Quote:
Originally Posted by Skid Row Joe
Here's what I've been using for years - at home and on the road in my coach.
You should go to a cell phone and whatever your TV antenna can pick up out of the air. Anything else is throwing money away in my personal opinion.
 
The kit http://www.jefatech.com/category/a050/ $150
700' is nothing.....
An omni-directional marine type antenna (installed on the top) and a router/repeater (installed inside) create a strong signal (“hot spot”) in and out of the coach. The system was successfully tested ˝ mile from the Wi-Fi point with a broadcast strength of a meager 9%. Unsecured, the system could make you the most desirable neighboring RV.
I utilize parts of this system at home and on-the-road. I would estimate that from inside my home, using only the rubber duck 4" antenna with 6' USB port line I can pick up a Wifi signal from 100 yards. I have no less than (10) Wifi signals from inside my home. From the roof of my home, I would estimate (30) Wifi signals, or more. Only (3) are unsecured and free to use out of the (10) or so from inside my home. The antenna pictured above, is fixed in place on the luggage rack. I plan to upgrade my TV antenna to a Winegard "batwing" crank-up/down antenna system, which I will affix the 2' antenna to. Then, easy directional rotating is accomplished from inside the coach. My last coach had the Winegard 'batwing' which is an outstanding antenna. I haven't paid for Internet access in almost (2) years. Anywhere in the country, I just pop-open my laptop inside my coach, and bang, signals everywhere. My kit has a 2' antenna 8.5dBi gain, Omni Directional antenna, which is supposed to pick up a 1/2 mile signal.
They sell a 65" antenna 15dBi gain, Omni Directional Antenna upgrade for $40.00 more, that is supposed to be able to pick up a 1 mile away signal.
Included in the kit is the 4" rubber duck antenna ports into the side of your laptop, and is all most people would need when you want to pick up a Wifi signal in your car from parking lots, etc. Of course it would give a signal boost used in office buildings as well from the repeater too. So, unless you want to go Wifi from your home, boat, or RV with the 2' marine-type antenna, all you need is the 4" rubber duck antenna. |
As much as I love your solution, this isn't truly legal or worse safe.
In fact, I have been having a lot of fun when I would detect neighbors using my wireless connection. Recently I have had even more fun sniffing out packet data from unencrypted HTTP sessions over my wireless router. Hijacking facebook, twitter, Gmail, google, and other non encrypted is super easy.
You'd be surprised at the type of stuff I see sent in plain text over email to my wireless router.
I urge you to at least consider a VPN service. They can be used cheaply at a per monthly rate of at least 5-8$ . At least this way, hooligans like myself will only see encrypted traffic and not your email, IM, and web traffic.
To the OP, have you considered going satellite or even going to your municipality and complaining? See if you can get enough people together to start a municipal ISP. Charter will go ape **** over this, but if their service is as crappy as you say it is, I bet a lot of local citizens will appreciate it.