 Has this happened to you? You pull into a Starbucks expecting to surf the Web from your car, and find that you have to go buy that triple latte with the chocolate swirl inside if you want to connect. With all the wireless signals running rampant in the United States, it should be easier to connect from anywhere. And yet, the catch for many mobile computing users is that 802.11g hotspots and cellular towers cannot emit a massive high-power signal due to the interference it would inflict upon other signals. So, the availability of many smaller connection options trumps one fat pipeline.
Of course, that's how hotspot providers and cell phone carriers designed wireless access. There’s a strong signal inside a coffee shop where you are supposed to sit and relax. The signal outside is free and clear for cellular access, or for the neighbor’s internal wireless network. If one signal was too strong, they would start cancelling each other out, and we’d never get a good connection from anywhere—inside or outside of Starbucks.
Antennas for Wi-Fi and cellular phones can help solve this problem. By increasing the signal output from the source (the router) with an antenna or signal booster, or attaching a high-power antenna to your laptop, you can connect in places that were unreachable.
“Even though Wi-Fi isn’t intended for long-range coverage, a high-powered antenna can make up for the inherent lack of power,” says Antennas Direct representative Richard Schneider. “If you have the ability to connect an external antenna, you have many more options. Higher-gain Wi-Fi antennas can increase your coverage significantly, providing from two to 20 times the range without a great deal of expense. Cellular repeaters are commonly used in problem signal areas as well. They are also known as BDAs, or bi-directional amplifiers. Cell phone antennas work without a physical connection to your phone, allowing you to walk around freely during a call.” | 
The Wilson Electronics cell phone antenna helps make your cell phone calls clearer, both from home and while driving.
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 Wi-Fi Antennas
Now, before buying an antenna for your Wi-Fi router or cell, it's important to explain some of the terms. For starters, there are two kinds of Wi-Fi antenna connections. Some Linksys routers provide a Reverse-TNC (threaded Neill-Concelman) connection. So, if you own a Linksys WRT54G, for example, you can add a Linksys external high-gain antenna. The connection looks like a smaller version of a cable TV coaxial connection. Another similar connection type is Reverse-SMA (Sub Miniature), also found on many Netgear, D-Link, and Linksys routers. Fortunately, companies such as Hawking Technology (www.hawking
tech.com) provide adapters to fit both connection types. Replacing a Wi-Fi antenna just means unscrewing the one that is provided with the router and then connecting the new antenna. There’s no software to configure.
If you want to receive a stronger signal on your laptop, you can use a high-power USB adapter such as the Hawking Tech HWUG1 Wireless-G USB ($59; www.hawkingtech
.com). This model is unique in that it has a removable antenna, just like a router, so you can add an antenna that supports Reverse-SMA. Wi-Fi antennas also let you mix and match your boosting products. So, you can use a high-power USB adapter on your laptop, and a high-power antenna on the router, and get more coverage area in your home--sometimes as much as 1,000 feet.
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A USB adapter, such as this Hawking HWUG1 device, enables your laptop to receive a stronger signal. |
More Wi-Fi Coverage
The amount of extra coverage you’ll get in your home really depends on a few factors, such as home construction (for example, cement blocks a signal more than wood), and whether your router already uses powerful antennas. In tests, we found that an older router, such as the Linksys WRT54G, normally emits a fairly low-power 802.11g signal of about 300 feet. This model does not compete with newer routers that use either MIMO (multiple in/multiple out) signal scattering technology; or 802.11n, which uses three transmit and three receive antennas. Antennas improve the reach on older routers much more than they do with newer models, which are already quite powerful.
For example, the WRT54G normally runs at 15Mbps from about 10 feet from the router, with no signal beyond 300 feet. When we added a Trendnet TEW-AI750 Omni Antenna ($12.99; www.trendnet.com) to the Linksys (using the Reverse-SMA port), the signal increased to 20Mbps from 10 feet, and still connected just fine at 600 feet. | 
A signal booster works like an antenna by improving the signal in your home or office. |
In addition to router antennas and laptop adapters that increase coverage, there’s also a third option. Wi-Fi repeaters such as the Linksys Wireless-G Range Expander WRE54G help boost the signal between the router and your laptop. Companies such as Antennas Direct also make outdoor models for sending a Wi-Fi signal much farther than most consumer products ever could. “Outdoor antennas can provide the greatest range and coverage,” says Schneider. “These are useful for larger areas such as college campuses or anyone who is interested in picking up a Wi-Fi hotspot up to 10 miles (or more) away. Even though Wi-Fi isn’t intended to be all that long-range, a team at a Wi-Fi Shootout did demonstrate a connection at 125 miles [with] 802.11b, using some extremely high gain antennas such as parabolic dishes on mountain tops.”
Cellular Boosting | 
Installing a cell phone antenna in your car requires an amplifier, which usually sits under your seat, and running cables to the magnet-mounted antenna. |
For cellular phone boosting, the options are more limited. The basic idea is to install an amplifier that receives the cellular tower signal in your home, workplace, or car. There are two kinds of amplifiers: those that rebroadcast a signal to your cell phone nearby and those that come with a cable you attach directly to your cell phone. Regardless of whether you use a wired or wireless connection, you will need an adapter for your specific cell phone. The company with the most cellular antenna and phone kits available is Wilson Electronics (www.wilsonelectron
ics.com). Wilson offers two main cell boosting categories: antennas for the 1,900MHz frequency, which is used mostly by T-Mobile in the United States, and dual-band products that use the 800 and 1,900MHz frequencies. Dual-band products work with the most cell phone carriers, such as Verizon and Sprint, which use 800MHz in one area and 1,900MHz in another. If you install a booster in your car, you can still get better coverage even if you your cell phone frequency changes from one area to another. Fortunately, the phone itself and the amplifier switches frequencies for you as you travel.
Cell phone boosting is more art than science, unfortunately. In tests, we found that poor coverage areas, where there are few cellular towers, did not benefit as much from the antennas as areas where there is a nearby tower. In those areas, the signal just stayed cleaner and there were no drop-outs or audio break-ups. However, cellular antennas show excellent performance in areas where there is strong coverage outside, but weak coverage indoors. With a cellular antenna, you can essentially rebroadcast and redirect cell tower signals so that your phone can pick them up in a home, warehouse, or office building.
Still, no antenna product is perfect. The actual coverage you can expect depends on signal strength, the area in which you live, and even the time of day and weather conditions. When boosting Wi-Fi coverage, keep in mind that another electronic device, such as a baby monitor or a portable phone, can still significantly weaken your signal. But if your goal is just to make your cell phone work on your morning commute a little better, or transmit your Wi-Fi signal to one extra room in your home, they do the job. 
by John Brandon
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