"T i m" wrote in message
...
Hi All,

I would like to extend the range of a home WiFi link (better signal
strength down to the workshop) and wondered if anyone here had
*actually* built / tested one of those DIY 'can' type antenna /
reflectors / whatever?

What type of interface makes the job easier (USB 'dongle', remote usb
'compact type' , PCI / PCCard SMA connector etc)?

I guess something fairly directional would probably be best ..?

I bought a pair of 15dB gain antenna off eBay - cost about 30 quid the
pair - the are external and very uni-directional and have SMA connectors at
the end of about 2m of very nice coax - came from eastern europe. I have a
Netgear WG602 combined bridge & WAP in my workshop and one in the house -
about 100m apart with several brick walls between - the Netgear boxes say
65% signal strength when the aerials point exactly at each other. The ADSL
gateway / NAT/Firewall/DHCP server is a Netgear DG834. I'm using 128bit WEP
and dedicating the WG602 MAC addresses to each other to prevent people on
the other side of the valley nicking my bandwidth ;-)

Result - broadband on the whole 2 hectare site.

HTH,

Mike