[kwlug-disc] Tip: USB WiFi dongles

[Stuart Seeley]

I used to live at Yonge & Sheppard... wasn't too bad really.
Probably 30-40 AP's visible IIRC.

Stuart

Sent from my iPad

> On Aug 30, 2017, at 2:21 PM, Charles M <chaslinux at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Funny you mention congestion Bob, a couple of times I've run active
> wifi scans at our apartment I've gotten 60+ access points (83 once).
> We're beside another building that's 18 stories. I'd hate to think
> what it's like in the high-rises in downtown Toronto!
> 
>> On Wed, Aug 30, 2017 at 1:33 PM, Bob Jonkman <bjonkman at sobac.com> wrote:
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>> Charles wrote:
>>> Tomato let you boost your router's signal
>> 
>> The problem with a "weak signal" is as much that the laptop WiFi
>> doesn't have the oomph to transmit back to the access point.
>> Increasing the signal strength on the router is likely to saturate the
>> channel, making it even more difficult for a weak signal to be received.
>> 
>> Better to see if there's a less congested WiFi channel, or change the
>> antenna on the receiving device (which is what Khalid did, in the
>> extreme).
>> 
>> Recently there was an article or conference talk on exactly that
>> problem, but my DuckDuck-fu is as weak as a WiFi signal today.
>> 
>> - --Bob.
>> 
>> 
>>> On 2017-08-30 01:22 PM, Charles M wrote:
>>> Khalid we've noticed this with different laptops on the same shelf
>>> - some get a stronger signal than others. Whether it's how they
>>> implement the antenna (usually around the screen) or the wireless
>>> chip itself, we haven't investigated yet. As you've pointed out
>>> we've had better success with external wifi+an antenna.
>>> 
>>> It's been awhile since I've played with wireless firmware, but I
>>> remember that Tomato let you boost your router's signal. I know
>>> lots of folks love OpenWRT. There's a newer version of Tomato that
>>> combines Tomato Shibby with some others and works on a few more
>>> routers called Advanced Tomato.
>>> 
>>> On Wed, Aug 30, 2017 at 12:31 PM Khalid Baheyeldin <kb at 2bits.com>
>>> wrote:
>>> 
>>>> My old laptop (~ 2009) was not connecting to a router when
>>>> farther away than usual (e.g. in the backyard).
>>>> 
>>>> Turns out that it is not the router to blame. I used a USB WiFi
>>>> dongle that I got with my Raspberry Pi bundle a while back, and
>>>> it did work.
>>>> 
>>>> The only issue was that this dongle was too long for my liking.
>>>> 
>>>> I looked around on eBay and there are ones that are more compact.
>>>> it only costs C$2.20. I ordered it and when it arrived I tested
>>>> it and it works as expected. Linux (Xubuntu 16.04) already has
>>>> the correct drivers for it. Nothing to configure or fiddle with.
>>>> 
>>>> http://www.ebay.ca/itm/112224395371
>>>> 
>>>> So, if your old laptop is not performing as expected re: wifi,
>>>> you have another option to try. -- Khalid M. Baheyeldin
>>>> 2bits.com, Inc. http://2bits.com Drupal optimization,
>>>> development, customization and consulting. Simplicity is
>>>> prerequisite for reliability. --  Edsger W.Dijkstra Simplicity is
>>>> the ultimate sophistication. --   Leonardo da Vinci
>>>> 
>>>> _______________________________________________ kwlug-disc
>>>> mailing list kwlug-disc at kwlug.org
>>>> http://kwlug.org/mailman/listinfo/kwlug-disc_kwlug.org
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
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>> 
>> - --
>> Bob Jonkman <bjonkman at sobac.com>          Phone: +1-519-635-9413
>> SOBAC Microcomputer Services             http://sobac.com/sobac/
>> Software   ---   Office & Business Automation   ---   Consulting
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> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Charles McColm
> Blog: http://www.charlesmccolm.com/
> Twitter/Identica/Google+: @chaslinux
> 
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