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Best ways to pickup and boost free WiFi signals while out in motorhome?


Stevo

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Does anyone have suggestions for the best equipment and best ways to boost free WiFi signals?

I want to be able to pickup and boost the signals of free WiFi while I'm parked outside of places like Starbucks, McDonalds, Walmart, Home Depot, etc. for my Macbook Pro and iPad. The distance from me in the parking lot to their equipment will require a good antenna and a WiFi signal booster. (In case its relevant, my motorhome is a Sunrader so the shell is fiberglass shell.)

This setup was recommended a couple years ago...

1) Amped Wireless A8EX Power Outdoor 8dbi Omni-Directional WiFi Antenna Kit mounted on top of motorhome: Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Amped-Wireless-Out........r+8dbi+Omni-Directional+WiFi+Antenna+Kit

2) Coax cable from Amped antenna described above connects to Hawking HSB2 Hi-Gain Signal Booster inside: http://www.amazon.com/Hawking-HSB2-H.../dp/B0009MYSHU

3) Cable from Hawking signal booster connects to Sabrent NT-H802N IEEE 802.11n USB - WiFi Adpater - NT-H802N: http://www.pcnation.com/web/details.asp?item=KT5750

4) USB cable from Sabrent external adapter goes to USB port of MacBook Pro.

Computer stuff keeps getting better so I'm wondering if there is better equipment and better ways to do this now?

Thanks

Steve

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thank you for the link. That one looks interesting. I was thinking that for the sake of stealth that it would be nice to have an omnidirectional antenna mounted permanently on top but I will read up on that one.

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They are pretty stealthy a 2.4 gig antenna is not very big. It would be some thing you could use on the table in the MH. They kind of get mixed reviews my guess would be the fact they are very narrow beam width and need to be aimed reasonably accurately and some are expecting instant gratification.

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On the CheapRVLiving forum there is a thread from a woman who lives full time in her Sprinter and she's had managers of Starbucks, etc. come out and tell her to leave because they could see she was pointing her unidirectional antenna at their store from inside her vehicle. Thats why I'm thinking of a omni directional mounted permanently on top and also because it would take up valuable space to store the other one inside.

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On the CheapRVLiving forum there is a thread from a woman who lives full time in her Sprinter and she's had managers of Starbucks, etc. come out and tell her to leave because they could see she was pointing her unidirectional antenna at their store from inside her vehicle. Thats why I'm thinking of a omni directional mounted permanently on top and also because it would take up valuable space to store the other one inside.

Me I would just drive across the street. If they were that upset they should have a pass word to use their wireless that's a cheap shot. I'm surprised they even knew what a Yagi antenna was. Now if she was living in their parking lot that maybe another story!

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Not that it matters but it was a parabolic antenna.

Me I would just drive across the street. If they were that upset they should have a pass word to use their wireless that's a cheap shot. I'm surprised they even knew what a Yagi antenna was. Now if she was living in their parking lot that maybe another story!

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It is easy enough to make a little cantenna for such a short distance. That way they will think you are aiming coffee cans at them ;)

I guess that's better than throwing rocks at the cheap--- son of a guns. Starbucks is not exactly cheap coffee I'm sure they can afford the WiFi if all else fails there is all ways Home Depot they have a bigger parking lot but with out the coffee.

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thanks for the link to cheaprvliving.com

I havent really been thinking about wifi antenaes for a while as i pursued cellular internet.

for the most part a wifi extender will cover more places for free , and for the most part be much faster and unlimited.

what im going to do is back it up with a walmart data plan that uses data plans by the gb, not by 30 days so it never expires.

I believe it uses sprint which means its terrible. but, between the two i would bet it covers everyhwere.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I have one of these and can say it works pretty well. If you have access to an open parking lot with any type of wifi provider within view (mcdonalds, starbs, etc...) you will easily be able to connect to their network. I often do Ebay work on the road from my toyota and will simply park in a parking lot, set up my antenna, and be online within a few minutes. If you feel bad using starbucks wifi, go in and buy a coffee!

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I have a few questions about your setup please...

1) Will that thing work as well pointing through the fiberglass wall of a Sunrader as it does through a glass windshield?

2) Is the signal less if there are cars in the parking lot that are in the way of where you are pointing it?

3) What does the Yagi antenna plug into and what else do you have with your system? Do you have a wireless router too?

Thanks

I have one of these and can say it works pretty well. If you have access to an open parking lot with any type of wifi provider within view (mcdonalds, starbs, etc...) you will easily be able to connect to their network. I often do Ebay work on the road from my toyota and will simply park in a parking lot, set up my antenna, and be online within a few minutes. If you feel bad using starbucks wifi, go in and buy a coffee!

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  • 3 months later...

I have a few questions about your setup please...

1) Will that thing work as well pointing through the fiberglass wall of a Sunrader as it does through a glass windshield?

2) Is the signal less if there are cars in the parking lot that are in the way of where you are pointing it?

3) What does the Yagi antenna plug into and what else do you have with your system? Do you have a wireless router too?

Thanks

sorry for the late response, I just saw your post with the questions. To answer your questions...

1) The antenna will have no problem going through a wall of a truck or through the window. I use mine in my house and am picking up a signal about 1000 feet away through a wall and some thick trees from the second floor of my house. In that condition it runs at about 55% signal strength. It will get through the walls of my Toyota without a problem if the signal you are trying to reach is within visual distance. Pretty much anything in sight (mcdonalds, etc.) you will be able to connect to without a problem. I have always used mine in rural areas and pick up 4 random signals from my house (my house is in the middle of a piece of property about 3 square acres.)

2) If you are trying to point directly through a car, you may have problems with signal strength. I always put the antenna as high as I can possible get it whether that be in a cabinet of my toyota or even outside of the camper. I use a 15ft USB extension cable.

3) The antenna plugs directly into the computer you are using via USB port. You use software it comes with to pick up the signal or you can install driver only and use regular networking methods built into windows. When I use it on my Mac I have to use the software that the antenna comes with. The only downfall of this is that you can only get online with the device that the antenna is plugged into. There is a way around this if you are good with computers and networking. For instance, if on a laptop, you can connect to the far signal with the antenna. You can then use the built in wifi card of the laptop to bridge connections with the incoming wifi from the antenna and then use the laptops wifi card to now create a wifi hotspot from the laptop. I do this if I want to use my ipad or phone without having to use my limited data connection. This way is a little weird to do and can have trouble running sometimes depending on the routers security settings that you are connected to.

I do not use a router at all with this set up.

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No problem and thanks for replying.

I just got an insane deal on an Apple Airport Time Capsule which is basically a 2 TB external hard drive with a built-in router that creates its own WiFi network with NO internet connection needed. The router in it is so much better than the regular router I was using so now I also use it as my internet router too. That thing works awesome which is typical of Apple stuff and my plan is to load it with a ton of movies so I can watch movies on my iPad with the File Browser app when I'm out in the middle of nowhere with no internet.

Anywhoooo...

For a similar price, how come you didn't get an omnidirectional external antenna that would be permanently mounted on top so you'd have better clearance through a parking lot instead of a hand-held antenna?

Do you know how I can incorporate a WiFi antenna with a signal booster with my Time Capsule router so I'll have wireless internet in the Sunrader for my computer and iPad?

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I bought the portable antenna for when I need to use it other places than just while in the camper. It fits in a backpack if need be.

As far as boosting the signal for the Time Capsule, I am unsure. Does the time capsule have an internal antenna, or is there a port for an antenna to be plugged into it?

I used to use a NetGear WN2000RPT as a signal booster. It worked alright but really didn't add much more than ~600 feet of signal strength.

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This is what the back of the Apple Airport Time Capsule looks like...

1) The three ethernet ports starting at the top are for other devices like another HD. (I can access that other HD wirelessly w/ my iPad w/out internet.)

2) Fourth port down is a USB port.

3) Fifth port down is the thernet port for an internet connection.

4) The port at the bottom is for the power cord.

post-3879-0-36470200-1396834144_thumb.jp

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