Wireless Equipment Purchase

Jan 22, 2008 3 Replies
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Wireless Equipment Purchase open original image

There are three unsecured wireless networks that are all just out of range to my house. I currently have a linksys travel router (small and cheap) that can detect them but cannot connect, because their signals are all under 5%. I'm only going to stay in my current apartment for the next few months and all of the broadband packages are yearly contracts, so it makes more sense to buy a piece of equipment that will allow me to connect to one of these free networks. What kind of equipment should I look at to expand the range of my current laptop? Should I buy a wireless card with antenna for my laptop, or should I buy a router that's going to relay the signal of one of those wireless networks to my laptop so I can connect?



Any advice would be appreciated.


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C

so it makes more sense to buy a piece of

$10 rebate

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P

Apart from the ethical issues involved in freeloading on someone else's connection, keep in mind that the connections *may* be secure to some extent. E.g., even if I were broadcasting my SSID (which I'm not) and thus making my connection visible, you'd still have to know the password/key and have a permitted IP address and/or MAC address.

I can take my notebook down to the local college campus and see many wireless networks, but I don't know the password to take advantage of any of them.

Perce

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D

If you have the tiny WTR54GS router, I have heard of some users making a corner reflector out of a folded piece of aluminum, or cardboard covered in aluminum foil. This would be placed on a desk with the travel router in the fold, somewhat like the EZ-10 corner reflector on the

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website.

I don't know where the antenna is inside the box, so adjusting the location of the router in the corner would be trial and error. If you supplied the FCC-ID from the box, I could look at pictures.

You might also ask your internet host if you could add the EZ12 Windsurfer reflector to the router/WAP that is providing your signal.

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