The Linksys WUSB11b which I have has a USB
cable between it and the computer. And changing
its position helps strengthen the incoming signal.
I guess what I was looking for was advice about
specific hardware. I have tried to find comparative
reviews of different brand access points without
much luck. The only ones I came up with were
some customers' reviews on the Newegg Web site.

For example, I am trying to find out whether
PCI card access points are better or worse
than external access points (like my Linksys)
using USB cables. D-Link has an external
access point antenna (DWL-M60AT) with a
10 foot ULA-316 fixed cable which attaches
to an internal PCI card access point after the
latter's antenna is removed. For sale at Newegg
but I can't find any reviews except from Newegg
buyers of the item.

There are Web pages describing homemade
antennas which I would consider trying to
build if I could find objective recommendations
in their favor other than the enthousiasm of their
designers.

Michael Eisenstadt

----- Original Message -----
From: "David Gillett" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, October 14, 2005 1:26 AM
Subject: Re: [PCBUILD] wifi questions


>  Unfortunately, every manufacturer's utility is free to decide for itself
> what a "bar" means at any given moment....
>
>  The first and easiest thing to try is to insert a USB cable between the
> adapter and the computer.  This will make it easy to experiment with
> different orientations and locations of the adapter.  (My Netgear WG111v2
> came with such a cable, and velcro to secure the adapter in a good
> position
> once found....)
>
>  Possible sources of interference between you and the hotspot include:
>
> - 2.4 GHz cordless phones and microwave ovens
>
> - other nearby wireless hotpots, possibly not so public
>
> - people and objects in/near the line of sight between your antenna and
> the
> hotspot's
>
> - reflected/refracted fragments of the signal
>
>  You *may* be able to remove the native antenna and attach a separate
> "high
> gain" antenna instead.  These usually manage to increase signal strength
> by
> restricting it to a specific direction or zone, so you will likely need to
> know what direction the hotspot antenna is in.  This may manage to
> overcome
> whatever interference is causing your current problems.
>
> David Gillett
>
>
> On 12 Oct 2005 at 15:01, Michael Eisenstadt wrote:
>
>> I live near a public wifi hotspot which my older Linksys
>> WUSB11 one eared antenna detects. I get up to 4 bars
>> of signal strength in the Win XP Pro utility, but the
>> connection randomly fails, sometimes when I click on
>> a link and sometimes when I download something and
>> sometimes not. Sometimes the connection is stable for
>> hours, other times it fails every few seconds.
>>
>> I am writing to ask for your suggestions about
>> possibly replacing the hardware and/or somehow
>> tweaking the signal strength with some (homebuilt?)
>> device.
>>
>> Thanks in advance for your help.
>>
>> Michael Eisenstadt
>
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