Wifi antenna booster advice?

[moonlitcoyote]

I'm looking for a weatherproof wifi booster antenna. Does anyone have any experience with these? For some strange reason my internet works great during the day but at night I have to be outside for it to work. So I would like to add an antenna to the roof to pick up stronger signals.

[84WINNIE]

Hi:
I lived in a very rural area for years, and my internet was spotty at best. I did some research into internet boosters, and bought this tube-like doohickey that you put on a mast in a higher area. I'm guessing you could mount a sliding one on the side where your laptop/PC is located. I used a PVC pipe to slide the pole into. Sort of made a sliding antenna thing.

OH, and the receiver tube is waterproof

[moonlitcoyote]

tube-like doohickey, is that anything like a chingaletta?

Any clue what you bought and from where?

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

There are several types of directional antennas.  They have to pointed towards the source though.

Directional dish
Yagi
Cantenna (tube-like doohickey) which is basically a yagi in a tube.
Phased array

They are normally combined with a power amp to increase signal strength.

http://www.simplewifi.com/antennabasics.html

Yagi is the most widely used type commercially.  You see them used to transmit traffic camara data.

Does not sound like you need a lot of boost.  You maybe able to just use a high gain omni directional antenna with a power amp
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Alfa-Tube-U-Outdoor-Boating-RV-Wi-Fi-KIT-Wireless-USB-Adapter-10-dBi-antenna-/110966266643?pt=US_USB_Wi_Fi_Adapters_Dongles&hash=item19d61adb13

For more strength you would need directional
http://www.ebay.com/itm/19dBi-outdoor-wifi-antenna-with-lmr-240-20f-cable-alfa-1W-AWUSO36H-USB-Adapter-/140885467298?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20cd6da0a2

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Yagi-Cantenna-Outdoor-Booster-Kit-Alfa-1W-USb-Adapter-40ft-LMR-400-11bg-KIT-NEW-/200683440300?pt=US_Directional_Network_Antennas&hash=item2eb9aa48ac

Dave

[vincewarde]

Wow - Finally a chance to contribute!

I am actually a PC/Networking tech.  I have done more wifi setups than I could ever count.  Dave's advice is all good.  I do have a few thoughts.

First of all, anything that you can't put in a microwave will stop wifi signals.  So most RVs do a nice job of blocking wifi.  An outside antenna is a great idea - even a omni-directional unit would be great.  There is only one rub....

Basically, the cable between the radio and the antenna has to be either very short or very thick.  IMHO the best solution is a USB WiFi adapter with a large removable antenna.  You can get at least 12ft of cable on USB before you start having problems - more if you go with an "active" cable.

I have one of these with a 15" omni-directional mast.  This can be removed and any kind of directional directional antenna attached - such as a "cantenna" if you need to connect to a distant access point.  There are amplifiers that reportedly work bi-bidirectionally.  I don't have any personal experience with these.  Don't forget to weather proof anything you mount outside

The other key - and perhaps the most important factor - is an unobstructed line of sight view of the access point.  Building materials, trees bushes. etc can really degrade the signal.   It doesn't take much.

Another neat feature for RVers is the 4G "hotspot" technology.  My phone carrier (Metro PCS) has a $60.00 plan with unlimited data and unlimited use of the phone's built in WiFi hotspot.  Too bad their coverage stinks, but other carriers will likely follow.  There is a well regarded signal booster that would likely be very helpful in an RV - again, provided you mount the antenna outside and more or less are line of sight to a cell tower.

We are forced to go to higher and higher frequencies with our technology as we have more and more devices - and high frequency radios tend to be more line of sight and do not penetrate many materials as well as lower frequency radios do.

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

For those who love things that are more off the grid   W%  Google "diy wifi antenna".

Several of the cellular companies now provide broadband 3G/4G service using a wifi "Hot spot" either built-in to the phone, seperate "hot spot" device with up to 5 device wifi access, or a single user USB "stick".  Service plans can be monthly or only enabled "as needed" (pay as you go).

Dave

[ClydesdaleKevin]

A quick note here though on the 3G/4G setups.  Hardly any of the new devices have a port for an external antenna...they are pretty much all internal now with no other options.

And also, from a LOT of experience camping in the outback and far from major areas...if you absolutely NEED a strong signal and internet access, shell out the extra bucks for Verizon.  They seem to have a signal in places no one else does, and the strongest signal in places where other folks get reception. 

Rumor has it though that one of the pay as you go carriers at Walmart uses the Verizon network...still looking into it here, since Verizon charges us typically 180 bucks a month for 2 phones with limits, and a tablet which doubles as our wifi hub with a 5 gig limit.

Since we have a tablet as our wifi hub, in a bad signal area I will sometimes pull the inside screen cover out of our fantastik fan in the kitchen...fan off of course and vent lid open...and prop the tablet up in there above roof level.  It has a MaxxAire cover, one of the big smoke colored ones over it, so you can even leave it up there in a light rain.  Makes a HUGE difference in signal speed when we get spotty signals.  You could do the same thing I suppose if you are using a smart phone as your internet hub.

Kev

[SoakedKarma]

I use a 28db Parabolic antenna for receiving and a 18db Yagi antenna for transmitting connected via low loss coax to a linksys router running DD-WRT as a repeater..  Antenna Photo Heavy PVC electrical conduit fits inside existing drain vent which has been cut inside coach and reconnected using rubber pipe connector which provides the hole to access inside vent to run wiring and sealed with silicone to prevent gasses from entering coach..
Watch Netflix off the net on my TV as it has ethernet port to connect directly to router.. Desktop also connected via ethernet and laptop via Wifi.. Range is about 1/3 to 1/2 mile for streaming video... Data range is about 1 mile a bit lossy tho but fine for surfing the internet..
Entire setup antennas, cables, and router $120...  I started with the yagi and a USB dongle years ago which worked well but only connected my desktop and runs in the $50 range for antenna, dongle, and active USB cable.. An active USB cable is recommended for any run longer than 6'...

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

Active USB cable - boosts the usb signal over long cable runs.

Dongle - provides the interface between the wifi antenna and the USB cable.  Most are also amplifiers.

Note: Please do not confuse WIFI and 3G/4G broadband. 
WIFI is is local area network with limited range.
3/G/4G Broadband is simular to cell phone service.

You can have layers of this stuff if you so desire.
ie:
3G/4G broadband recieve over a device that re-tranmits over a WIFI hotspot (cell phone or broadband hot spot) to up to 5 WIFI capable devices

3G/4G broadband recieve over a usb broadband  dongle antenna for laptop

wifi recieve (i.e campground source) over a reciever/router and retransmit over ethernet and/or personal wifi network (SoakedKarma's setup)

wifi recieve (i.e campground source) over the wifi antenna embeded in your laptop (or one attched to a usb port).  You can use a active cable to extend a USB version up to the top of your rig.

For the adventurous, Google "diy wifi antenna"

Dave

[Oz]

Dongle - provides the interface between the wifi antenna and the USB cable.  Most are also amplifiers.

.

A dongle... a DONGLE?  I call BS!  You totally made that up!  You're so smart, you could tell us it was a device required to change the winter air out of our tires before summer starts to avoid potential blow-outs and we'd believe you.  Stop it!

[Stripe]

  Wait, winter air?    I better get my pump out!

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

 

   Was that your pump I saw dangling out the window?   
 

W% Would not want it interferring with your dongle.   W%

Dave

[SoakedKarma]

For the adventurous, Google "diy wifi antenna"

Dave

My first experience with extending WiFi range was a home made Pringles can Cantenna
which proved the old adage "If it can be thought, It can be done"

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

 :)rotflmao

I have the strainer bowl antenna using a usb antenna.   

Still a work in progress.

Places I been going the last few years really do not have WIFI service so I have to think more broadband hotspot.

Dave

[ClydesdaleKevin]

This is a copy of a post and my reply on another thread.   The post was by ibdilbert01...it seemed like a perfect compliment to this thread.

ibdilbert01:

"Our medics are like our RVs, being they are a big metal box that seems to stop cell phone signals.   Over the past few months I've been installing the Wilson Sleek 4g kit along with a Verizon LTE Mifi.   The Wilson Sleek (P/N 815126) is just a cradle that you can slip a cell phone or a MiFi into and it boost the signal to an outside antenna.   The kit comes with its own little mag antenna, but we decided to use a permanent mount antenna instead.

It works just as good as the wilson product I described a while back in this thread.   

There is also this solution...
http://www.infotechrvsolutions.com/Wilson.html

I'm thinking about trying it with Gracie, will let you know how well it works if I do."

Me:

"So let this straight and see if I am understanding this right.  The antenna on the roof captures any cell phone signal, amplifies it through the blue amplifier, and the inside unit is basically an antenna then sends a much boosted signal to your cell phones and wifi devices?  And then the same inside device sends your cell/wifi signal to the blue amplifier and then to the antenna on the roof as a stronger signal?

It didn't mention Verizon or what bandwidth Verizon operates...but if the above is true and works with Verizon, it might be worth the 500 bucks!  I bookmarked it.  Let me know how they work!  We are very interested!" 

Kev

[moonlitcoyote]

Solved! And anyone needing a wifi antenna or cables or routers what have you, here is a good website to find what you need.. http://store.rokland.com/products/extension-cable-rp-sma-male-to-rp-sma-female-5m-low-loss-pigtail

[Froggy1936]

Now this is some seriously complicated stuff, Give me a simple automatic electricly controlled transmission anyday !! Frank

[oblivious]

Hello; Bought one of these last year for $10 more than this search result. May ship from China where it's made. Software and hardware install from cd is VAGUE but it works great for pulling in signals and is waterproof. Rotates and mounts through 3 holes. Have yet to permanently mount it. Use it with wifi sniffer software to find strong signals. Which by the way is on cd.

http://compare.ebay.com/like/271158369184?_lwgsi=y&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar