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What is a good affordable (up to $50) portable wifi antenna with decent gain?

I need to use my laptop out in a parking lot.

 

The network is secured, but I am authorized to use it 

and I have the necessary key stored in my konfuzer. 

 

The closest I can get to the wireless router is about 80 to 85 feet. 

 

Signal strength now is about as low as can be made to work at all.

 

There is NO way to add an antenna to the router, 

nor to replace the present router with a different one, 

so all of the improvement Has to be at My location. 

  

 

 

 

 

Pearl, if you try to answer this I will report you, so Stay Away. 

You don't know Sh*t about Anything. 

3 Answers

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  • Lv 7
    1 year ago

    you could always use an extender. plug it in indoors, near a window. surely they'd let you do that, if you are authorized to use it from the lot...

  • 1 year ago

    An antenna is easy enough, there are loads on ebay, eg.

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/RP-SMA-2-4GHz-25dBi-Direc...

    The thing is, you need a WiFi device with a connector for an external antenna, and few laptops have that (at least without using a docking station).

    Based on that, you probably also need something like this:

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/USB-WiFi-Adapter-Wireless...

    That has removable antenna and you can attach the directional antenna to one of the sockets.

    You may also need an adapter such as these if the WiFi unit uses the larger RP-TNC antenna thread, as used on many WiFi devices. It depends on the antenna type.

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/RP-SMA-MALE-TO-RP-TNC-FEM...

    Be certain the WiFi AP is configured to allow connections from that distance - some places lock down the acktime setting to prevent use from beyond the premises.

  • GTB
    Lv 7
    1 year ago

    The solution is not a stronger antenna on the laptop. If you are authorized to use the secure wireless network, have another wireless access point added outside by the network administrator.

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