Wifi Amplifier

[modgod]

Ive been thinking about buying a wifi amp for ages. Does anyone have experience with WiFi amps and maybe some advice about manufacturers to look for. There seem to be a lot floating around on ebay, claiming 500Mw-1W amplification although I highly doubt they work at these levels or if they do the noise they add to the system negates the increase in power.

I was also a bit worried about the ammount of power the whole wifi sytem would be outputting, I live in halls in university, the rooms are tiny and my pillow is literaly 1-2ft from where the amp would sit on the windowledge, the antenna would be hanging out the window or mounted outside on a stand.

Are there any decent websites around that you guys have good experience ordering from?

thanks in advance any advice welcome

MODGOD

edit-

I'll be using this in conjunction with a WiFi PCI adapter for the moment.

[Thorn]

Ive been thinking about buying a wifi amp for ages. Does anyone have experience with WiFi amps and maybe some advice about manufacturers to look for. There seem to be a lot floating around on ebay, claiming 500Mw-1W amplification although I highly doubt they work at these levels or if they do the noise they add to the system negates the increase in power.

I was also a bit worried about the ammount of power the whole wifi sytem would be outputting, I live in halls in university, the rooms are tiny and my pillow is literaly 1-2ft from where the amp would sit on the windowledge, the antenna would be hanging out the window or mounted outside on a stand.

Are there any decent websites around that you guys have good experience ordering from?

thanks in advance any advice welcome

MODGOD

Quite frankly, you should probably stay away from an amp.

If you don't know what you're doing with an RF amp, you're just headed for trouble. They can be very dangerous, and considering the distance you'd be sleeping from the radiating element (antenna) you'd be within the near field. (Google it.) Let me ask you this: How cooked do you want your eyeballs?

Realistically, amps should only be used where the antenna is well out of reach of humans or domestic animals.

Also, you are correct in the assumption that the increase in power has a corresponding increase in noise. They also contribute to the RF pollution in a given area, raising the overall noise floor.

All in all, amps as used by most people are due to improper RF design. They'd be better off learning how to to the math, and use correct antenna systems.

[modgod]

Ok thanks for the info, I guess I'll be getting an Alfa and a Yagi antenna instead then. What exactly is a safe distance/shielding material to negate RF waves from wifi in a certain direction. I would think that if using a yagi antenna with the amp the beam width is much less (if I remember correctly 30 degrees for most yagi's I've seen) meaning that compared to a omni-directional antenna a lot less possibly even no RF radiation will be coming in my direction as long as the yagi is pointed away from me.

Im quite interested in the whole RF world, can you point me to any websites for beginners to read up on radiation paterns etc?

thanks

[streaker69]

Im quite interested in the whole RF world, can you point me to any websites for beginners to read up on radiation paterns etc?

thanks

http://www.arrl.org/

[Thorn]

Ok thanks for the info, I guess I'll be getting an Alfa and a Yagi antenna instead then. What exactly is a safe distance/shielding material to negate RF waves from wifi in a certain direction. I would think that if using a yagi antenna with the amp the beam width is much less (if I remember correctly 30 degrees for most yagi's I've seen) meaning that compared to a omni-directional antenna a lot less possibly even no RF radiation will be coming in my direction as long as the yagi is pointed away from me.

Im quite interested in the whole RF world, can you point me to any websites for beginners to read up on radiation paterns etc?

thanks

A lot less, but Yagis still have back lobes. Some radiation always goes to the back with directionals.

[Shatter]

If you buy a powerful transmitter like an Alfa, there's no need to transmit at its full power. The tx power can be fairly easily scaled down to acceptable levels. I normally recommend an Alfa not because of its high power output, but because if it's excellent sensitivity compared to other wireless products on the shelf. And like Thorn said, correct antenna systems and math can drastically improve your performance.

EDIT: Also, Thorn... congrats for your 1000th post.

[Barry]

EDIT: Also, Thorn... congrats for your 1000th post.

Heh, so how many times has the odometer rolled over now?

[Thorn]

Also, Thorn... congrats for your 1000th post.

Thanks, I hadn't noticed.

Heh, so how many times has the odometer rolled over now?

You'll have to narrow that down: Here? All the forums I belong too? My vehicles?

Or me?

[purehate]

Or me?

Welcome to the prune juice and Geritol years

[Thorn]

Welcome to the prune juice and Geritol years

Hell, I officially hit the Geritol years with the birth of my first grandchild.

But remember, 'Old age and treachery will beat youth and skill, every time.'