wi-fi reception Help me decide I can recieve signal outside but not from inside my house on my MacBook?

Question

Being outside is fine in summer - but i have to decide if one of these will work :

http://www.ccrane.com/antennas/wifi-antennas/super-usb-wifi-antenna.aspx

http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/24/buffalos-usb-wifi-adapter-boosts-range-210/

( or maybe someone has a better idea ) one has only USB Cable: 15' L.
is that long enough?
I cannot afford to expirament and would like to get it right the 1st time - it seems the signal is very sensitive to a spot outside of the house and i need to bring it inside - i dont know who the signal is supplied by and it comes and goes whenever it wants
all the other signals require a password to connect - is there a universal password?

Answer 1

Pringles Can Wi-Fi Antenna

written by Patrick Norton on Monday, November 04, 2002

After you're done munching on the chips, turn that can into hardware you can use.

Yes, Virginia, you can turn household food containers into highly effective directional Wi-Fi antennas that'll pick up wireless access points (WAPs) from ridiculous distances. In fact, building the antennas is a snap. Attaching those antennas to your Wi-Fi card, however, that's hard. How hard? On today's show, we'll show you.

It's also not legal by FCC rules. Legally, you may attach only an FCC-approved antenna to your card/base station. Homemade antennas are decidedly not approved. Some things to think about here before you chow down on the Pringles.

If the FCC comes knocking at your door, apologize and take the antenna down.
You may be creating problems for other folks and other wireless devices if you blast your wireless signal over the neighborhood.
You may be creating problems for community Wi-Fi efforts if you tick off the FCC enough to come out to your town.
It's highly unlikely, but the FCC could make an example of you. Can you say, "I need a lawyer, fast?"
Finally, the experts I've talked to say that many commercial antennas can kick the snot out of Pringles can antennas. (They definitely look cooler.)


Pringles vs. cantenna

Now that we've given you fair warning, here's a heads up. Pringles antennas are a pain to build and require more time than cantennas. Cantennas get significantly better gain, too.

Pringles antennas need lots of parts and fabrication.

The can
Wire
Washers
Nuts
Threaded rod
Tubing
Plastic
N-connector
Get the details for building a Pringles can antenna. (Props to O'Reilly's Rob Flickenger for this excellent how-to.)

A cantenna needs the following.
A can
N-connector
A little over an inch of copper wire
Nuts and bolts

Plus, Yuban coffee tastes better than Pringles. Here's the link to the Yuban cantenna we built. For an even more effective cantenna design, look at this project, which lets you tune it to whatever size can you've got available. Very cool, Greg! Take a look at his Homebrew Antenna Shootout, too!

Answer 2

I'll give you some other places to look. If it were me, the ones you list would not be my choice at all. They are INDOOR use devices. The following have outdoor use items for you.

http://hyperlinktech.com or http://radiolabs.com
http://defactrowireless.com http://echotechwireless.com

You can get radio/antenna combinations that are MADE for OUTDOOR use and feed back on ethernet. These will be better, stronger and offer you more choices.

However, you need to understand that what you are wanting to do is illegal (US,Canada,UK and other countries.) And from your prospective it is NOT SAFE. If you connect, you connect into an unknown network where everything you do can be monitored, packets can be tracked and recorded, your passwords and user names can be obtained, your computer can be accessed!

Wifi is NOT FREE, it is NOT OPEN, and unless you have the permission of the owner or unless this is a PUBLIC hotspot then you will be "USING A NETWORK WITHOUT PERMISSION." That is at the least a misdemeanor and at worst a felony! So check the state laws where you live.

Here is the list for all US states.
http://www.ncsl.org/programs/lis/cip/hacklaw.htm

Here is the NY law that deals with this as a sample
Penal Law § 156.00 to 156.50
§ 156.05 Unauthorized use of a computer.
A person is guilty of unauthorized use of a computer when he or she knowingly uses, causes to be used, or accesses a computer, computer service, or computer network without authorization.
Unauthorized use of a computer is a class A misdemeanor.


Here are some internet articles so you can see you can get in trouble.
http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9722006-7.html
http://www.designnine.com/news/?q=node/423
http://www.dailynugget.com/2006/03/man_fined_250_for_wifi_piggybacking.php
http://www.newswireless.net/index.cfm/article/2317
And many many more!

So just order your own connection and use your own router with WIFI!

Answer 3

Get your own ISP and quit STEALING from your neighbors. This is ILLEGAL and punishable by law.