what angle does a pdas antenna work best at?

nleahcim · 08-03-2004

Hi - so recently I got a Toshiba E740. It has an internal 802.11b card with an internal antenna. I was just wondering - how should I hold it for best wardriving ability? Vertical? Horizontal? Thanks.

wrzwaldo · 08-03-2004

Quote:

Originally Posted by nleahcim

Hi - so recently I got a Toshiba E740. It has an internal 802.11b card with an internal antenna. I was just wondering - how should I hold it for best wardriving ability? Vertical? Horizontal? Thanks.

Do you have an AP? Do you have NS installed and working with your card? Why not try a couple different positions near (not right next to) your AP and see what works best?

Madhadder · 08-03-2004

Well Seeing as this is a PPDA (Pocket PC) NS won't work on it.
AND since he is using the "Built-In" Wi-fi to look for AP's Ministumbler
won't be of much help either.

OP needs to:

1. Get an Ipaq with PCMCIA Sleeves & a Classic Lucent Gold Card
2. or create their own AP sniffing Software..

Barry · 08-03-2004

Pocket warrior might work, maby. If not I'll have an iPaq 5555 with sleves for sale real soon. My new zaurus is in transit as we speak.

hkelley · 08-03-2004

Most PDA's work best from a vertically polarized attitude. In other words, you will probably find that holding the unit vertically will probably give you best performance. Laying your unit flat and trying to point it in the direction of the AP is probably not your best attitude.

As someone suggested, test it with a known AP at about 50-feet. In other words, don't operate it so close to the AP that the signal might saturate the receiver.

Even vertically polarized you may realize signal spikes when you rotate the unit in the horizontal while keeping the unit upright.

nleahcim · 08-03-2004

Quote:

Originally Posted by Madhadder

Well Seeing as this is a PPDA (Pocket PC) NS won't work on it.
AND since he is using the "Built-In" Wi-fi to look for AP's Ministumbler
won't be of much help either.

OP needs to:

1. Get an Ipaq with PCMCIA Sleeves & a Classic Lucent Gold Card
2. or create their own AP sniffing Software..

I don't understand this - I installed ministumbler and it detected my card just fine. I don't have an AP where I am right now so I have nothing to test it against - but I searched the forums and people seem to have had success with the E740's onboard wifi.

nleahcim · 08-04-2004

well went on a stumbler with my laptop equipped with an orinoco gold and with my E740, with it held up vertically. The E740, running ministumbler, found about 80% of the APs that netstumbler found. And I tried moving it around - and it did seem to get better signal strength with the E740 vertical.

Barry · 08-04-2004

You also have to rember that the antenna in your pocket pc is only about a quarter inch long at best, not really made for long distance connections. Though they work great for tracking down ap's in a building!

08-03-2004	#1 (permalink)
nleahcim Unregistered User Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 133	what angle does a pdas antenna work best at? Hi - so recently I got a Toshiba E740. It has an internal 802.11b card with an internal antenna. I was just wondering - how should I hold it for best wardriving ability? Vertical? Horizontal? Thanks.

08-03-2004	#3 (permalink)
Madhadder General "Noob Basher" Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Munich, Germany Posts: 1,620	Well Seeing as this is a PPDA (Pocket PC) NS won't work on it. AND since he is using the "Built-In" Wi-fi to look for AP's Ministumbler won't be of much help either. OP needs to: 1. Get an Ipaq with PCMCIA Sleeves & a Classic Lucent Gold Card 2. or create their own AP sniffing Software.. __________________ Legends may sleep, but they never die!!!!

08-03-2004	#4 (permalink)
Barry Managing the iTards. Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Ohio Posts: 5,882	Pocket warrior might work, maby. If not I'll have an iPaq 5555 with sleves for sale real soon. My new zaurus is in transit as we speak. __________________ Never do anything you don't want to explain to the paramedics.

08-04-2004	#8 (permalink)
Barry Managing the iTards. Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Ohio Posts: 5,882	You also have to rember that the antenna in your pocket pc is only about a quarter inch long at best, not really made for long distance connections. Though they work great for tracking down ap's in a building! __________________ Never do anything you don't want to explain to the paramedics.

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08-03-2004	#5 (permalink)
hkelley Registered Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: Florida Posts: 98	Most PDA's work best from a vertically polarized attitude. In other words, you will probably find that holding the unit vertically will probably give you best performance. Laying your unit flat and trying to point it in the direction of the AP is probably not your best attitude. As someone suggested, test it with a known AP at about 50-feet. In other words, don't operate it so close to the AP that the signal might saturate the receiver. Even vertically polarized you may realize signal spikes when you rotate the unit in the horizontal while keeping the unit upright.

08-04-2004	#7 (permalink)
nleahcim Unregistered User Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 133	well went on a stumbler with my laptop equipped with an orinoco gold and with my E740, with it held up vertically. The E740, running ministumbler, found about 80% of the APs that netstumbler found. And I tried moving it around - and it did seem to get better signal strength with the E740 vertical.