Not sure if this belongs here... but try to help

[Gothch1ck]

SO.... yea..

My friend is borrowing internet due to financial problems, but the signal is horrible.... is there anything he can do to increase his reception?


would the aluminum foil reflector be helpful of RECIEVEING signals?

There are McDonald's StarBucks and other Free Hot Spots around him, but he barely gets their signals to do anything on. Sometimes it cuts out mid sentance, and he's trying to get financial aid, new job, and all that via the net.


please help ASAP, I am at his house and trying to help out.

 

[thirdshiftdj]

You mean he's borrowing internet from other hotspots? Why not just go to those hotspots to do what you need to do. Just be careful and protect yourself when using it though. Some AV and firewall to start out w/.

 

[Gothch1ck]

It's kinda hard to lug a Desktop PC to McDonalds and set it up long enough for 45 minute long applications for jobs and such, and the managers tend to kick you out.

 

[S0ULphIRE]

Apart from investing in an antenna with a higher gain, there's not too much you can do.
I'd say in this case to go for a directional antenna, they have the potential for higher gain than other antennas.

 

[Gothch1ck]

Can you link any? My radio shack (and other similar stores) have only a cruddy 800mhz (max) Antenna they keep tying to push on me, and I thought it would need a better one.. designed for higher... like... stnadard 2.4Ghz.

 

[ricanflow]

To be honest...if he needs to do all that then he needs to fork the money over.

Not much can be done, other than moving closer to the hotspot.

 

[Trotter]

Be careful how you put things, as stealing wifi is illegal. A hotspot is put up for whoever, but an individual's wifi is private property.

Browse YouTube for this. All kinds of "how-to" videos for many different types of homemade antennas and boosters.