wireless network adapter for weak signal areas...

[eshort]

has anyone achieved good results using one of those "extended range" signal booster wifi adapters? (one is amrketed under brand name "alpha" and has two antennae": a short stubby whip and a micro parabolic..both fit on back of device and supposedly yield "15 db gain"..im skeptical)..

If so- would like to know brand(s)/models

Live in a weak reception area and need something to boost the weak wifi signal which comes from the apartment complex office, about 500 feet away!

ps--still havent solved the wifi problem in my erarlier post--but---switched computers and installed a lynksys 300g in the "new" computer and it works just fine..makes me think the other wifi adapter is defective??

tx

[Train]

If you are talking about a antenna like this adapter has
http://www.amazon.com/Wireless-Adapt.../dp/B005KXZS8G
believe me those antenna are as good as advertised.

Or you can get a cantenna
http://www.cantenna.com/howtouseit.html

Or make your own.
http://www.cantenna.com/howtouseit.html

remember 3dB = 1X , so 15dB = 5X

Antennas are one of the places where bigger is better.

Why I have one of these for my laptop when the onboard wireless will not pick up a router.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16833168061

May end up upgrading the antenna yet.

[Ol'Tunzafun]

If you mean "ALFA" rather than "ALPHA", I can tell you the ones with the RT8187L chipset are excellent, but so are other brands that use that same chipset because not only does it transmit at a higher power, but also has very high sensitivity. Most of those antennas work as advertised, more or less, as long as they are connected with the proper cable. The cable is where almost all your signal losses will occur. Low loss LMR cable is quite expensive. If the distance between the antenna and the computer is significant (over 15 - 20 ft?), then you are better off buying a unit which has the adapter and the antenna in the same enclosure; then you are transmitting a powered signal over USB or Ethernet. Ethernet is preferable beyond 16' unless you are using an amplified USB extension cable which can give you another 30 ft or so, though Power over Ethernet (POE) can give you 300ft.
Something like this USB adapter/antenna with the chipset/PCB built into the base of the antenna works great and is virtually lossless.

Search ebay with RT8187L and you should find a few viable options.

[eshort]

tx guys..it was "ALFA"..i purchased one..well see how it works..the usb wifi adapter i have (? chipset) connects but then stalls..at first thought it was the router but connected a lynksys usb300n and seems to be working fine...so far....

tx

[dojsksk299]

ok,thanks,the same to you.

[Ol'Tunzafun]

A word of caution - Some of those devices advertised on ebay as Realtek RTL8187L devices are actually powered by a Railink 3070 chip. It is outright fraud.