Wi-fi antenna

[campboy]

Many RV parks have sketchey reception, has anyone found an external antenna that will improve reception?

[Ruffus]

Let me know if you find a good one, I need one too.

[lonewolf]

I know this post is over 3 months old but you guys may want to look at this as it may help you out. Or you can just Google WiFi Antenna to get all sorts of info on building your own.
Build your own WiFi Antenna

[CWtheMan]

You can get a USB WiFi booster at Walmart. Works great with desktop or laptop.

CW

[mevans0486]

I know this post is old but, if the question is still out there, I have a solution that has helped me out quite a bit. Now I am a network engineer, but it still is not that difficult to do. You can turn an old internet router into a Wi-Fi repeater, what it will do is connect to a Wi-Fi access point, and repeat the Wi-Fi signal locally. A routers antennas will be powered higher than a computers, so you will get more range. This will allow you connect to your access point and let the router make the connection to the main access point for internet connection. The Firmware is called DD-WRT, found at dd-wrt.com, it is compatible with many routers out there, and the web site does have a compatibility chart. This also will allow you to connect a non wireless computer to the router, via Ethernet cable, and it will still be online.

[hankpage]

Originally Posted by mevans0486

I know this post is old but, if the question is still out there, I have a solution that has helped me out quite a bit. Now I am a network engineer, but it still is not that difficult to do. You can turn an old internet router into a Wi-Fi repeater, what it will do is connect to a Wi-Fi access point, and repeat the Wi-Fi signal locally. A routers antennas will be powered higher than a computers, so you will get more range. This will allow you connect to your access point and let the router make the connection to the main access point for internet connection. The Firmware is called DD-WRT, found at dd-wrt.com, it is compatible with many routers out there, and the web site does have a compatibility chart. This also will allow you to connect a non wireless computer to the router, via Ethernet cable, and it will still be online.

Thanks for the info ..... I have an old router somewhere .... I might try that out before buying a USB antenna. Thanks again, Hank

[geo]

I would like to follow up to mevans0486 posting above. The DD-WRT software appears to be fairly easy but not all "home" wireless routers may be compatible. Buffalo Technology uses DD-WRT as their router/access point software. Their products come with DD-WRT installed; you just have to finish the configuration to match your desires and systems. The high end router/access point devices can even have a USB hard drive attached to act as a shared disk (a NAS device) when used in the router mode.

I have used www.sparco.com for about 10 years. I have found they generally have excellent prices, and unless you are in Tennessee or Mississippi, no sales tax (as of this writing). Sparco.com utilizes several different wholesale houses, so usually you can purchase something, get ground UPS, and have it the next day or two. For example, the Buffalo WZR-HP-G300NH wireless router/access point device is on Sparco for slightly less than $100 while the MSRP is around $170.

From what I read on the Buffalo Technologies website (www.buffalotech.com) , it appears that the out-of-the-box router is easy to setup and configure with DD-WRT. You don't have to be a network engineer or a Linux sys admin to do it. Think I'll be adding one of these to my fifth wheel. I like the extra security that the DD-WRT and Buffalo provides.

That's a thread that hasn't been brought up that I have seen in my short time here - Internet security within a campground wireless or wired network. If you have a network savvy camper (no offense here mevans0486, I'm a Solaris/Linux sys admin), there are snooping and sniffer programs that can monitor network traffic and see anything and everything you do. Access your bank account from the campground and . . . well, you fill in the rest. Mevans0486, maybe you should start a thread about VPN using DD-WRT.

Ron

[Festus2]

A thread on Internet security within campgrounds (wired or wireless) sounds like a good idea. More and more campers are now taking their laptops into campgrounds and; as you pointed out, are subject to those "snoopers with sniffer programs". Many of us would like to know what steps or precautions we can take to make our computer usage more secure while in campgrounds.
Because we are not network engineers or system administrators, the thread should, if at all possible, be kept as non-technical as possible. I realize that this is a difficult thing to ask since it is a technical subject. It would be appreciated by those of us who are somewhat "technically challenged" but want to learn more about this topic, if the thread and posts be kept as non-technical as possible.
I am lost already at your suggestion about "starting a thread about VPN using DD-WRT" but anxious to know about campground Internet security. I have no idea what these acronyms mean.

[geo]

Festus2 -

You are quite correct. Actually, I was hoping mevans0486 might jump in to explain. You know - gently pushing, little jab here and there.

Let me do this, I'll start writing something up off line today and start a new thread this afternoon. I would like mevans0486 to help keep me on the straight and narrow - that means making sure that what I said was correct. Network engineers are much better trained on this area than us sys admins.

"Network security" is something that everyone (campers, full-timers, non-campers) alike should think about. No, you may not need a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to tunnel through the Internet to reach your home/business computer without interception and using a unique cypher coding. But that link would be secure. I had only been asked by a friend in Oklahoma about how to get better campground Internet, so the past few days reading about the DD-WRT software has been very interesting! That DD-WRT software goes on a wired/wireless router to make it function.

Mevans0486, if you see this, watch for the new thread and please help out!

Ron

[mevans0486]

I bow before greatness, Sir Solaris/Linux sys admin, . Yes I would be happy to help where I can, sorry past few days I have not been able to get on here. Yes, unfortunately anything sent over wireless is free game to anyone snooping. And a bigger unfortunate problem is that it is not that had to snoop. Geo you are correct not all routers are compatible, www.dd-wrt.com does has a compatibility chart. However if you are going to by a new router for this purpose Asus and Buffalo offer the best router for DD-WRT. [WARNING TECH TALK] a VPN might be a little more difficult to manage since the local IP subnets will change. Not impossible but do-able, hmmm.. maybe I just found a new "need".

[geo]

mevans0486 -

Nope, not much greatness here. Just surviving. Many thoughts are spawning on Computers. Stay tuned. But now tell me, you don't VPN back to your server at home that's all firewalled up? [Big warning! Nerd Tech Talk! Sorry.]

Ron