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Directional WiFi

December 19, 2010, 09:22:28 am

Has anyone bought or made a directional WiFi setup to use in RV Parks where WiFi signals are weak? If so, please share your knowledge and give some details on how it hooks up to your laptop.

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Re: Directional WiFi

Reply #1 – December 19, 2010, 09:40:02 am

Kent,

I use the Rogue Wave WiFi:  Rogue Wave | Wave Wifi, the #1 Name in Marine Wifi, Yacht Wifi, Marina Wifi &

They have both directional and omni directional boosters.  Works great-- well worth the money if you are tired of signals fading in and out. Tried it the first time this summer in Dumas, TX (city park).  Without booster zero hot spots.  With booster, brought in 5 and logged into a coffee shop no where near us.

Bought it from this dealer: Land and Sea WiFi

Brett

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Re: Directional WiFi

Reply #2 – December 19, 2010, 10:27:24 am

Kent:

We have been using the Super USB WiFi Antenna II for the past few years. It is not as good as an outdoor antenna, but it plugs directly into your USB port and extends to any interior wall or window.
See: C. Crane Company - WiFi Antennas - Toll Free (800) 522-8863
200 U270

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Re: Directional WiFi

Reply #3 – December 19, 2010, 10:45:24 am

Most laptop computers have a built-in WiFi radio adapter where the WiFi antenna is part of the laptop lid and an external antenna cannot be added.
 
An external radio adapter can plugged into a USB or Ethernet port and be used instead of the computer's built-in radio.  Sometimes the external radio has a place where an external WiFi antenna can be plugged in which can greatly increase the ability of the radio to communicate with a distant WiFi radio access-point hot-spot.
 
Some external radios are more powerful than others.
 
We use an external WiFi Pepwave Surf Mini radio with a small external directional antenna and find it works pretty well. An larger directional WiFi antenna can easily be used with the Pepwave.
 
The Pepwave connects to a router or computer with an Ethernet connection. Or it can connect to multiple computers via WiFi with its built-in Hot-Spot bridge capability.
 
Advanced Search : 3Gstore.com, pepwave
http://3gstore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=200&products_id=1910
 
The WaveGuide is another type of bridge and uses a non-directional WiFi antenna

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Re: Directional WiFi

Reply #4 – December 19, 2010, 12:07:41 pm

Hello everyone,

We depend on wifi hotspots while on the road. Reception is only poor to fair with a stock laptop. The plastic laptops seem to work better than the metal ones but still mediocre. Enter the external amplifier and external antenna. Here are a couple of great solutions. First the amplifier that plugs into your USB port on Macs or PC. Alfa AWUS036NH 802.11n WIRELESS-N USB Wi-Fi adapter 2 watt  Alfa AWUS036NH 802.11n WIRELESS-N USB Wi-Fi adapter 2 watt This is the most powerful I could find and at about $36 is a real buy. It has an existing short antenna that can be removed and a cable leading to a small or large external antenna plugged in. I bought a parabolic antenna and with the Alfa, I can go across San Francisco Bay and connect. See ebay: 2.4GHz 24dbi Directional Parabolic Grid WiFi Antenna - eBay (item 370428225540  This antenna is VERY directional and can take up a bit of room. I use a satellite tripod for mine. They also make omni directional antennas with good gain that take up less space in the compartment. If you buy the Alfa and are a MAC user, download Kismac and install FIRST as your ONLY driver from: trac.kismac-ng.org/  It will work on most plug-in wifi amplifiers and will allow you to do several other things. Keep all 2.4GHz cable runs to a minimum by using USB extension cables wherever possible. If using the Alfa with it's small antenna in a car/motorhome, placing it on the roof or out the window works great too.

Best for the holidays

Pierce & Gaylie
93' U300/36

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Re: Directional WiFi

Reply #5 – December 19, 2010, 04:52:32 pm

We're running a Deliberant CPE-2 directional external panel antenna with amplifier.  I have it mounted on our Batwing mast with ethernet connection into our router/access point.  Mostly we use an aircard for internet, but when there is free WIFI (or maybe not free but fast), we use the Deliberant.  It was really great this summer when we were camping in friends' driveways.

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Re: Directional WiFi

Reply #6 – December 19, 2010, 05:18:30 pm

I am running an iantenna 300 omni directional boosted wifi antenna. It helps bring in distant signals. In a rest stop that is the welcome center that has wifi inside the building I can get a signal at the coach and I can get a signal if the laptop will not pick it up. I also run my mifi card through it as well and use the router to push out a stronger signal than the mifi card can do alone. 

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