December 16, 2004

Curious Monkey: Wi-Fi Wang Fu I've got a wi-fi router (D-Link DI-624)and I was wondering if this is possible: Can I plug this thing into my laptop and use the antenna to boost signals from outside sources to my laptop? The only other alternative seems to be to get a cantenna and a wi-fi card with a plug in for the cantenna. Any ideas? Thoughts? Off-color jokes?
  • You won't be able to do that. The software in the router is set up to be an access point and what you're wanting to do is set up a bridge. That said, there are wireless bridges... you can hook the cantenna into that and then use it to provide network connectivity to your network (hook it to the WAN port on your router). You'll lose the ability to share your cable modem out with the wireless router (unless you plug it back in to the d-link unit) and you'll be at the mercy of whoever's signal you're lifting... now, if you just wanna increase signal strength to your laptop, the best thing is to get an external antenna and a card that supports it.
  • Off-Color Joke, eh? A man walks into a bar, orders a shot of whiskey, takes the shot, looks into his breast pocket. Orders another shot, takes it, looks into his breast pocket. Orders another shot, takes it, looks into his breast pocket. This continues until the bartender says, "OK, there's no way you're getting any more shots until I know what you keep looking at in your breast pocket." The man says, "Oh, I've got a picture of my wife in there. When she looks good, I'm going home!" (insert rimshot here)
  • Hear about the thieves who stole a truckload of Viagra? The police are on the lookout for a group of hardened criminals. (Sorry, no clue about the tech stuff.)
  • A nun and a priest walk into a bar ... you think they would have ducked! Likewise on the WiFu - no clue. On the other hand - just do like everyone else and go to the public library to look at your porn ...
  • A catholic priest, a porn addict, and a child molester walk into a bar... and that was just the first guy! *hides
  • My jokes are too off colour for public consumption. Don't have a solution but maybe try asking the question over at dslreports.
  • Sorry mk, i'm afraid you asked for it. ;)
  • We got an external wireless antenna that seems to have greatly helped our signal. For what that's worth.
  • worlds shortest joke A baby harp seal walks into a club.
  • What do you get when you cross a kangaroo with an elephant? Big holes all over Australia. Oh, off-color? Big MOTHERFUCKING holes all over Australia.
  • A dentist tells his female patient that she's going to need a root canal. The lady says "Ouch, I'd rather have a baby." Dentist says "Make up your mind, I have to adjust the chair." Two fags are fucking a dead alligator on a bus. One turns to the other and asks him if he has an internal wireless card, and wonders if maybe a PCMCIA card with an external antenna would help boost the signal.
  • You are all very helpful, now I not only have good info on getting a boost in the wi-fi signal, I also have a few new jokes to throw around! Mucho Appreciamundo! (^_^)
  • mkgti, There are several ways to boost the range of your wlan (or, ahem, wardriving) range, but I don't think any of them involve the use of your DI-624. The output on most wireless cards and integrated chipsets is 30mW. Depending on the built-in chipset and amp used, you may be able to change this in software and set it to anywhere between 70 and 150mW. Your card may require a firmware re-flash in order to unlock this "feature." Or, if you're handy with a soldering iron you can find the traces on the PC Card where some manufacturers would have included an MC Card or TNC-style jack, and solder a jack there yourself. Once you have a jack or pigtail coming off the card, you can connect it to any of a number of antenna, cantenna, highly directional yagi, amps or whatcha like. I did something similar to this for the local University, when they needed to replace their obsolete Riccochet wireless network during textbook-buyback operations. A set of 6 Apple Airport base stations, each with a 500mW bi-directional amp and a rooftop-mounted 6' fiberglass-enclosed omnidirectional boom style antenna blankets the entire university quite nicely with signal. :) Your results, of course, may vary. And be very careful, especially if you're modding something integrated to your laptop. Hope this helps!