Pringles can wifi experience needed.

[reddragdiva]

I have a friend who is attempting to pick up a wifi signal from rather too far away (though thankfully still line of sight). They would like to try the famous Pringles can wifi, or similar excessive-gain antenna.

Now, the theory is fine — and we've been looking through the one zillion web pages on the subject. But what I want to ask you lot is: have any of you ever actually built such a device yourselves and had it working reliably? If so, what design did you use and what did you use for the wifi device?

Comments

[thewayne.livejournal.com]

I have not personally buit a Pringles antenna, but there's a thing called the Cantenna (http://www.cantenna.com/) that is a high quality manufactured version of the Pringles antenna. I've considered buying one for travelling to keep connected.

[daneel-olivaw.livejournal.com]

wintrmute's your man for this job.

[echo-echo.livejournal.com]

I don't know much about wifi, but wouldn't any form of signal antenna work? Parabolic reflector etc.

[reddragdiva]

This is why I'm asking specifically about practice rather than theory. We already have theory by the bucketload.

[new-brunette.livejournal.com]

keirf's your man.

http://www.ongar.org/802/index.html

[ladystardust-xs.livejournal.com]

Oi David, why haven't you friended me back yet? YOu know how paranoid I get... :P

[reddragdiva]

Well, if this is your name now!

[ladystardust-xs.livejournal.com]

Yep, although I've had it for over a year. It's my icon journal.

[rbarclay.livejournal.com]

If you're just missing that little bit of noise reduction, you can just put the Pringles can over the external part of the PCMCIA card, which's what I did in Linz. Of course this requires a PCMCIA card, I had to do it because the Cisco Aironet 450 I had has no connector for an external antenna.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_nicolai_/]

Bear in mind that commercial high-gain antennas for wifi are not terribly expensive, in the $150 range for 24dB parabolic...

[reddragdiva]

Let's assume for the moment that the subject's budget in fact puts $150 in the "terribly expensive" class and is more matched to the purchase of a can of Pringles, with a bit of saving.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_nicolai_/]

If it's indoors, you could get creative and build a correctly-sized Yagi array out of a chopstock, some paperclips, a glue-gun, and a piece of coax with the right connector on the end.

[reddragdiva]

You should see the tinfoil anti-redeye flash tunnelling periscope thingy that'll be stuck to my camera next time I'm out.