Wi-Fi Network Card Question

Hello everybody,
I am looking to buy a new wi-fi card and I was wondering if there is a difference in the "powerfullness" of a card.Meaning one card has a better reception than another.The reason I am asking this is because I am living near a Starbucks and they got the Wi-Fi there which I am subscribed to and it would be much more confortable if I can just get it at home.But I can just get a weak connection and it doesn't have the speed as if you were in Starbucks.Enough.Thanks and if you have any info don't be shy and share [ ]

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There is a some difference in output power between cards. You might do a search to find out which have the most, but it probably won't help much if at all. The reason is because an internet conncetion is a two way street and having a little more output power does not make the reception of the signal from the starbucks any better. They're not going to have some big transmitter on their end because they only need to cover the coffee shop. If your into hacking your notebook and bringing the antenna out of the notebook itself, you could make one of those Pringles can antennas which you could learn to make by doing a search on that as well. It would not look pretty having wires come out of your notebook and into a pringles can mounted on the wall aimed at starbucks, but it would get you the connection. I'm wondering, for what it costs to use the wireless at starbucks on an ongoing basis, why not just get DSL or cable?

I wish I lived a little closer to the coffee shop down the street, it's about 500ft and out of range; but if I did I would drop my broadband service because this coffee shop www.dazbog.com has free internet[ ] More and more places like this are popping up and it won't be too long and the likes of starbucks and borders books will need to make theirs free as well to compete.

Jack

"They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security" (Ben Franklin)
http://pbase.com/joneill

 

Thanks A LOT.I might try the pringles thing, only if I can find how. The price is $40 a month (pretty expensive huh?) but due to some reasons I can't get regular cable or DSL.I found a way around their system though so I don't have to pay the $40 [ ] The thing is, I wanna sit in my comfy chair and have a nice cold beer and some kind of an appetizer and I can't do that in Starbucks [ ] That is the only reason.I kind of wished that there would be some wi-fi card with a big ass antena but I guess pringles will have to do [ ][ ].Thanks a lot Jack.I will reply again to tell you how the experiment would work.If it doesn't I could always go there and have a nice, delicious Mocha Frappochino [^][^]

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::HP zx5000:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:::: 4 3.0Ghz w/ HT:::1GB DDR 333Mhz:::60GB Hitachi 7200 RPM:::::::
::::::::::::::::::::Radeon M10 9600 128MB:::15.4 SXGA+::::::::::::::::::
:::::::::::::::MAD H®T CHICKS ARE RARE::::MICE ARE COOL::::::::::::::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::Counter Strike Forever::::::::::::::::::::::::::

 

yeah, you could play games with trying different cards but at the end of the day things will be slow when going through multiple walls. and when the neighbor uses their cordless phone, turns on the microwave (or they warm a muffin in starbucks!) then interference from such devices might just cause your connection to drop. i don't suggest trying to piggyback off starbucks from your place, it'd just be too much hassle.

 

I also have Starbucks internet as well, but only use it only when I'm around school. Anyways It wouldn't really matter what kind of wireless network card you have because they're using a 802.11b radio connection. It is short ranged so if you do get a wireless card that is a 802.11b/g kinda card, it wouldn't do much. It would just give you the option of either using a 802.11b radio or 802.11g radio. $40bucks a month is crazy. I'd say get in home DSL instead. Its much cheaper and you can get a wireless router and go on from there instead. And you can sit on your nice comfy chair and drink a ice cold beer [ ]

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If you are serious about trying to piggy back off a coffeeshop service, you are much better off to use an AP configured to act like a client with a good antenna. I'd buy a cheap Linksys WAP11 and configure it to be a client and then connect the ethernet port into either your home computer or (better yet) into the WAN port on your home router. In either case though, be sure to use a crossover ethernet cable.

Instead of the pringles can, I'd buy a real yagi antenna (+12 dBi or better), which is what the pringles can design is trying to be. That setup would be more reliable and as you said, the savings in monthly fees would quickly pay for the hardware investment.