[SOLVED] Is there a way to amplify an outdoor Wifi hotspot ?

[rjft]

I live across the street from a public park that provides free wi-fi. I operate my pc from that signal. I don't use a conventional router just a wifi USB adapter stick. Sometimes, the signal strength is ok but other times, it needs a little help. I'd like to know if there's a device (if so, what's recommended) to amplify the signal so that both myself and my wife can access the internet simultaneously?

 

[kanewolf]

I live across the street from a public park that provides free wi-fi. I operate my pc from that signal. I don't use a conventional router just a wifi USB adapter stick. Sometimes, the signal strength is ok but other times, it needs a little help. I'd like to know if there's a device (if so, what's recommended) to amplify the signal so that both myself and my wife can access the internet simultaneously?

Do you know if the park has 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz WIFI? Do you have a window that faces the park?

 

[DeauteratedDog]

Small USB adapters are the worst choice, they don't have room for a decent antennas.

Instead, look for an adapter with (physically) large antennas on cables that allow you to locate them in a good location (perhaps near a window facing the park in your case).

For example, the Asus PCE-AC68 https://www.newegg.com/asus-pce-ac68-pci-express/p/N82E16833320173
or the Asus PCE-AC88 https://www.newegg.com/asus-pce-ac88-pci-express/p/N82E16833320313R

I'm not pushing Asus here, they just provided easy examples.

And, I just realized that I didn't answer your question.

You might consider taking a router and putting in in 'client bridge mode' (the name changes between mfgs) and plugging both your PCs into it. Sometimes it can be a little iffy to get it working exactly right though, especially when you don't control the network you are connecting to.

 

[kanewolf]

You might consider taking a router and putting in in 'client bridge mode' (the name changes between mfgs) and plugging both your PCs into it. Sometimes it can be a little iffy to get it working exactly right though, especially when you don't control the network you are connecting to.

This is the path I was exploring with my questions. Having a window facing the right direction, etc.... I would usually recommend a Ubiquiti locoM2 or locoM5 which could sit in a window sill or be mounted outside. Client bridge or client router mode is not universal in routers.

 

[rjft]

Do you know if the park has 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz WIFI? Do you have a window that faces the park?

My window does face the park; I'm not sure if it has 5 ghz. I'll try to find out.

 

[kanewolf]

My window does face the park; I'm not sure if it has 5 ghz. I'll try to find out.

Performance is better with 5Ghz. Distance is better with 2.4Ghz. You can use a program like WIFI Analyzer on an Android device to see the WIFI.

 

[rjft]

I've called Optimum (Altice) cable and spoke to 5 different people in their sales, customer service, and technical department and no one knew whether it was 2.4 ghz or 5 ghz. I'm assuming it's 2.4ghz.

 

[bill001g]

You can tell if it is 2.4g or 5g by looking at your network setting while it is running.

Without direct line of sight to the location it is going to be very hard to accomplish this. It is pretty easy to buy one of the directional bridges mentioned above and point it at the site and get more signal. You signal may or may not be say coming though a wall. It might bounce off a building and come in a window. There is no way to say.

Now if you can run a cable outside and place the bridge in a location that faces the park that will work too but that is not going to be a option unless you own the property.

 

[RTV-5]

I live across the street from a public park that provides free wi-fi. I operate my pc from that signal. I don't use a conventional router just a wifi USB adapter stick. Sometimes, the signal strength is ok but other times, it needs a little help. I'd like to know if there's a device (if so, what's recommended) to amplify the signal so that both myself and my wife can access the internet simultaneously?

All silliness and games aside here's what you want to implement: (use a search engine or visit any decent auction site and search for: 'superpass wifi' or 'mile wifi'. I'd give specific links but I'm not completely familiar with the protocols on Toms 2and don't want to trample any toes or get myself into trouble. You want a directional antenna, preferably one that you can easily set up as a bridge or repeater. These systems are very flexible and can be setup in just about any way you could imagine. They also vary in price from very expensive to fairly reasonable. But if you want to solve your problem then 'superpass' or something similar is what you want to do. I stay clear of the trendy/big name equipment because it can get rather proprietary and 'one way', i.e. not very flexible in how you choose to deploy and its easy to blow $$ on the wrong gear if you aren't very familiar with what you need. (One exemption to that would be 'Hawking wifi', I've accidentally found their older gear to be fairly high quality and stable, thoguh I haven't really used much of their equipment to be frank. I'm really a big fan of SUPERPASS. Whatever you choose you'll absolutely want a good directional antenna, and bigger is frequently better. Avoid no name stuff, at least until you are more familiar with what you really need. You can use these indoors but your results will be better fi you mount it outside.

 

[kanewolf]

All silliness and games aside here's what you want to implement: (use a search engine or visit any decent auction site and search for: 'superpass wifi' or 'mile wifi'. I'd give specific links but I'm not completely familiar with the protocols on Toms 2and don't want to trample any toes or get myself into trouble. You want a directional antenna, preferably one that you can easily set up as a bridge or repeater. These systems are very flexible and can be setup in just about any way you could imagine. They also vary in price from very expensive to fairly reasonable. But if you want to solve your problem then 'superpass' or something similar is what you want to do. I stay clear of the trendy/big name equipment because it can get rather proprietary and 'one way', i.e. not very flexible in how you choose to deploy and its easy to blow $$ on the wrong gear if you aren't very familiar with what you need. (One exemption to that would be 'Hawking wifi', I've accidentally found their older gear to be fairly high quality and stable, thoguh I haven't really used much of their equipment to be frank. I'm really a big fan of SUPERPASS. Whatever you choose you'll absolutely want a good directional antenna, and bigger is frequently better. Avoid no name stuff, at least until you are more familiar with what you really need. You can use these indoors but your results will be better fi you mount it outside.

I am personally not a fan of the RF only solution. It is much more finicky than the integrated antenna/bridge combo unit. Getting the signal to an ethernet cable ASAP is a much simpler implementation. An outdoor rated bridge with directional antenna is $50.
Are the latest Ubiquiti AC products, proprietary. Yes. They only work in pairs. The older M2 and M5 are not. That is why I recommended them.

 

[RTV-5]

I am personally not a fan of the RF only solution. It is much more finicky than the integrated antenna/bridge combo unit. Getting the signal to an ethernet cable ASAP is a much simpler implementation. An outdoor rated bridge with directional antenna is $50.
Are the latest Ubiquiti AC products, proprietary. Yes. They only work in pairs. The older M2 and M5 are not. That is why I recommended them.

I'm not familiar with Ubiquitti products; I am afan of the non-proprietary approach though. It seems to me that many of the older solutions are less proprietary than the newer (as if they discovered how to rake in cash hand over fist rather than just have it trickle in).

I is true that if you are going to do something with most outdoor/directional antennas then you will probably have to know or learn how to configure them and usually you may need another computer to act as a server or hotspot. Ultimately I feel that you're going to get a better connection if you steer away from a standard router type system, unless you are really close to the source and/or have a really good signal. Some of these directional antennas can get solid connections between 10 and 20 miles when tested on open water (ocean) and are much more cost effective than offerings from companies like Ubiquiti. Any way you lok at it though you're going to have to know or learn a great deal about wifi and how it works in order to configure any of these systems....