Hi-Gain Wireless-G Dish Adapter

[JerArdra]

3/2/2006

ALL,

Because my SysLink Wireless B adapter did not work as well as I wanted it to at Quartzsite in January and also in preparation for Moab 2006 I have purchased a Hawking model HWU8DD Hi-Gain USB Wireless-G Dish Adapter.  It comes with a 5 foot USB cable but you can always buy a USB extension cord to reach further in your Motorhome.  It has a power light, link connected light, and 5 signal strength lights on the front of the unit.  It is 4" wide by 4-1/4" deep by 5" high and it is "cute."  See the two photos which have a can of Campbells Tomato Soup next to my cute little dish so you get some sort of perspective as to its size.

When I turned it on it immediately connected to a network named default.  It must be a neighbor but I don't know who.  The signal strength was only 34% but by turning the dish (pointing it) it went up to 46-48%.  The Line Quality was 74% and later went to 81%.  At this point I ran a speed test and it was 2728 Kbps download and 668 Kbps upload.

BTW, the Fry's stock number is 4724469.  It cost $69.99 and if it works well at Moab it's worth every penny of it to me.

On more feature, it can be either a station (which is how I will use it) or an access poiint if you wanted to let someone else connect through your PC.  It works both ways.

JerryF

 

[Ned]

The Hawkings are well known as excellent WiFi adapters.? I have a HWU54D and it sees a lot more networks than my previous Orinoco card with external antenna.? The Hawkings have a 6db gain antenna which helps tremendously.

 

[Ron]

I'm sure you will be very satisfied with that Hawking wireless adaptor. BTW that dish antenna id 8dbi gain.

 

[John From Detroit]

I have a somewhat related question......

As some of you may know my laptop lost it's backlight at QZ, so I had it replaced when I got back to Vegas... Well, Wi-Fi (built in) has not worked properly since... Suspect that when we pulled the backlight we messed up the wi-fi antenna(s) on the thinkpad.

Does anyone know of an external "High gain" antenna adapter for these mini-card internal Wi-Fi Cards?

(I'm hard wired here at home, and in the rig, but I'd love to go wi-fi in the rig)

 

[Tom]

John,

Wilson Antenna is the place you want. Do a Google for them. FWIW there was a WT dealer in the tent at QZ.

 

[Ned]

Unless the computer provides for an external antenna, there is no way to attach one to a mini-PCI adapter that's internal to the computer.  I don't know of any notebook computers that allow an external WiFi antenna.  If you need the better receptivity of an external antenna, then you're better off with a USB adapter like the Hawking.

 

[Tom]

Oops, I misuderstood and assumed John was asking about a PCMCIA card.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

According to a couple reports I have seen online, the new HWU8DD is more narrowly directional than the HWU54D, so it requires more careful alignment with the signal.  Gain is still about the same, though.  One of the reports came from a guy I personally know to be knowledgeable and he owns both models, so it is probably reliable, at least insofar as the conditions at the time/place he compared the two.

If that is the case, most people will be happier with an HWU54D, since it is less sensitive to position.

 

[John From Detroit]

To both Tom and Ned,  Thanks.

The problem is not signal strength, it's that when we replaced the backlight on my laptop, the internal antennas got messed up... I may be able to fix them but I'm not holding my breath....

I do have a spare PCMCIA WI-FI card floating about the house somewhere  That is option 2