WiFi FAQ

**J187** · 06-03-2005, 09:16 AM

Originally Posted by NRGZ28

WTF is a "protocall" ? And why should we listen to an analphabet like you ?

What is your problem? Are you a

? This is a fantastic thread. There aren't nearly enough sticky, good information threads on this site and you go and attack the guy that makes this one? You have no place here.

**amthar** · 07-06-2005, 02:48 PM

I have been involved in several wifi start-up companies looking at providing "last mile" solutions via wifi, as well as the future of "mesh networking" via inexpensive boxes saturating an area with a wifi cloud (imagine a wireless AP at every intersection of a city, powered by fiber... Cary, NC is doing this).

From our research, Orinoco is above and beyond the best equipment for the cost, which over the past couple of years has become extremely cheap (as with all computer hardware I guess...).

Some other things:

amazing things can be accomplished with proper antenna choice and installation. There have been people who have blasted a wifi signal over many many miles from an off-the-shelf linksys 802.11b router with special antennas (Which are also comparitively inexpensive [<$300]).
Trees pretty much take a wifi signal and beat it like a red-headed step child. Very few things (barring you know, lead) obstruct wifi as much as trees. The leaves act like a sponge, soaking up the signal.
Stock (and really many aftermarket) omni-directional/yagi wifi antennas send out a signal much like a donut. The very center has a hole, although small, where signal reception can cause problems. They also send signals out horizontally MUCH better than vertically. If you are looking for vertical propogation, turn the AP on it's side (or adjust the antennas to simulate the same effect)
Sveasoft makes some awesome aftermarket firmware for most of the linksys routers. Check it out, it can be downloaded for free from many sites, although supposedly you have to pay for it, although it's under GPL, so there is a big fight over the paying issue (search slashdot)

More to come later if I think of more

**TB6387** · 07-06-2005, 10:51 PM

What are the possibilities of using a fin like antenna similar to those seen on newer style BMWs, etc. as an omnidirectional antenna for WIFI? I do not know how those antennas work but would it be possible to make it work with WIFI or retrofit one of them with a WIFI antenna inside so that you can have the look of the fin antenna?

**Bugbyte** · 07-07-2005, 12:28 AM

Unlikely. The sharkfin antennas are usually a GPS receiver antenna. Different frequency from WiFi. Plus, it's a receiving antenna rather than a transmitter.

**Skipjacks** · 07-08-2005, 07:18 AM

http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/07/07/wi....ap/index.html

Warning.

**lexanite** · 07-31-2005, 01:17 AM

I made 2 band and 3 band Patch Antenna few years ago for AO-40 Satellite. AMSATID members use 6 feet porabolic dish to operate at AO40 with this Patch Antenna as the radiator, installed at the focus of the dish.
The 2 band type maybe applicable for WiFi and GPS.
Its 1.2GHz + 2.4GHz Dual Band Patch Antenna.
See attached pictures.

**J187** · 08-02-2005, 06:04 PM

Originally Posted by Skipjacks

http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/07/07/wi....ap/index.html

Warning.

this whole article can be summed up in one little exerpt - Police say Smith admitted using the Wi-Fi signal from the home of Richard Dinon. Why admit it? How would they prove it otherwise?

**Matthew230** · 08-02-2005, 06:29 PM

Check the log of the router to see what has accessed it. You can identify the card used down to the make and batch number from this information.

Although people who don't know how to encrypt wifi are really unlikely to know how to check how many different cards are accessing it.

**J187** · 08-03-2005, 09:15 AM

Originally Posted by Matthew230

Check the log of the router to see what has accessed it. You can identify the card used down to the make and batch number from this information.

Although people who don't know how to encrypt wifi are really unlikely to know how to check how many different cards are accessing it.

I don't wan't to hijack this thread, but Just because his card accessed it, doesn't mean he'd be found guilty of commiting a crime, you know what I mean?. He could give a whole host of excuses right down to "no idea how it happend". I've noticed they haven't seemed to have prosecuted anyone for song piracy yet that hasn't admitted doing the deed ...

**Matthew230** · 08-03-2005, 10:08 AM

Originally Posted by J187

I don't wan't to hijack this thread, but Just because his card accessed it, doesn't mean he'd be found guilty of commiting a crime, you know what I mean?. He could give a whole host of excuses right down to "no idea how it happend". I've noticed they haven't seemed to have prosecuted anyone for song piracy yet that hasn't admitted doing the deed ...

Firstly, you don't know that this guy was not some type of techie who a jury or judge could not easily believe when he said he didn't know it was happening.

Secondly, if I turned up at your house, seized your hard drive and discovered 20 gigs of music for which you could not produce CD's what would your excuse be ? Afterwhich you were offered an out of court or civil court fine for admitting it, or being potentially taken to trial and slapped in Jail for a criminal offence, which would you choose ?