Long range wireless router help

[dmccarty]

It has been mentioned previously in this thread but it should not be ignored.....

Your wireless access should be secure. Not only to protect your information but also to keep people from using your service. Houses have been raided by law enforcement with search warrants based on Internet traffic. The home owner had left his network open and a neighbor was using the connection. I think the neighbor was downloading kiddie ****. The home owner had to deal with a search of his house and computers based on that open network.

Eventually, they figured out that it was not the home owner or his family committing a crime but someone else. I would bet the homeowner secured his wireless after the police visit.

Lock up those connections.

Later,
Dan

 

[WVBill]

This is probably the best place to invest some $$... OP already has aircard, just needs a stronger signal at home...

I totally agree. If that aircard has an external antenna jack then for less than 100 bucks investment in an external antenna and cable he can probably be getting .75 - 1 Mbps download and .5 - .75Mbps upload speeds.

If the aircard doesn't have an external jack, check to see if you're eligible for an upgrade.

I got my antenna from the folks at 3Gstore.com - they have a 14 day return policy so if it doesn't work you're not out anything. They run a forum called evdoforums.com real friendly folks just like here at TBN but focused on how to get the best cell broadband you can....

 

[Redneck in training]

The OP has stated he does not want to pay for the service.

The OP is figuring out how to get around paying for the service.

Later,
Dan

OP doesn't want to be locked in the two years contract while he is expecting some better type of service to be available. He might be helping is neighbor for free doing something they need.

I would suggest to get a mobile phone booster/repeater. They are expensive but they make mobile as well as data work in areas with marginal signal.

We have Hughes ISP. It works but, if given a choice, I would rather have something better. It is expensive at $70/month, there is a limit on download volume but after midnight downloads don't count. Download speed at night is pretty good but upload sucks 24/7. We had issues with the equipment due to installation error causing water entering the outside unit and slowly destroying it. The funny part was that we had intermittent problems while still in warranty that Hughes wasn't able to troubleshoot. Then it failed completely few months after warranty expired. Ended up paying (if I remember it right) about $75 standard repair charge but got completely new outside unit.

 

[Tig]

You need to read her contact to see if connection sharing is legal. Some ISPs allow this if not for profit. Others only allow if not for profit and under the same roof. If in doubt, call and ask.
600 ft is not difficult if you can see the target. I can get a strong signal from routers inside houses 1.5 Km away.
I've extended my wifi over 2 km from my house out to my ice fishing shack. Speed dropped from 4.3Mb to 1.5Mb. I figure 4Km is the upper limit for my set up but I've never had to go that far to fish.
I'm not certain what the FCC limits wifi power to in the US, but adapters are available with 50 times more power than the one built into my laptop. For the larger distances I also use yagi antennas to focus the signal.
PM me if you want more details of my setup.

 

[Redbug]

If you have a wired telephone connection...I would just shop around and get the best deal on DSL and get a wireless router for your laptops. Desktop can be wired to the router...Then you are independent of neighbors, etc.

 

[Ken45101]

If you have a wired telephone connection...I would just shop around and get the best deal on DSL and get a wireless router for your laptops. Desktop can be wired to the router...Then you are independent of neighbors, etc.

Just because one has landline does not mean that DSL is available from anyone. A lot of rural areas do not have DSL.

 

[kco]

Just because one has landline does not mean that DSL is available from anyone. A lot of rural areas do not have DSL.

That's correct and that's my situation. I believe the circuit length for DSL is 6 miles from the originating equipment on good cable. I am within the 6 mile limit but our cables are old and noisy so DSL is not available.

Since BC Telephone and Alberta Government Telephones sold the systems to what is now Telus, service has steadily declined and they have mainly ignored the wired system in favour of more lucrative wireless investments. It is impossible to find the phone number for operational personnel or management and service calls are dispatched from a call centre in the Phillipines.

I consider telephone and internet an essential service in today's economy, much like hydro and roads and that they should be available (but not subsidised) for all. However, with a private company they maximize profit. There is little possibility they will ever upgrade our cable to serve an additional 10 customers when spending the money in a populated area will give a better return on investment.

What is frustrating in my situation is the local wireless provider was building out a fine system and Telus decided to ignore a "no compete" agreement with small providers and offered DSL to the customers within the first few circuit miles that their crappy cable could service. That resulted in my provider losing many customers, including the two through which my internet must run because we are located up a narrow valley. Cellular G3 service is not an option because of the poor signal up the valley.

I and others up here have wireless service because the two customers who converted to Telus' DSL let our provider continue to use their homes for his equipment.

A few neighbours have gone with the satellite internet option, but it is expensive, slow, and variable quality due to weather and loading.

If my wireless provider decides it is no longer viable to run his system because of Telus' predatory practices, I'd have no qualms or moral concerns about sharing the Telus cost of service with one of the neighbours and wirelessly shooting the signal up to my place.

 

[trailbuilder]

Our internet guy hooked up a strong router. You can pick up a signal 600 feet or more away with line of site. The router provides service to several cabins and buildings at our ski resort. Sorry I do no know what he used but the cost was about $300-$400 plus installation.

 

[JDgreen227]

Just because one has landline does not mean that DSL is available from anyone. A lot of rural areas do not have DSL.

We live in a semi-rural area and the phone company equipment is only 3 miles away yet we had to wait until 2 years ago to subscribe to DSL. Which means from 1989 thru 2009 we had nothing but dial up, unless we wanted to pay for HughesNet which was about $100 per month. There is Comcast cable service on the corner a quarter mile south, but the company refuses to install a feeder to our pole because there are only two other houses between ours and the corner. Really ticks me off.

 

[DeereDoc]

I've been with Verizon - on a tower over 5 miles away and not LOS for over three years and it has worked flawlessly. The only extra gear I needed was a grid antenna and the low-loss coax to get inside to my modem...

What kind of wireless card are you using? Who is the carrier? What is the signal strength you're getting? Since you are getting some signal sometimes, there's a good possibility you can increase your signal strength, lock the card in EVDO mode and get MUCH better performance for very little cost.

Finally back home after a vacation and checking on all the great responses

I have a Verizon USB727 aircard that does have a port for an external antenna. I actually hooked one up that I had setting around when I first got the thing and it seems like it is helping a little and now I am getting 0.47 down and 0.2 up.

http://www.speedtest.net/result/1369494738.png

Unhooked my extra antenna just now and got 0.11 down and 0.02 up - OUCH

http://www.speedtest.net/result/1369499171.png

So it obviously seems like it is helping somewhat.

Now the only question is whether I can get a cell signal booster or whatever that will do even better that what I already have and whether I should look into the things that boost the cell signal for everything including phones or just something that hooks into the aircard jack.

I am basically abandoning the thought of scabbing off the neighbor at this point as I think there is hope with my aircard yet! I found something that said the aircard I have has the capability of 3.1Mbs - If I even got half of that it would blow my mind.

Now to figure out what it means to "lock it in EVDO mode".....................