How to extend raspberry pi network

[andrew700andrew]

Hi, I'm running a project on my Raspberry Pi which involves it acting as a router so I can log into the wifi network that it generates and SSH into the Pi. The Pi currently is using a small usb wifi dongle and I want to extend the range that I can connect my PC (running ubuntu) to it. Therefore I want to buy a more powerful wifi dongle, however, I want to minimise the weight of the pi as much as possible so I will attach the long range dongle to my PC instead (therefore keeping the small dongle in the pi). Will this still work to extend the distance from which I can connect my PC to the Pi or does the Pi also have to have a long range dongle?
Thanks!

 

[photonboy]

If you get a more powerful wi-fi device then the signal will be stronger and should have a better receiver so yes, you'd get more distance.

Alternatively you can buy wi-fi extenders and place one roughly half way (or the best line of sight) between PC and Pi.

 

[bill001g]

There really is no such thing as long range. The distance the signal goes is simple function of the effective output power of the equipment. The government limits this to 1 watt total in most cases.

You get this 1 watt by using a radio at some power and a antenna to increase it. The most common being 250mw radio and a 6db antenna which give you 1watt.

If you were talking about a router I would say the device is likely transmitting at the maximum legal power.

On dongles it is much harder to say since some of those to use less power or to be physically smaller do not transmit at maximum power.

Still there are very physically small devices that transmit at the full legal power. So you would have to read all the fine print on your dongle and see if it is already sending maximum power. If that is true then replacing it will make no difference.

You do need the power on both ends because the data must travel both directions. It does little good if 1 side can hear the traffic but does not have the power to get the response back to the sender.

 

[andrew700andrew]

So if I used something like this connected into my PC but keeping the dongle on raspberry pi the same as now:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Andoer-Outdoor-150Mbps-Wireless-Adapter-White/dp/B00DGO4ZXU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414328069&sr=8-1&keywords=Long+range+wifi

Will it or won't it increase the distance which I can connect to the pi? Sorry I'm a bit confused but the two answers I've got contradict. Thanks!

 

[bill001g]

If you put those on both ends it would likely help. Putting it on one end may or not make any difference. It is impossible to tell for sure the device on the raspberry may still be too small. This is a actual science and you need the data to say anything else is pure guessing. All you can really do is try it. The downside of directional antenna the beam is now concentrated which means it likely goes further but that only counts outdoors. If you are shooting it though a wall it also means a small metal electrical box or a mirror on the wall or many other things can block the complete beam.