Wireless USB External Antena

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
Ned said:
Check out the Hawking HWU54D adapter.? It has gotten very good reviews.? It's also a USB adapter and sells for ~$50.
Click to expand...

OK Ned, suppose I buy the Hawking and use it as an external antena. How long can the USB cable be? Enough to run it out a window and up the the RV roof? Will that work?
 
USB specifies a maximum length of 5 meters (about 16 feet).  To go longer, you need a USB repeater.
 
CORRECTION

In a previous post is said:
gain is a term relative to a half-wave dipole antenna which is assumed to have a gain of one (1).
Click to expand...

That was not correct. The a half-wave dipole is assumed to have a gain of zero (0)dB.

In researching the Hawking antennas, I found they specify the gain in dBi which is the power output at any point of an isotropic (think tennis ball) antenna. A half-wave dipole at 0dB is actually 2.15 dBi. Both dB and dBi are commonly used, so when you're comparing antenna gain, make sure you're comparing apples to apples. 
 
I am at an RV Park that just had a local ISP install their free wi-fi. This company has installed wi-fi at a resort here as wellas other places but this is first RV park. The RV park is a little unusual since it runs in a relativley straight line along a river and the RV's back in so the multi-path of rigs alone is severe. However, problems abound even with a clear LOS. The SS drops to near zero in hot mid-day (a coincidence?) and although it show Excellent on startup on a laptop it fades to eith Low or very Low over time. Ignoring the physicals of the CG; my question involves the installation of the AP which is on roof of office which sits midway between each half of park.? It appears to be a D-Link 7700 Managed AP. The antennas are oreinted in a line parallel to the river which seems to me to be 90 degrees from what one would expect unless the theory is that each antenna is covering its respective portion of park. My understanding of two antennas wa sthat they would provide diversity and thus should be oreinted in a fashion to achieve that end. Any comments ???
 

Attachments

  • D-Link 7700.JPG
    D-Link 7700.JPG
    12.4 KB · Views: 12
Those antennas are probably diversity switched.  They aren't dipoles but verticals.  The diversity switch will use which ever antenna had the best signal at any given time.  They are not used at the same time.  Many common access points, like the Linksys WRT54G, have diversity switched antennas.
 
Ned said:
Those antennas are probably diversity switched.? They aren't dipoles but verticals.? The diversity switch will use which ever antenna had the best signal at any given time.? They are not used at the same time.? Many common access points, like the Linksys WRT54G, have diversity switched antennas.
Click to expand...

I agree but that is exactly my question.  They do not "face" the line of rigs but 90 degrees to it. How can a signal get to the antenna that is directly behind or in front of the other one ?? You will only get a signal to one antenna as I see it. I think the installation is wrong in this case.
 
With diversity switching, it doesn't matter how the antennas are oriented.  Only the antenna receiving the stronger signal will be used at any time.
 
Ned said:
With diversity switching, it doesn't matter how the antennas are oriented.? Only the antenna receiving the stronger signal will be used at any time.
Click to expand...

Maybe kicking a dead horse here but the thoery of multi-pathing and diversity is that by having the offset one can recieve signal from various directions . One behind the other in this particular application defeats that purpose. In fact, I have used NetStumbler to measure and record the signal around the antenna for the 270 degrees (the balance is in the river) and it is clearly much stronger in the direction where one can see the two. I haven't totally relied on this data because I didn't bring my wardriving gear on this trip so have had to rely on a Orinoco silver card and manual pointing.   
 
blueblood said:
Maybe kicking a dead horse here but the thoery of multi-pathing and diversity is that by having the offset one can recieve signal from various directions . One behind the other in this particular application defeats that purpose. In fact, I have used NetStumbler to measure and record the signal around the antenna for the 270 degrees (the balance is in the river) and it is clearly much stronger in the direction where one can see the two. I haven't totally relied on this data because I didn't bring my wardriving gear on this trip so have had to rely on a Orinoco silver card and manual pointing.   
Click to expand...

Multi-path is not the direct straight line path so the front antenna is not really blocking anything.

Phil
 
Phil said:
Multi-path is not the direct straight line path so the front antenna is not really blocking anything.

Phil
Click to expand...

Unless one had an extremely wide beam, I don't see how a path would get to hidden antenna in the open environment in this park where the only obstruction io an Rx signal would be a couple of very tall pines - one in forground and one well to rear and left of antenna. When I did my Net Stumbler check the one pine did come into play and affected signal strength but only when I was aiming through it.
 
Best - a directional yagi antenna.  Can be attached to the TV batwing and aimed.
Easiest - Hang it out the window or run the cable out the window to the roof.  Use an omnidirectional antenna or a yagi and climb up to point it.
Cheapest - Whatever you can find for the lowest price once you choose the antenna style and amount of effort you want to expend to install and/or aim it.

Be sure that the wireless adapter you buy will accept an external antenna, not all of them will.  My recommendation is to get something like the Hawking HWU54D which is higher power than most other adapters and includes a directional antenna.
 
robnfl said:
would like to be able to maximize my wifi capabilities.
Click to expand...

Rob, just for clarification, you are talking WiFi, not wireless using a phone service, right? If so, Ned provided a response.

Many folks here use a phone service, some using a cable that connets their phone to their PC, while others use a PCMCIA card that is inserted in a notebook and transmits/receives data over phone service.
 
Thanks for the info Ned. Just wondering if it would be better to get one of those magnetic mount type antennas and permanently mount it or go with a directional type (Hawking HWU54D) and either throw it on the roof when stopped or use it in the coach.

Tom-Yeah, I'm definitely talking about wifi. I'm using cingular for phone service and they do offer an internet data service, but I'd have to purchase a PC card and sign a 2 year contract.

Rob
 
OK thanks for clarification Rob. Yes, Cingular is moving all their AT&T customers to GSM and that could rob many folks of their old internet access via thei cel phone
 
Rob, that depends on the phone and the service. Folks here might be able to answer the question if you tell us which phone you have. Alternatively, I understand there's a lot of help available at a Yahoo group that someone might be able to post the URL for.
 
I have a motorola V-551 with cingular service. I saw the link to the Yahoo group in another post, but unfortunately the firewall here at work won't allow me to open that page. And...unfortunately, I don't have any internet service in the RV (which is where I'm living right now). I guess I'll have to do some wardriving and find a hotspot ;D so I can check out the user group.

Rob
 
According to phonescoop.com, your Motorola V551 is a data-capable phone and uses GPRS technology, which Cingular refers to as EDGE.  Actual speeds will be in the 30-40 kbps range, about the same performance as a land line.There is pretty decent EDGE data coverage in the US now and there are several ways to obtain access without spending a fortune.  You will want to investigate the Internetbycellphone Yahoo group and view the Cingular Tutorial stored in the groups Files section. 

The URL for the group is:  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/InternetByCellPhone/

 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Members online

Total: 1,279 (members: 44, guests: 1,235)

Forum statistics

Threads
131,970
Posts
1,388,424
Members
137,721
Latest member
Dmac3003
Back
Top Bottom