wifi antenna????

[spurgurgle]

ok guys so some of know im back out in france working on this medieval castle restoration project..... and yes we have wifi out here... but my caravan is quite far away from the wifi repeater (yes a repeater so im not even connecting to the main router) so my connection is slow as...

now i've done a few quick searches one making a wifi antenna/dish from usb wifi dongles.....

i was wondering if anyone has ever made or used one....

or if anyone knows of a way of boosting my wifi reception.....

so guides on the net say basicly get ya dongle put it in a siv (wire mess dish thing for straining food) and connect it up with a long-ish usb cable.... will this work?????

is it worth my going out and buying a dongle, a usb cable and a siv?????

[hyper999]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYbunpFFVjw

ive used these, works surprisingly well, makes the difference between my 360 picking up wifi in my room, instead of not picking up any wifi in my room.

but you way aswell try it, after all its only tin foil and paper

[whitetop]

your best be is to look here if you want to make one

http://www.instructables.com/tag/type-id/category-technology/channel-wireless/

[techninjadude]

A way to improve wifi transmission, is to coil the antenna, into an spiral shape which effectively boast the signal, around 10x

[jrfhoutx]

how do you propose to coil a solid antenna? as most routers and repeaters use solid antennae...

[spurgurgle]

A way to improve wifi transmission, is to coil the antenna, into an spiral shape which effectively boast the signal, around 10x

dont need to improve the transmission signal, its fine most of the time... i can go right to the far side of the field and still pick it up... its just when im in my caravan (mobile home) the ally sheets block the signal from  getting in... so with a ghetto wifi dish slapped on the roof of my caravan ill be fine....

and its not my router repeater.. .so cant be modding it ... dont think the guy who owns this castle im working at will lime me messing with it...

how do you propose to coil a solid antenna? as most routers and repeaters use solid antennae...

that too????

im going to go to town at the weekend and buy a few bits to make a ghetto wifi dish, ill post up the results of it.... and maybe a pic or 2.....

[jrfhoutx]

ok cool, I'd like to see your design, if it works out well I may copy it as I'm having issues with my router going through 1 wall lol

[FOOKz™]

A way to improve wifi transmission, is to coil the antenna, into an spiral shape which effectively boast the signal, around 10x

ehhh... kinda...

the signal rage we're talking about it may or may not matter if you coil it or not. But theres no stopping you to test it. Hey, it might just work... idk never really tinkered with wifi.

[spurgurgle]

ok so went into town today to find a usb wifi dongle, usb lead and strainer/siv....  and couldnt find a dongle... i forgot im in rural france so stuff like that ill need to order on ebay, or somewhere like that.... so wont be testing it this weekend..... maybe not even next as the french mail service is slow as so who knows when ill get a dongle one i order one.....

but in the mean time putting my laptop in the  corner of my caravan seems to boost the signal enoug hto make the web usable.... and the connection more consistant... but still i want to make a dish to stick on the roof of the caravan so i have a decent stable connection... ill update this once i get the parts i need....

who ever thought finding a few little bits like this would be hard... but as i said i am in rural france... litterally the middle of nowhere.. the village im in onl has 200 residents and half on them only use there house's as holiday home.....

and the near by town (15 miles away) is only small.....

[DuctTapedGoat]

As far as the tin foil is concerned, all that's going to do is block any other WiFi signals on other channels, it's not going to boost at all. It will help direct the waves, but you're blocking other's more than you're directing.  It's a great thing for apartment living, or in highly commercial areas.

This is what I would do for your situation, I haven't done it as I haven't needed to, but this is how I would if I needed to.


Get standard coax cable, mini coax cable, and necessary lead connectors.

Get a coax booster (used for cable tv) and make standard coax to mini coax adapters.

Put the booster inline between your wireless router and your antennae, and that'll actually boost your signal.

Now, radio waves travel down easier than they travel upwards, so you're going to want to put that antennae basically as high up as possible, like a pirate radio station with a weather balloon antennae.



Now, if you're looking for a REALLY good fix, get an omnidirectional antennae used for CB Base Stations/Short wave Base Stations, and do the same thing with the mini coax adapter, the difference being you'd be changing mini coax to large sized coax instead of standard coax.

[hyper999]

As far as the tin foil is concerned, all that's going to do is block any other WiFi signals on other channels, it's not going to boost at all. It will help direct the waves, but you're blocking other's more than you're directing.  It's a great thing for apartment living, or in highly commercial areas.

This is what I would do for your situation, I haven't done it as I haven't needed to, but this is how I would if I needed to.


Get standard coax cable, mini coax cable, and necessary lead connectors.

Get a coax booster (used for cable tv) and make standard coax to mini coax adapters.

Put the booster inline between your wireless router and your antennae, and that'll actually boost your signal.

Now, radio waves travel down easier than they travel upwards, so you're going to want to put that antennae basically as high up as possible, like a pirate radio station with a weather balloon antennae.



Now, if you're looking for a REALLY good fix, get an omnidirectional antennae used for CB Base Stations/Short wave Base Stations, and do the same thing with the mini coax adapter, the difference being you'd be changing mini coax to large sized coax instead of standard coax.

im not sure how well that would work...
wifi uses microwaves not radio waves, so using antenna designed for radio waves may not work as microwaves have a tiny wavelength compaired to radio waves and the booster may not work either as microwaves have a MUCH higher frequency than radio waves and i may not be able to keep up.

I could well be wrong as i know nothing about signal boosters or antenna, but i know alot about electromagnetic waves and that was just what came into my head when i saw your post... 

[DuctTapedGoat]

Well, for sending waves he needs to increase the power.

To receive, he needs something that's super sensitive.


Microwaves or radio waves, it's still simple tech that hasn't changed much over the years. Everything leading to where it sends, and everything after it receives is new stuff, but the tech inbetween hasn't changed for dozens of years.


UPDATE:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZ0iKbycG6A

This would be the DIY to pick up that signal - just replicate as many times as you need, provide additional power, and be sure to aim them spot on.

[hyper999]

OK i've done some more research, radio equipment will NOT work for wifi.

-TV signal booster, even if it could cope with the greatly increased frequency it will not work. why? because WiFi uses 2 way comunication, TV uses 1 way, therefore your signal booster will not work for wifi and will likely block out your signal all together. However there are signal boosters available that are designed for wifi and will work so this is an option.

-Radio antenna, will not work. Why? because there is a massive difference between the wavelength of radio and microwaves so a radio antenna will be extremely ineffective. However wifi specific ones are available and they will work.

although IMO i think you will be fine just with the antenna outside of the caravan.

[FOOKz™]

i have an idea.

Hook your wifi antenna to the chassis of your van.

LOL

[spurgurgle]

look guys, i dont need to boost the signal.. its more then strong enough it reaches right out over the feild and further,

its just my reception where im in a big metal box it blocks my signal so i need to make a antenna that i can put on the outside of the van to pick up the signal....

and i've decided on how im going to make a antenna/dish... im not going to mod the repeater/or router.. as its not mine to mod..... im not putting anything in line to boost the signal as its not need...

yes we know if the repeater is high it will kick the signal out further, hence why the repeater is sat up on top of the castles tower.... cant really get any higher as the tower isthe 2nd highest thing in the village bar the church tower...

all im going to do is buy a wifi dongle a usb lead and a parabolic dish to help catch the signal.... slap it all together  and stick it on top of my caravan.....

[hyper999]

look guys, i dont need to boost the signal.. its more then strong enough it reaches right out over the feild and further,

its just my reception where im in a big metal box it blocks my signal so i need to make a antenna that i can put on the outside of the van to pick up the signal....

and i've decided on how im going to make a antenna/dish... im not going to mod the repeater/or router.. as its not mine to mod..... im not putting anything in line to boost the signal as its not need...

yes we know if the repeater is high it will kick the signal out further, hence why the repeater is sat up on top of the castles tower.... cant really get any higher as the tower isthe 2nd highest thing in the village bar the church tower...

all im going to do is buy a wifi dongle a usb lead and a parabolic dish to help catch the signal.... slap it all together  and stick it on top of my caravan.....

PLAN.

also put a johnny on your dongle and you wont have to bring it in when it rains

[jrfhoutx]

PLAN.

also put a johnny on your dongle and you wont have to bring it in when it rains

lmao that sounds really dirty...

[DuctTapedGoat]

First, that does sound really dirty.



A CB antennae won't work, or any other antennae at all, because it doesn't have the WiFi brand name certification?

The OP started talking about using a colander, I know that's not WiFi cert. - but it will pick up some signal, because radio waves haven't changed as long as we've been using them. There's a reason the FCC exists - everything interferes with everything else - WiFi cert. or not.

Get what resources you can, doesn't matter if it's AM/FM, CB, SW, WiFi, TV, Satellite, even Cell Phone - if it's a good price, it'll work.

Put the brand name WiFi on anything and people think they're Tech School grads for reading a manual.

Tin Foil wrapped around a chunk of pizza box will do SOMETHING. What really matters isn't the antennae, but what's driving the sending and receiving.

Here's a thought though - instead of trying to pick up the signal at the one distance, make small repeater boxes between you and them on car batteries with inverters.

[FOOKz™]

A CB antennae won't work, or any other antennae at all, because it doesn't have the WiFi brand name certification?

No. Because Wifi signal is in the 1.2-4.0Ghz range and the antenna is too small absorb more power.

Tin Foil wrapped around a chunk of pizza box will do SOMETHING. What really matters isn't the antennae, but what's driving the sending and receiving.

Pizza box might work. He spurg said that he gets a perfect signal right outside his van. Its just that the van's chassis absorbs all the signal when hes hangin inside his van. Hes not going to need a repeater/bidirectional amp, to be quite honest a high frequency bidirectional amp is expensive.

[hyper999]

First, that does sound really dirty.



A CB antennae won't work, or any other antennae at all, because it doesn't have the WiFi brand name certification?

The OP started talking about using a colander, I know that's not WiFi cert. - but it will pick up some signal, because radio waves haven't changed as long as we've been using them. There's a reason the FCC exists - everything interferes with everything else - WiFi cert. or not.

Get what resources you can, doesn't matter if it's AM/FM, CB, SW, WiFi, TV, Satellite, even Cell Phone - if it's a good price, it'll work.

Put the brand name WiFi on anything and people think they're Tech School grads for reading a manual.

Tin Foil wrapped around a chunk of pizza box will do SOMETHING. What really matters isn't the antennae, but what's driving the sending and receiving.

Here's a thought though - instead of trying to pick up the signal at the one distance, make small repeater boxes between you and them on car batteries with inverters.

dude did you read my post at all?

its not the branding of the antenna its the simple fact that they made to pick up different types of signal. the colander idea works is because it is a parabola, the reflective colander reflects the the waves normally missed by the antenna into the centre of the parabola where the antenna is it also shields the antenna from other waves that may cause interference.

and im not a tech school grad, nor do i generally read manuals, but i know my physics.   

[spurgurgle]

come on goat read the thread before u post up... as fooks said and as i've said several times in this thread..... the signal is fine its just the interferance from my van.... big metal box blocks wifi signal... so im going to make a ghetto dish to put outside the van.... therefore eliminating my signal problems...

simple, cheap and effective....

and it will do untill we manage to dig the trench round the front of the castle down the lane and into the field to run mains power, phone and internet lines through....

[DuctTapedGoat]

Sorry, first post said it was distance, I did read - but I forgot about the interference from the van (I was just thinking /to/ the van).

Going with homemade antennaes, remember that they'll work - but they'll be super finicky, you'll have to aim like a sniper from the civil war era.

[spurgurgle]

ok so problem solved, my laptop is now getting full signal, 5 bars...

and i went with the most simple option ever, i managed to pic up a wifi dongle when i went to the next biggest town yesterday (to pick up some building suppys, but saw a phone shop and they had wifi dongles....

i tested it in my caravan and was still only getting 1-2 bars of signal.... so got a usb lead, and put it ontop of the caravan, still only 3-4 bars of signal (better but i thought i'd try raising it up off of the roof a little.....

so with a bit of single core power cable (nice stiff stuff), some gaffa/duct tape and the little plastic baggy the dongle came in i came up with this....






and now i have a full 5 bars of signal.. cant get any better then that and all in all it only cost me €6.99 plus a bit of tape

magic a proper ghetto wifi antenna ..... no more connection issues.... 

[techninjadude]

Nice job, does that mean free internet?

[geraldrubalcava]

 this is just some extra info if you would like, if you want to receive wifi signal from far distances i suggest to get a linsys WRT54g router then install ddwrt, then turn it into a wireless receiver. you can ether configure it to receive signal then turn in into Ethernet cable like a wrieless switch, or you can use it as a repeater.(retransmit the signal though wifi). For example get one antenna to receive signal from a distance with a cantenna, then retransmit it loacly as usual).  a ddwrt router will cost from 1-20 dollars used. then with some firmware magic you can do some amazing stuff, like chose witch antenna to transmit or which to receive signal, or use it on war driving.

and if your using  it to transmit internet for long distances i suggest ddwrt too. the radio chip usually transmits signal at 70mw. but with firmware you can crank it up to 250. that = large distances. or select antenna to receive wile the other can transmit with a directional antenna.

or prehaps use some "carma" with backtrack and sniff packet in the air to decrypt then on a Starbucks for password sniffing? lol naw jk. ahahah well i truely suggest to get a router, better antenna better signal gain, and more versatility.

[geraldrubalcava]

also i know this is repeated but typical wifi works with 2.4ghz, and the new N tech work with 5.0ghz. the reason why is because the 2.4 ghz band is the free open band the gov allowed to be used. therefore almost every from of wireless tech works in this bandwidth. unlike cellphones which work on lower wavelength 2.4 ghz has a more difficult time penetrating metal.  therefore the smaller bandwidth can easily penetrate metal due to the resonance theory. but the bigger the wavelengths the less penetrative power it will have over metal or other condensed mass materials.

[spurgurgle]

Nice job, does that mean free internet?

read the thread tech... does it say, im stealling internet.... no.... the net here is paid for by the people who own the castle... the castle i am currently working on and will be working on for the next 5 years....

yes technically i do get free internet (as in i dont pay for it) but it is paid for by my friend/boss/business partner so its not free, and its not stolen........

all this means for me is instead of havin a temperamental signal while sat in my caravan, i get a decent full strength signal.... which is wicked.....





ok so now u post this while im typing....

under the one of the roules in this fourm "free internet" stealing is not allowed to talk about in here.


 this is just some extra info if you would like, if you want to receive wifi signal from far distances i suggest to get a linsys WRT54g router then install ddwrt, then turn it into a wireless receiver. you can ether configure it to recieve signal then turn in into ethernet cable like a wrieless switch, or you can use it as a repeater.(retransmit the signal though wifi). For example get one anttena to revieve signal from a distance with a cantenna, then retrasmit it loacly as usual).  a ddwrt router will cost from 1-20 dollars used. then with some firmware magic you can do some amazing stuff, like chose witch antenna to transmit or which to receive signal, or use it on war driving.

and if your using  it to transmit internet for long distances i suggest ddwrt too. the radio chip usually transmits signal at 70mw. but with firmware you can crank it up to 250. that = large distances. or select antenna to receive wile the other can transmit with a directional antenna.

or prehaps use some "carma" with backtrack and sniff packet in the air to decrypt then on a Starbucks for password sniffing? lol naw jk. ahahah well i truely suggest to get a router, better antenna better signal gain, and more versatility.

again read the thread.... my last post said my problem is sorted..... a earlier post said we are already runnin off of a repeater..... and the repeaters signal is already kicking out right to the far side of the field...... the field is pretty big .... so no need to improve that.......

thanks for the info though even if its no use to me cos i've sorted my issue..... why spend more money on something thats not needed,  i sorted my temporary issue, its only temporary cos we'll be digging a trench from the castle down the lane (past the moat) and into the field to the barn, once we sort the barn out ready to accept phone lines, internet cable, mains power and mains water......... thsi will all be done some point this summer, as we're converting the barn into a communal living room, kitchen and a bedroom for me....

i now live and work at the castle, for the owner of the castle, its a big project he has here (like 5 or so years) and we have alot of workers coming and going hence the caravans as living quarters for most of us.... but im permanent here now (hence the barn conversion for me) as im going into business with the guy who owns the castle, im also going to be his best man at his wedding in a few months and im now trying to emergrate here to france so need a place to live. while i get a income sorted... so being a friend with him he's helping me get settled and in return im working on his castle as i have a vast knowledge of carpentry and joinery and a decent general knowledge of general building works.... having bin in some form of the construction industry all of my life yes all of my life, i was born a builders son and even after my father passed away when i was 11 i continued to stick with construction as my career...

any way enough bout me n my new life out in france (well this is my second year out here, last year was just a trip away from the uk ( but after spending most of last year out here,i decided to move out here long term....

back on topic... my wifi issue is sorted.. so no need for any more sugestions thanks for any that were offerd but as i said i went for the simplest and cheapest option to tide me over til my barn is done...

[geraldrubalcava]

wow thats awesome! i only live here in San Diego California in a apartment downtown. thats awesome ! xD well hope you can finish it i would of loved to live other there.

The weather here is just not cold enough or hot enough. i wanna live over there xd lol well hope you complete your project.

well the info on the wavelengths is important, because sometimes the material used on construction can impact preference in the future.

but good luck man! xD

[spurgurgle]

yeah the wavelengh info is usefull, but i kinda new about it anyway, not the exact figure, but i new metal and stone block signals.... hence the main router in the castle blocking the signal out to the field there for needing a repeater up in the a window in the tower, but then still the metal in our caravans blocks the signal again lol....

the project i work on is a volentere project, running on a working holiday scheme, anyone can come work here from anythign from a week to several months, u can find loads of projects like this all over the world on a site called helpx...

or if any one is interested in this project you can find more info on if on either  www.workingholidays.fr or www.medievalcastle.fr