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Old 04-15-2007   #1 (permalink)
jack1974
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Some hardware questions for the forum
Hi,

I've spent the past few days reading around the topic of WiFi and would like to tap the experience of the forum now please.

I have a T42 Thinkpad with in-built Centrino/Intel WiFi that usually works well to pick up open source WiFI signals. However, occasionally it fails to see signals that the computers of my friends are seeing, and I'd like to remedy that. However, the questions that I've not been able to find answers to are:

1. Will buying a Proxim Orinoco Gold or a Senao 362 PCMCIA card lead to a better signal sensitivity than my in-built mini PCI card?

I haven't been able to figure out a way to tell what the sensitivity in mW of my in-built card is. They specs on the Proxim and Senao are for a sensitivity of 200mW but I've read that they really are more like 100mW.

Does anyone know what the sensitivity of a mini-PCI card in a Thinkpad T42 is?

2.Will buying an omni antenna with a 9dB gain and an SMA card lead to a better signal than my in-built antenna?

The context for this question is that I've read that because all 802.11g signals have a wavelenth of 12.5 cm this means that the ideal antenna is 6.25 cm, which is apparently what is inside the screen of my laptop. Furthermore, I've read that apparently higher gain is not necessarily better because the beam is more focused meaning that it tends to multipath.

Thanks very much for the replies!
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Old 04-15-2007   #2 (permalink)
Barry
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What the hell is an open source wifi signal??
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Old 04-15-2007   #3 (permalink)
itsnotme
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Barry
What the hell is an open source wifi signal??
OpenWRT?
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Old 04-16-2007   #4 (permalink)
Airstreamer
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You gotta have really dead receiver front end if it takes 200mw to work!

(If you don't get the above reference, you'd better start researching and doing some more reading on here.)
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Old 04-16-2007   #5 (permalink)
wrzwaldo
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jack1974
Hi,

I've spent the past few days reading around the topic of WiFi and would like to tap the experience of the forum now please.

I have a T42 Thinkpad with in-built Centrino/Intel WiFi that usually works well to pick up open source WiFI signals. However, occasionally it fails to see signals that the computers of my friends are seeing, and I'd like to remedy that. However, the questions that I've not been able to find answers to are:
Yes, what is an "open source" WiFi signal?


Quote:
1. Will buying a Proxim Orinoco Gold or a Senao 362 PCMCIA card lead to a better signal sensitivity than my in-built mini PCI card?
Possibly


Quote:
I haven't been able to figure out a way to tell what the sensitivity in mW of my in-built card is. They specs on the Proxim and Senao are for a sensitivity of 200mW but I've read that they really are more like 100mW.
200mW and 100mW are transmit power, not RX sensitivity.


Quote:
Does anyone know what the sensitivity of a mini-PCI card in a Thinkpad T42 is?
Yes, someone does know.


Quote:
2.Will buying an omni antenna with a 9dB gain and an SMA card lead to a better signal than my in-built antenna?
Possibly


Quote:
The context for this question is that I've read that because all 802.11g signals have a wavelenth of 12.5 cm this means that the ideal antenna is 6.25 cm, which is apparently what is inside the screen of my laptop. Furthermore, I've read that apparently higher gain is not necessarily better because the beam is more focused meaning that it tends to multipath.

Thanks very much for the replies!
Huh?
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Old 04-16-2007   #6 (permalink)
shamrock365
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Whats the idea behind the need for upgrades? I know you want to improve sensitivity but for range purposes or what? I believe an Open Source Wifi Signal would be an open node.

Regards,

Shamrock365
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Old 04-16-2007   #7 (permalink)
wrzwaldo
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Quote:
Originally Posted by shamrock365
Whats the idea behind the need for upgrades? I know you want to improve sensitivity but for range purposes or what? I believe an Open Source Wifi Signal would be an open node.

Regards,

Shamrock365
What is an "open Node"?
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Old 04-16-2007   #8 (permalink)
brwrdrvr
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wrzwaldo
What is an "open Node"?
I could tell you, but then you would just get confused when I was drawing the pictures.


/Runs for the swamps!
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Old 04-17-2007   #9 (permalink)
shamrock365
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http://www.opennode.org/

http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/o/open.html

+

http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/n/node.html

= Open Node
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Old 04-17-2007   #10 (permalink)
itsnotme
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I guess my OpenWRT post still stands under those descriptions!

/me decides to run for the desert instead of the Swamp
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Old 04-17-2007   #11 (permalink)
wrzwaldo
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Yeah, that don't sound like "open source"...

FYI my question about "open node" was rhetorical.
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Old 04-17-2007   #12 (permalink)
shamrock365
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No worries. Where did jack1974 go?
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Old 04-17-2007   #13 (permalink)
jack1974
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I'm still here.
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Old 04-17-2007   #14 (permalink)
wiresalot
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Quote:
I'm still here.
It helps if you answer questions on the forums.
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Old 04-17-2007   #15 (permalink)
itsnotme
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jack1974
I'm still here.
Care to tell us what you meant by an open source WiFi ? Inquiring minds want to know.

(And I just want to know I'm right! )
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