low connection

[dezrox]

I have a internal Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 2200BG Network card .. which is good when you are in a close range of a router but i need a much better boost in connection .. is there another card thats much better or will give me a better connection or is there a way of boosting my connection anyway possible ,,, any pruducts out there for that .. thx for the help

 

[Rick]

There's two ways to approach this - Increasing the range of your wireless router or increasing the wireless range of your laptop.

Increasing your router range can be done by replacing the antennas (if this is an option). If you need wireless to reach a certain point, a directional antenna would work great because it focuses the signal on one area. If you need broader coverage, an omnidirectional antenna will be ideal, but less effective.

Your typical wireless router has 2dBi antennas, which is fairly weak. You can purchase 24dBi+ directional antennas or 15dBi+ omni antennas from a lot of places like Newegg. You can even build you own (Look up: cantenna).

Will a 15dBi antenna double your range? Not likely. But it may give you the boost in signal you need to push it into the next room of your house or out to the garage etc...

Alternative, most wireless cards operate at about 20-30 milliwatts; however, there are 200mw-400mw add-in mini-PCI and PCMCIA cards (by companies like Senao) on the market.

Despite using 10x the power (and 10x as hot!), you won't get 10x the range. From my experiences, the antenna is a better way to go for your home. If you want to increase your laptop for other areas, then I'd go with both - money permitting. But in the end, the only way to can determine what works best is to try it out.

The cards are usually $100+ USD and the antennas are a common find in the $50+ range.

And one more thing - limited range or poor quality signal may be due to other factors, such as channel interference, buggy firmware etc... You might want to look into these factors before you invest in WiFi equipment.

 

[DelJo63]

Rick: now that's a reply that's to the point and spot on :wave:

 

[wazza]

Damn. Good essay Rick

 

[dezrox]

wow thx man i bought an antena which will make the range better ill see if it works if not then ima try something else thx for the reply its a big help