Can this be used to establish a connection with an unencrypted public access point? Or is it intended only to be used as an intranetwork bridge-i.e. from your home AP to another client? If not, is there a powerline device on the market that acts as an antenna receiver over building power lines to pick up such a signal. I live in an apartment and no outside antennas allowed. Also, is there a portable adapter that will convert usb connection and allow me to insert my pcmcia radio into it so I can use on a pc that does not have a pcmcia slot via the usb port? I'd really like replies that try to answer the questions I have posed. Thanks.
Two power line devices, one on each end. Plug a wire from each into the local router. Nothing wireless about it.
From where are you trying to obtain the signal?
What sort of PCMCIA radio are you talking about?
They make routers that can handle PCMCIA, USB and, I believe one brand even handles both. If you're talking about a cellular data modem card, that is. I seem to recall seeing somewhere a device that would take a PCMCIA card and plug into USB. But good luck trying to make any sense of the driver software necessary to get it working.
There are also PCI cards you can put in the PC that would allow inserting a PCMCIA card; either into the back of the card or to a drive bay.
The consumer powerline bridges will do the bridging for any ethernet connection from one point in a household to another. Ocasionally the will reach beyond, other times won't even fully cover the house. Signal they carry is not restricted, could be a local network or connection to a Wide Area Network.
?If not, is there a
No. You would have to have an ethernet client bridge on the end that acted as an antenna receiver, as you call it. The powerline bridge will act as the " cable " to your local network.
Try pointing out a window. They are generally transparent to wifi.
Don't think so. Just get a USB or ethernet client adapter/bridge. Personally, I'm leaning towards ethernet bridges as they require no drivers and can have really long extensions. They also allow multiple clients to connect. Downside is that they require their own power supply and USB does not. USB is limited to 15' extension. And after buying the extension, it's as much as buying a cheap ethernet adapter.
Anecdote: my windows were transparent to WiFi until I upgraded to Low-E coated glass. Now I do a whole lot better by pointing directly at the wall and avoiding the window glass.
USB can be extended further by using one or more active 'repeater' cables, such as this one:
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maybe not that exact one since the reviews are bad, but that type.
seaweedsl wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@q30g2000prq.googlegroups.com:
Confused. Here you say that the signal is not restricted and could pick up wide area network. I am trying to connect to a free AP of unknown origin, which I know exists and can get easily with my pcmcia radio card, but don't have pcmcia slot on my desktop, which I am wanting to connect to the same signal. Later below you say that there is no device that acts as antenna receiver over power lines. Please clarify.
see above. Isn't this contradicting your earlier paragraph where you say that there is no restriction on signal the devices in question receive? Perhaps I am not understanding correctly. The powerline devices I cited in my OP can act as receivers, correct, so why can't I use them to pick up wifi AP signal of unknown location and origin? But then you say they are too weak?
Actually window seems to make little difference as I tested my laptop and got a good signal right through the wall.
This is my other thought, HOWEVER, everything I read about usb radios say they are crap and too weak to catch anything except a very close signal. Some build parabolic antennas for them as an assist, but I wonder if even that will boost the signal enough.
Ethernet bridge is too expensive and a pain in the butt to setup. 15feet is fine for my purposes, but ONLY if the usb is a good one, which I hear none of them are.
"Bill Kearney" wrote in news:-YOdnQrTsKXg1B_UnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@speakeasy.net:
Sorry guess I was not clear. I am wanting to use one of them as a receiver to an unknown distant access point which I get easily from my pcmcia laptop. It's not a LAN or pc to pc connect.
Problem is I want to connect my desktop which has not pcmcia slot.
So, it's either usb, which is too weak most people say, or ??? Not doing ethernet bridge(too expensive and hardware intensive) and I don't use a router. All my wifi packets are encrypted and my firewall is quite good.
not sure, it's a strong one though. looking for adapter so I can plug it into the usb port on the desktop.
Yah I saw those but I want something more portable as the pc is old.
Char Jackson wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:
wifi signal frequency doesn't care if it's a window as long as there is no metal or water in it. ur right.
don't need repeater here only about 10 ft stretch, if that. just need a way to use my pcmcia card on my desktop which has no card slot for it, only usb. I am sure there is an adapter out there, just have not found it yet. Might have to go to putting a card in the back of the old dinosaur, but is questionable if even that will work.
NOTE: If anyone knows of a GOOD usb radio that compares well with the good pcmcia radios, PLEAZZZZ let me know! Thanks.
Char Jackson wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:
Why are you the local wifi net cop? No, it's a case of MYOB. And guess what, it's legal. not that I have to justify myself to you, but there are many, many free, freely available at their owners discretion, wifi hotspots. No need to feed yet another capitalist pig to connect to the net.
who you been listening too? I (and several tens of thousands of others in both RV's and boats that travel around) use this to zoom into signals from hotspots/clubhouses/etc..... Been around for years, starting with 802.11 b, then g, and now N)...... Hi Gain Wireless-300N USB Dish Adapter (For Windows)
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as for radios, how bout free? check out
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(about 1500+ free internet shoutcast radio stations, works with wifi, fraid if you want more stations than that you have to pay, oh yeah, and 800+ free tv things too)
I (and several tens of thousands of others in both RV's and boats that travel around) use this to zoom into signals from hotspots/clubhouses/etc..... Been around for years, starting with 802.11 b, then g, and now N)...... Hi Gain Wireless-300N USB Dish Adapter (For Windows)
formatting link
as for radios, how bout free? check out
formatting link
(about 1500+ free internet shoutcast radio stations, works with wifi, fraid if you want more stations than that you have to pay, oh yeah, and 800+ free tv things too)
There are such adapters, but there's no guarantee that they'll work with your unspecified model laptop, uspecified operating system, and unspecfied PCMCIA wireless card. They're made for running Cellular wireless cards on laptops without PCMCIA slots, but might work with some random card, laptop, and operating system. I couldn't find anything specific to running Wi-Fi cards using these:
I said "carry" not "pick up". Confusion is, I was referring to Powerline networking in general. It can carry signals, it's not a radio, it's a wire, effectively. Yes, the model you linked is the one that has an AP built in to the powerline part and I glossed that, sorry.
I'm just saying Powerline Networking acts as an ethernet cable.
No, they have firmware to act as Access Points not as Clients. I don't think anybody has hacked them yet, that's all they can do.
Nope. The radios are much the same in USB and PCMCIA cards. The difference is the antenna system. The tiny USB PIFA antennas are not large enough to be useful at long range. Few USB radios have diversity receive. PCMCIA cards have room for two larger antennas, with diversity receive. However, with an external antenna connector, both USB and PCMCIA devices are about equal. It's the extenal antennas that make them work. Bigger is generally better.
Yep.
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Yep. Old stuff.
I started this a year ago:
These are access points, but I had planned to add client radios. The general idea was to setup my own tests at home. Lack of time, interest, and medical diversions prevented much furthur progess.
Get a USB radio with an external antenna connector or get a wireless access point with a client mode and connect using ethernet. Get an external antenna with some gain. A dish reflector might work with a USB radio, but I can't tell from here.
Thanks for the good reply, I will take a look at the links. Concerning your remark that I might be better off with a usb client adapter, I have seen many surround a usb device with a home made parabolic dish reflector. However, there seems to be universal concensus that usb radios are too weak and cannot match the power of the better pcmcia cards. I think you stated in an earlier post that this was related to their integrated antennas? The seattle wireless page on usb adapter specs seems to have disappeared. That was the only good comparison I could find and it was not very good, nor complete. Someone needs to test all these devices as it is hard to find good info on them, especially relating to receive sensitivity. I might just have to buy a few at a ok return store and test them to see if any work. I have doing this as it is time intensive and not very good for either me or the store.
Jeff Liebermann wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:
seaweedsl wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@p36g2000prp.googlegroups.com:
thanks for the good reply. this usb adapter with external antenna jack looks good. using my laptop now with slow connection so can I ask if you're using an antenna cable to extend the reach of your omni antenna with this usb client adapter and does the same outfit sell that cable with the antenna they sell; how long is it? Or does the cable have to be ordered separately? also, might be easier to use a usb device surrounded in a home made dish antenna rather than using an omni which is not as efficient for directional reception.
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