Best long Range usb wifi Antenna.

[Ravinxx]

Hello,
Sorry if this is the wrong section of the forums to post in.

You can skip this next paragraph since it's only backstory.

I recently moved into the third floor of a house that was converted into an apartment. I wanted to get Comcast internet set up here, but since the city still considers this a single house, and there can only be one Comcast account per home, I can't get my own account with them here because my downstairs neighbors already get Comcast. I talked to them and they're cool with me giving them $10 a month to use their interwebz, but their router is on the first floor.

So now I'm in the market for a USB antenna. I want a fairly long distance one. Doesn't have to be portable since it's going to be hooked up to my desktop which isn't going anywhere. And I have a spending limit of $50.

Any suggestions?

 

[steimy]

I wish i knew something you could get for $50 that would get a good signal 3 floors up but in all honesty i don't. Will the people who live in the house not just let you pay Comcast to run you a new line? That would really be the easiest and probably not cost you much more than a good antenna or signal booster (but still may be $70-$80 for the service call).

Plus then you have a direct line (most likely run off a splitter on the side of the house). Then you can pay them the $10 a month and have your own, much more reliable, cable internet.

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833381014&Tpk=gamebase

This is what i use ^

 

[Ravinxx]

I wish i knew something you could get for $50 that would get a good signal 3 floors up but in all honesty i don't. Will the people who live in the house not just let you pay Comcast to run you a new line? That would really be the easiest and probably not cost you much more than a good antenna or signal booster (but still may be $70-$80 for the service call).

Plus then you have a direct line (most likely run off a splitter on the side of the house). Then you can pay them the $10 a month and have your own, much more reliable, cable internet.

Yes I was thinking I might have to do that.

But incidentally, how powerful is the wifi card in a 2010 MacBook Pro? I'm currently sitting in my apartment using one (not mine) and I'm getting a great signal in the room two floors above the room that they have their wireless router in, and a decent signal in my computer room. Also, I just set up my Xbox in my computer room and it's wifi can pick up their router pretty decently and I can play games on Xbox live with no lag at all.

@area51reopen - That one looks decent. I can't imagine it being weaker then my Xbox's Wifi. If I get an antenna like that and put it on my windowsill, do you think the sun would fry it?

 

[steimy]

I have never owned a Macbook myself, but signal strength can differ. I had a Dell that was great and had no problems picking up a signal from 70-80 feet away from the router. I also have an HP much newer that is great, but the wireless card is awful. I can't even get a steady 2 bars of strength if i sit right next to the router.

Having said that some companies use different wireless cards, even within the same model of laptop. For example my model HP has 2 different cards, i just got luck enough to get the crappy one

If the Xbox picks up a signal, and the Macbook picks up a signal then it must not be all that weak. I would say if they would let you hang/place a signal booster between the router and you room you would be set. (although it may have to be configured from the main PC) ( example http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833164150 )

As far as gaming, well that will of course depend on which game and who is hosting as you probably already know. Most games if you are not hosting probably won't give you any issues if you have decent strength. But games like good old Rainbow 6 Vegas 2 (which use to give me fits before i upgraded my service) where people have to use their own bandwidth to host probably would.

Seeing that the boosters are about the same price as the antenna above i guess it is really which one would work out best in your situation. But it really doesn't sound like you should have much of a problem unless both you and them are online at the same time gaming or doing something that has a higher demand on bandwidth.