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Any of you have experiences (that worked or failed) with boosting a weak WiFi signal so it can be used by 'typical' devices (I'm fixing up access for an very old timer in wheel chair).
Historical:
1 - His room doesn't have facilities for internet service connection.
2 - I got him a 5db amplified antenna for a desktop and can get a signal of varying strength, but usually stable.
3 - He was given an iPad but it cannot connect to the signals.
4 - He use to use a RoKu, when living at home, but signal too weak for one, now.
I've been letting him use one of my login's for the local ISP's massive WiFi network but he's north-facing and the signals are from the south. So what device is a best option (gamble?) to give him in-room wireless internet?
Modify: The best solution seems to be a repeater. Thanks, all, for doing what you can. Even the pringles (yeechy things though they are).
| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "As far as we know, our computer has never had an undetected error." - Weisert | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
modified 14-Apr-15 15:28pm.
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Have you considered Powerline Networking[^]?
I've not tried it (CAT 5 + WiFi covers the house) but...
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
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The problem is that we've no source to feed into the powerline network to begin with.
It's a senior care residence. There's a building (his) between the signal and his room. The amplified antenna worked but the other devices don't have that option - hence the need to figure out (or better, hear from experiences) what a good first stab should be.
| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "As far as we know, our computer has never had an undetected error." - Weisert | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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For his desktop, I sort of did this in the commercial way: external antenna, longer, amplified. The desktop works.
My motive for boosting his in-room signal is so he doesn't have to be at his desktop and he can also do his RoKu (bandwidth permitting). A plugin antenna doesn't work for these.
I actually tried, for fun, a variation of this pringles once-upon-a-time. It used foil to create a partial dish to wrap around an external antenna: directional and more signal gathering power. Results were "mmmmmmmm ....."
| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "As far as we know, our computer has never had an undetected error." - Weisert | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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W∴ Balboos wrote: He was given an iPad but it cannot connect to the signals.
Are you sure it's an iWiFi signal? 
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Get a router with a detachable antenna, configure it to work as a repeater, and stick your high gain antenna on it?
Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, waging all things in the balance of reason?
Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful?
--Zachris Topelius
Training a telescope on one’s own belly button will only reveal lint. You like that? You go right on staring at it. I prefer looking at galaxies.
-- Sarah Hoyt
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You're one of two that suggest a repeater - so, thanks to both of you, I think I have a direction for my first try at this.
| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "As far as we know, our computer has never had an undetected error." - Weisert | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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It isn't free but you could consider using a hotspot. Or if he has an android smartphone, those can tether wirelessly too.
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I have the "hotspot", but in his room it's too weak a signal for most portable devices. Thus, I'm looking for something to take the hotspot signal and amplify it.
| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "As far as we know, our computer has never had an undetected error." - Weisert | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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Maybe the hotspot you are referring to isn't the one I was mentioning. I would kind of be surprised if you don't have a sufficient cell signal inside of his room. I mean, I get a 4G Verizon signal in my basement.
These are Verizon's, but the other carriers have them too.
http://www.verizonwireless.com/internet-devices/[^]
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I don't understand. Why can't you use a wi-fi repeater[^]?
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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I have no reason not to use one - I just don't want to go on the buy and test routine until I have a good potential - like your suggestion.
(I've never needed a repeater so I'm not aware of its potential).
| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "As far as we know, our computer has never had an undetected error." - Weisert | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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I've used two in this house (the floors are made of bison slabs, which is great if there's a fire, but cr@p for wifi -- guess which I make more use of), but I recently replaced one with a router (for the Ethernet slots).
They're cheap, easy to configure, and (as long as you have a free electrical socket) very convenient.
You can either set them up as independent wifi-routers, or as repeaters of the master router, adopting the same IP, etc.
I'm guessing that you won't be able to use the auto-configury button (I can't remember what they call it, for the mo'), but you can just go to 192.168.wot.eva and you get an admin site, the same as for a normal router.
A couple of cons you suffer when it's set up as a repeater, rather than as a wifi router:
0: Once it is set up, you will no longer have admin control over it, unless the owners of the master router give you access (but it doesn't take two minutes to set up, after you've done it once, so you can always revert to factory settings and redo).
1: Other people who have access to the master router will automatically connect to it, too, eating your bandwidth.
[edit] missed a bit [/edit]
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
modified 14-Apr-15 15:25pm.
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Thanks - a repeater seems to be the way to go. I'll bring a laptop to configure it.
As for others latching onto the signal - that's no actual problem in that it's a massive publicly available network (for subscribers to that cable company). Also, with the average resident in the vicinity on the order of 80 years old and above, there won't be too much competition.
Now to do a rapid shop-around for what best fits the location.
Again - thanks.
| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "As far as we know, our computer has never had an undetected error." - Weisert | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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Oops. Looks like I missed a word or two out, when introducing the cons.
What I meant was that you might prefer to use it as a (client) wifi router of the master router.
On that setting, you connect it to the master router with the same creds that you would use to connect with the computer, and then connect to the "repeater" (which is acting as a router) using its own IP and creds. Then those two cons don't apply.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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I dont know the exact situation if it will work in you case but in my house I have used the internet signal to transmit via power distribution network. So I take it out from the power outlet in another room.
And also I have used repeater to have stonger signal in the backyard as power outlet was not an option there.
cheers,
Super
------------------------------------------
Too much of good is bad,mix some evil in it
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Scary. Most women don't even know what the devices in their natural habitat are for.
The language is JavaScript. that of Mordor, which I will not utter here
This is Javascript. If you put big wheels and a racing stripe on a golf cart, it's still a f***ing golf cart.
"I don't know, extraterrestrial?"
"You mean like from space?"
"No, from Canada."
If software development were a circus, we would all be the clowns.
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She had the foil the wrong way round, the BACON deserves better!
veni bibi saltavi
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And there was me thinking all the burnt tin foil cops find in peoples cars on reality shows was for heroin! 
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
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Heating streaky bacon in a trouser press (almost)? Reminds me of this marvellous song[^]. 
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined."
- Homer
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I don't know about other parts of the world, but here in the USA we have kitchen implements referred to as "stoves" or "ranges" on which we cook our food!
(I have my coat, and am long gone!......)
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And all of you probably also play the stove pipes very well. 
The language is JavaScript. that of Mordor, which I will not utter here
This is Javascript. If you put big wheels and a racing stripe on a golf cart, it's still a f***ing golf cart.
"I don't know, extraterrestrial?"
"You mean like from space?"
"No, from Canada."
If software development were a circus, we would all be the clowns.
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Indeed but, if you note, the cookery equipment featured is all available in a typical hotel room.
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