Just wanted to give a few teaser pics of what i did today. Took

described here at http://netgear.com/products/prod_details.php?prodID=243

and a stainless steel steamer basket and turned them into what you see below. The pics are not the best, I have no macroshot, but you can see in the last 1 where I popped open the casing and fastened a 5.25 clip from a chenming case onto the internal antenna to give me a little better reception. Test results using the existing Orinoco 802.11 B integrated WNIC in my Sony VAIO laptop, and the Netgear 802.11 g pictured here for range and strength of signal and using Netstumbler .4 forthcoming as soon as I can find the time. I will try to do a brief article regarding it if people are interested enough. Things are pretty busy at the moment but I can't wait to test this baby out!

Next phase, obtain USB 2.0 pcmcia card so I am not throttling my bandwidth on the existing 1.1 port and get a gps receiver. Will keep you posted!

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You never mentioned the reception. How good is it and what range does it have now?

So far in my house or on my back deck without the dish I could only tap into my personal network, but the community college is less than a mile away so i am hoping with the added boost I will be able to ride on their network. I just reformatted the laptop though, and prepping for a job interview on Monday, so will be a couple of days before I get a good chance to test it

Haha, I like it!!! I have read that coffe cans work better, might want to try it out!

Quote: Originally Posted by Dimazz Haha, I like it!!! I have read that coffe cans work better, might want to try it out!

It all works, it depends on the aplication, coffee and pringles cans are great monodirectional antennas, a dish like this would give you a wider swath of high power reception.

Quote: Originally Posted by Cyno01 It all works, it depends on the aplication, coffee and pringles cans are great monodirectional antennas, a dish like this would give you a wider swath of high power reception.

I am impressed in what you did!! Nice work! I have used a coffee can before and was happy! R U into WarDriving at all? (for recreational uses of course)

I havent really done any as of yet, but as my IT career focus is switching towards security I find myself trying to learn more about intrusion detection and defense and activities like that are the best way IMO. I plan on trying very soon, 'tis why I mentioned the GPS receiver so I can mapout hotspots and import them into my mapping software, or more readily access spots from other users GPS logs.

I use Net Stumbler to find the signals and I turn on the GPS device when I am using it. Then I used to use Black Ice, this was along time ago so I don't know if it is still around. It was a good defense program it would tell you who is trying to get in and log there IP and some other functions, now I use a program called HackerScanner...I think that is what it is called.

I hate to tell you this, but the odds of getting a mile with that are about 0 for the following reaons.

1-you have no idea what frequency that dish is resonating at, and I doupt its around 2.4Ghz.

2-your dish is not grounded

3-that USB thing probably puts out about 1/20th of what you need to achive that distace.

However with a little luck I guess you may be able to pull it off, but the dish won't help.

When I first got into this crap I hit 1 mile eazy with a Pringles can! So I don't know what you are talking about....since then I have tried all the other ideas out there...coffee can, trash can lids...etc..

I had the same WiFi usb adaptor, gave to my friend, since my laptop gets 0 battery time. With a good dish (I was using an old Primestar Dish) I was getting a few of my neighbors networks from 700 yards. Too bad their DSL was ppioe (i.e.: dialer/sign in). I did get a few reports of a "haunted printer" though....

That's awesome, especially if you are able to get that 1 mile mark. I was able to tap into my neighbor's wifi before I purchased my own router way back when. They're across the street so the only place that I could get it from was directly next to the window holding the laptop at a slight angle. Hopefully you're not prone to such restrictions.

Just in case some of you pimps are interested in some of this. A 'CANtenna' is a very cheap directional antenna. You can make them yourself out of a tin can, like a pringles can, or you can buy professional ones. Here are some links from my bookmarks:
http://www.turnpoint.net/wireless/cantennahowto.html
http://www.saunalahti.fi/elepal/antenna2calc.php
http://www.wwc.edu/~frohro/Airport/Primestar/Primestar.html
http://www.nodomainname.co.uk/cantenna/cantenna.htm
http://www.cantenna.com
The farthest I have hear these things have gone is 35km...which I don't know what that is in miles but damn...I share a network with a family member 2.5 miles apart so they do work and they are interesting and fun to play with especially on the road!!!

Yes but don't you think an 10 inch dish that can collapse to the size of a cd case in diamater is pimp though? It's so shiney! Probably is not as effective as if I had used say a wok, or an actual dish, but damn it's cool, makes me miss my old Transformers figures. It's half cool, and half effective, I have actually noticed a big difference in signal strength for my own network, at the road I can't detect it without the dish, with the dish I get a very good connection and excellent before I get halfway across the yard.

No I have not measured the actual signal strength yet, I totalled my car yesterday on my way back from another county where I just got a big promotion ROFL (I work for the state) so I have had other things on my mind, like getting a new car, and breaking the news to my boss, etc etc.

owe damn man that sucks. I hope your ok though...geez wiz a totalled wreck...man I feel for ya


side not...this all seems interesting really..I haven't stayed up on this networking crap...any site where I can use my laptop to find open signals?

Quote: Originally Posted by FizzledFiend owe damn man that sucks. I hope your ok though...geez wiz a totalled wreck...man I feel for ya side not...this all seems interesting really..I haven't stayed up on this networking crap...any site where I can use my laptop to find open signals?

Yes just download NetStumbler and take a ride or see if there is anything around you!!

downloaded and awaiting a choffer

I remember first getting netstumbler when the neighbors told us they could see are access point and expected us to hide our radio waves. A quick walk around the neighborhood reveals the number of people who have wireless, encryption off, or default settings. linksys seems to be the dominant brand and the guy that is obliviously a mac user (has airport equipment) is the same guy who rudely refused to buy my fund raiser candy bars. Although it is useful if your on vacation and need to find internet access when your hotel doesnÂ’t have it. But then apparently a lot of hotels in the middle of nowhere lack high speed service and unless you have verizon you there is no cell phone for you.