something. Hopefully a friendly
thing.

Using someone elses internet connection without their permission is at the
very least tantamount to theft!

 

[ultraport]

Using someone elses internet connection without their permission is at the
very least tantamount to theft!

That's odd... Every time I use your mother without asking, she just
says "thank you".

 

[GMAN]

That's odd... Every time I use your mother without asking, she just
says "thank you".

So you like 70+ year old ladies????

 

[John Doe]

anybody use this type of device Alfa 1000mw 1W Waterproof Marine

high power Long Range Outdoor 802.11 G USB CPE wireless network
Wifi Adaptor with Integrated 12dBi 2.4GHz Antenna

I have a legitimate use for [that long-range WiFi communicator]

Or so I thought. Apparently the Clear Spot Apollo wireless ISP
device (a.k.a. a "hotspot") connects directly to my PC USB port to
provide Internet service at home without a WiFi receiver.

Oh well. There goes $35. Maybe it can be used to put the Hotspot
somewhere away from the computer. But then, I don't want the
additional hop(?) while playing online games. And maybe the USB
cable can be lengthened, instead.

 

[John Doe]

I'm seeing some wireless speeds of 15-17 Mbps down and 1.5 Mbps up,
without even fiddling with the Hotspot location/position.

Even if they throttle me, getting anywhere near those speeds in the
off hours will be great.

OINK!