WIFI devices

halo2_god

Hey, everyone im looking at alot of wifi divices mostly $60.00 and cheaper.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1&id=pcat17071&type=page&ks=960&st=wireless+usb+device&sc=Global&cp=1&sp=&qp=crootcategoryid%23%23-1%23%23-1%7E%7Eq776972656c6573732075736220646576696365%7E%7Ecabcat0500000%23%23a%23%23ba%7E%7Enf403%7C%7C243530202d202439392e3939&list=y&usc=All+Categories&nrp=15&iht=n
and http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1&id=pcat17071&type=page&ks=960&st=wireless+usb+device&sc=Global&cp=1&sp=&qp=crootcategoryid%23%23-1%23%23-1%7E%7Eq776972656c6573732075736220646576696365%7E%7Ecabcat0500000%23%23a%23%23ba%7E%7Enf403%7C%7C4c657373207468616e20243530&list=y&usc=All+Categories&nrp=15&iht=n
So saying this much im looking for a fast wide ranged device. I want something around 200 - 300 foot with only 1 wall in the way atleast 54 MBPS and i also was looking at some devices that had 5.0 GHz that would also be nice. Could any one help me with my selection.

Your-Amish-Daddy

Isn't 5ghz 802.11a?

Thrax

Yes.

halo2_god

Your Amish Daddy wrote:

Isn't 5ghz 802.11a?

Just to let you know a GHz means 1 billion radio waves per a second(Which would mean a faster connection(signal) Making data transfers faster) . What i want is probaly in between letter class a and g. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wi-Fi_Technical_Information

Your-Amish-Daddy

Um, I was just asking if it was A. You don't have to be an assclown, I know how friggin' radio frequencies work. Here's a little tip that applies to anything that works with a radio frequency. Lower the range...Lower the broadcast power has to be to get the same coverage. That's why G has the longest range out of the fully-adopted instances of wireless.

halo2_god

Well, i wanst attempting to be an "assclown".I was only trying to tell you more indepth information. Also what i want doesnt have to have 5.0 GHz all i said is would be nice.

cambrose

1st off...don't use a usb adapter...they suck bigtime

Secondly, go for a pci card and just use that. I have a dlink WDA-2320 that works like a charm, plus it is an atheros card so it's compliant with linux out of the box if you ever want to experiment that way.

halo2_god

cambrose wrote:

1st off...don't use a usb adapter...they suck bigtime

Secondly, go for a pci card and just use that. I have a dlink WDA-2320 that works like a charm, plus it is an atheros card so it's compliant with linux out of the box if you ever want to experiment that way.

Well im going to use it on a laptop and PC swich oh so often. I have a linux/unix boot disk wich i want it to be compatible with. my laptop built in chip is not that good (range wise i barly get a signal through like 1 wall). so thats why i wanted a usb device im not sure that my PC (dell) 5 years old is compatible with it. (I would use the pci cards but its just the compatiblity isue) also i use to have a linksys usb device with a usb router it was harible omg 11mbps but there where like 3 walls in the way.

cambrose

Does your laptop have a pcmia port? If so, I suggest getting that kind of card, as the usb adapter are generally pathetic. Also, a usb adapter should theoretically work with the old Dell you speak of as well (I had a computer that was running 98se using WiFi via a USB adapter)

halo2_god

Um, well my laptop is getting a new hardrive upgrade. so i dont have it but i know it has one of those slots to but a wifi card in the side. But what i mean is if i get a wifi pci card it wont work for my pc but it will work for my laptop and the usb will work for baoth.

cambrose

I understand that, I am just implying that they suck in general, but since you don't want to buy two adapters, that is probably your best bet. If you get one I suggest you get one that doesn't stick straight into the side of your pc but has a usb cord that you plug in and the actual transmitter you can place somewhere close via an attached cable.

halo2_god

cambrose wrote:

I understand that, I am just implying that they suck in general, but since you don't want to buy two adapters, that is probably your best bet. If you get one I suggest you get one that doesn't stick straight into the side of your pc but has a usb cord that you plug in and the actual transmitter you can place somewhere close via an attached cable.

oh i see what you mean could you show me one so i could know what they look like brb getting an orange.

cambrose

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833315075
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833124158

and I know this is a PCI card but if you could find something similar in USB you'd be set...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833315041

halo2_god

Sorry to take so long... But i use to have the linksys one i dont know if its the same thing but it was harrible. i think it was like 11MBPS

cambrose

11mbps would be B wireless, the G one would perform considerably better.

halo2_god

I found this as wilreless-N http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8305602&type=product&id=1173577562601 and at this link it seys realeas date 2009 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wi-Fi_Technical_Information

cambrose

If you don't have an n router, that won't do you any good. Secondly, the N stuff that is out now is technically not standard n and isn't guaranteed to work when the official version comes out in '09.

halo2_god

Oh, and how much do you think a 3.7 GHz intena is? one that would give me a good 150 meters.?

cambrose

Could you give me a link at what you are looking at? Please note, using third party antennas often breaks FCC regulations in regard to your wifi...just so you know.

halo2_god

I dont know where i would look i think newegg.com would sell them. I'm looking for one right now. Umm, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833997009 mabey

Your-Amish-Daddy

Another radio lesson...You can use any non-powered antenna for any broadcast range, which is why you need an FCC license to broadcast at over a watt. Why don't you stick with what's tried and true instead of trying to get into a range you may or may not be able to get into with the devices and ranges you're talking about?

Also, how are you going to use 802.11y when there are no devices for it yet? If you're going to do a longshot and want the best signal, get two decent wireless cards, I recommend dlink cards, and use cantennas.

halo2_god

Umm, I lost you there lol. idk know that much about radio frequencys but that looked like the only antenna that would work.

Your-Amish-Daddy

I'm saying that any antenna, designed for A or Y or N or B or G, will work across the spectrum. Hell, a wire ran up a steel pole and soldered the shield to the bottom and the carrier to the top. The best design for long shot is a cantenna, or a dish antenna.

halo2_god

What does a cantenna look like?

Your-Amish-Daddy

Google it. I may be Your Amish Daddy, but I'm not gonna hold your hand.

DogDragon

http://www.turnpoint.net/wireless/cantennahowto.html

halo2_god

Could any one show me a wifi device (USB) aroud 50 - 60 dollars from best buy or around 30 dollars from something like newegg.com, radio shack ect... I Want one with long range atleast 100 feet and atleast 54MBPS i also want it to have WEP if you can find one that supports WPA for like 10-15 dollars more show me.

airbornflght

Umm...

Ok, first.

Wireless devices that I know of in the consumer market are operating in the 2.4Ghz(b/g) and the 5Ghz(a) bandwidths.

Now what you may have been looking at with those antennas is the attenuation, which is given in Db/m, I think. It basically describes how focused the waves are. If I remember correctly the larger the number the more focused the signal and the further the distance will be. But the narrower the spread. For instance a parabolic reflector would most likely have a high attenuation.

Also, changing the antenna will not break fcc regulations as far as I'm aware. Antennas do not change the power of the radio (which is goverened by fcc regulations) it merely shapes the signal differently. I know there is a regulation on the signal density or something of another, but as far as I know, even with a parabolic reflector the signal won't be dense enough to do any damage even if you were right on top of the antenna. Another side note, I highly doubt the fcc is honestly going to care about using an illegal antenna. Quite honestly, until you start interfering with other radio communications you won't even be noticed.

The range is going to be affected by your surrounding. In a vast nothingness the range can be up to a km if I remember correctly. But in a house with walls the range will vary depending on the construction. ferrite (I think) metals suck up radio frequencies like it's nobody's business. Another sidenote is that 802.11G's theoretical max throughput is 54 megabits per second. or 54 million bits per second. that is 6.75 million bytes or 6.75 megabytes per second. But again this is a theoretical limit and the hardware of the unit is going to affect maximum throughput. From what I've read real world throughput is somewhere around 3-5MB/s Which is more than enough for anything you should be doing, just don't expect to shuttle large files back and forth at speed with this connection.

Again, I am by no means an expert, but I know enough to be dangerous:D I may have used some incorrect terminology.

Your-Amish-Daddy

Ok, you're almost 100% right. The FCC can arrest you for the manufacture of nonstandard broadcasting equipment. I believe this includes antennas that can leak a signal. And unoriginal name guy, you're asking one hell of a wireless card to shoot 100 feet at 54mbit. Even with a parabolic antenna, you'd still only do about 60 feet with it at 54mbit because wireless cards and routers have a limit on their broadcasting power; the strongest ever being around 100mW.

What I don't understand is; is why the FCC police a free spectrum. It's not like friggin' MICROWAVES aren't already a breech of the FCC broadcasting terms, because they DO broadcast a signal at 2.4ghz, even if it's not intentional.

airbornflght

It has to do with consumer laws. I'm guess that you are talking about microwave broadcasting. Commercial places can buy a license for that area and frequency.

If you're talking about an actual microwave oven, those should be shielded because of an fcc regulation that says it can't emit any rf interference.

The only reason I can guess that the fcc has regulation is so that the spectrum does remain open. If I had a megawatt wifi signal no one within probably 100 miles would be able to use wifi equipment because my signal would overrun theirs on the channel my radio was set to. The main reason I'm guessing we don't see more powerful radios in wifi equipment is cost.

Your-Amish-Daddy

Please, I've got a 16 watt powered CB antenna that would take me next to nothing to rig up for my wireless card. The thing is, the FCC states that no one can broadcast over a watt because they're a bunch of rectum rangers. Their excuse is what you said, to prevent interference with other devices, but microwaves do leak signal, the kind of signal that disables wifi (2.4ghz range).

Sure the FCC doesn't go trolling around looking for this stuff, but it only takes a phonecall and then huge fines or jailtime. If this isn't for a laptop, just run some cat5/6 and be done with it. 100/1000mbit is better than wireless anyway.