Wi-fi booster help...please

Hi folk who (hopefully) are a lot more technically compotent than me...

First off apologies if this is a question asked a million times before. I did try a quick search, but unfortunately a quick search for me takes about 3 hours. And this is my problem, is there anyway I can strengthen my laptop wifi signal? Bear in mind I dont have access to the router as I'm in student halls with shockingly bad wifi on my floor. Currently getting one bar signal strength with like 1Mbps or something equally embarassing. I'm a fair distance from the router.

I'm not looking for a miracle here, but the wifi signal keeps dropping out and I can go 30-40mins without being able to find it again. Is there anything I can buy to plug into my laptop to strengthen the signal? I'm not entirely convinced plugging in a dongle and disabling my network card would be any improvement, so wanted some advice first before wasting any cash.

Any help whatsoever would be greatly appreciated- really. It's driving me nuts

 

Yes there is usb wi-fi adapters that improve the signal to a level that would increase the power output and signal sensitivity combined with a better antenna

Senao EUB-362ext And Alfa Networks 500mw USB Wifi Adaptor are good choices
I have used both

Both of these have a removable Antenna (SMA RF Connector)

Or you can purchase a wireless bridge repeater
That option costs more but allows you to use the existing wi-fi adapter in your notebook

 

A dongle alone probably won't be enough to boost your signal.

I assume you are trying to get a better signal from inside your dorm room. The best option is to get a dongle with an option for an external antenna. A dongle, like one from Hawkings has that distinctive piece that allows you to plug in an external antenna. If you are only getting one or two bars, a normal antenna may not be enough. You may have to buy a powered antenna. I'd try a normal antenna first. Usually that and the dongle will come out to about $69 to 70. A power antenna will run about $80 alone though. It is an expensive proposition though.

A repeater will work, but it essentially does the same thing as an external antenna. But it has the advantage of improving the signal in an entire area versus a single computer (like the dongle solution). That advantage can be used to proposition other students into helping bearing the cost.

 

Cheers for the advice lads. I'm not completely against spending a bit of money if it will make a fair difference- I'm going to be in this dorm for a while, so I suppose it's sort of justifiable.

Hypothetically speaking though, how much of an improvement can I expect if I did decide to pick up a powered antenna?

Tom- I was looking at the Senao EUB-362 ext as you recommended- at the risk of sounding dense- is that a dongle with powered antenna as surfasb suggested? Or is it something equally effective? Also what is the difference between the 200mw and 500mw models?

Thanks again!

 

A repeater / range extender / booster / signal repeater / range expander can also help, however there's quite a few things to know when repeating WIFI signals.

Read about a Simple Wireless WIFI range extender - expander - repeater here

If that's no solution, a more powerful router could do the job. The Bountiful BWRG1000 is currently the most powerful and legal router on the market.

In any case a good antenna is the first thing to start with.

Cheers!

 

While not a dongle, it provides the functionality of a dongle + powered antenna. 200mw and 500mw are the power ratings. It looks like the higher the more expensive and also stronger. You can expect a two bar to three bar difference with a powered antenna.

 

ack double post.