Wireless Laptops

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

I have a laptop with a built in wireless card and an internal antenna.
Is there any way I can increase the range of my wireless connection? I
want to do this for when I'm on the road and using mapquest, etc.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

idonthavebio@gmail.com wrote:
> I have a laptop with a built in wireless card and an internal antenna.
> Is there any way I can increase the range of my wireless connection? I
> want to do this for when I'm on the road and using mapquest, etc.


What are you going to be connecting through, your cellphone/PDA? You
certainly don't mean increasing the range of your wireless card so you
can reach your home's router from 10 miles away =P It just sounded like
you were talking about using your wireless card for the internet, but
maybe you're talking about bluetooth to a cellphone or something like
that. If you give more information about your wireless carrier then
maybe people can be more informative w/their responses.. just a suggestion.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

I mean to use my laptop around the city through free hotspots, and a
wider range would mean better internet access in more places.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

idonthavebio@gmail.com wrote in news:1113796328.991380.232140
@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:

> I mean to use my laptop around the city through free hotspots, and a
> wider range would mean better internet access in more places.

If your 'free hotspots' are legit hotspots (coffee shops, etc) you will see
no benefit to updating your wireless setup. even the lowest-grade wireless
connection is faster than highspeed internet.

ie: If you're sitting in Starbucks with a "very low" signal instead of an
"excellent" signal, it's purely academic unless you're transferring actual
files from computer -> computer. Both give you the same speed internet
connection.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

I was hoping that with an antenna, I would be able to get *any* signal
from a greater distance, not necessarily have faster speed while
sitting at starbucks. I know there are such antennas for pcmcia
wireless cards, but I do not know how to get a similar set up for an
internal antenna/wireless card.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

idonthavebio@gmail.com wrote:

> I was hoping that with an antenna, I would be able to get *any* signal
> from a greater distance, not necessarily have faster speed while
> sitting at starbucks. I know there are such antennas for pcmcia
> wireless cards, but I do not know how to get a similar set up for an
> internal antenna/wireless card.

Basically unless you want to mount the laptop at the focus of a parabolic
antenna or open it up and run cabling for an external antenna connection
you can't do what you want to do.

Personally I think you'd be better off to get a cellphone plan with data
service than to rely on wifi hotspots.

If you're on the road a lot you really should investigate Mappoint, Delorme,
or one of the other products that stores the maps on your computer. And
get a GPS to go with it.

--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

<idonthavebio@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1113955208.030999.236780@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
Date: 19 Apr 2005 17:00:08 -0700

I was hoping that with an antenna, I would be able to get *any*
signal from a greater distance, not necessarily have faster speed
while sitting at starbucks. I know there are such antennas for
pcmcia wireless cards, but I do not know how to get a similar set
up for an internal antenna/wireless card.

Well without knowing what kind of laptop with built in WiFi or the type
of antenna or anything. But what kind of range are you trying for?
Something say within 150 feet? Well that is pretty much the norm,
actually.

Not to say you can't do better! As at the Deathcom conference (for
hackers), one group pulled off a range of 51 miles in Vegas (with their
home built directional antenna). To this very day, I swear they cheated
by climbing a mountain. <sigh>


Cheers!


______________________________________________
Bill (using a Toshiba 2595XDVD & Windows 2000)
-- written and edited within Word 2000