Wifi signal boosters do they exist

[Joeski]

Hi TSer's

     My son has a laptop which we learned can get free internet from wifi hotspots.  My question is, is there a signal booster that can be plugged into a USB port so he can prevent disconnection of weak signals?  He lately has been using this for bit torrents and its been doing great.

Thanks in advance

[KLowe]

i THINK linksys sells the wifi relay boxes which should act like a booster.  but that would be more for use in your home if you are bogarting a neighbor's wifi connection.  I wish i could figure out "Scotts wifi" password....then I'd have free internet for my house.

K

[OFOTD]

Just a little info.  There are several manufacturers that make wifi boosters be it a bigger antenna or a new card but typically they all introduce a large amount of noise.  Not audible noise but  stretched out signal noise.  While you may be able to be further away from a hotspot your speed very rarely will increase because of the boosters.

The best option I have found and i'm a big wifi guy is simply making sure your wireless drivers are the latest and greatest.  I have noticed significant performance jumps with installing newer drivers.  Depending on which wireless card/hub/router/etc you are using there may be a community of developers working on their own 3rd party drivers for your wireless device like the dozens of groups that work on video drivers.

[Church-Audio]

Hi TSer's

     My son has a laptop which we learned can get free internet from wifi hotspots.  My question is, is there a signal booster that can be plugged into a USB port so he can prevent disconnection of weak signals?  He lately has been using this for bit torrents and its been doing great.

Thanks in advance

No there is no USB signal booster. But you can go with a external USB wifi unit that has an external antenna jack and use a higher gain antenna.

[tiberiusbkirk]

ditto, all mentioned above.
forget the booster, get the latest firmware and an external antenna.
I just did the firmware upgrade for a Ralink chip and it's picking up more AP's than before.

[Joeski]

Thank you all for the info.  So what store would have these antenna's? Newegg, Compusa?  And if you could give me an extact item that you may have used and like, I  thank you in advance.  I'm learning a lot here at TS.com, slow but learning alot.

Thank You

[OFOTD]

Thank you all for the info.  So what store would have these antenna's? Newegg, Compusa?  And if you could give me an extact item that you may have used and like, I  thank you in advance.  I'm learning a lot here at TS.com, slow but learning alot.

Thank You

Well it sounds like your son has a laptop?  If so then first and foremost install the very latest drivers you can find for that wireless card.  Go straight to the manufacturer of the wifi card and not the manufacturer of the computer (i.e. Intel instead of Dell).  Try that first before you spend any money. 

As far as external antennas for a laptop i'm not sure there are any that are 1. cost effective and 2. huge compared to a laptop.

Good luck and let us know how the firmware/driver upgrade works.

[china_rider]

Have some fun.... Make a cantenna.   
http://www.turnpoint.net/wireless/cantennahowto.html

[Church-Audio]

Have some fun.... Make a cantenna.   
http://www.turnpoint.net/wireless/cantennahowto.html

Rhymes with Santana! Yes then you can war drive and hack into peoples wifi networks and download all there porn.

Chris Church