Excellent news.

Unlicensed radio works partially because the low power mitigates the need to have co-oridinated frequency planning. Putting amplifiers in the hands of the ignorant (by this I mean RF ignorant!) is asking for trouble...ask anyone who used AM CB back in the day.

Well positioned and designed antennas are the best solution- think talking at normal volume through one of those old -fashioned unamplified megaphones vs setting up a 1kW PA rig..

Edited by author 06-19-2003 12:46 AM
Oh. By boosted WAP11, I mean a Rev 1 WAP11 that's been modified through the firmware to output 100mw instead of the default 30mw (or maybe it's 50 by default, I dont recall). If you're only pushing 30, the booster would probably help more, if not much more. A better external antenna will do much more for it, if you're still using the rubber ducks that came with it.
http://www.hyperlinktech.com/web/hg2409p.php something like that works really well if you're connecting from a fairly narrow band (it's a 75 degree patch) but is better on a laptop or PC where it can be pointed at the access point...
http://www.hyperlinktech.com/web/hgv_2409u.php something like that on the access point.
'course, we're using those two together to give wifi to a a 4 building apartment complex; patches on the client, big omni in the middle. for home use, a small 2 or 4 desktop omni would work fine.

"I have a boosted WAP11, and this didn't do much for it."

I almost bought one of these, but the reviews were not very favorable and said much what you said -- that it didn't really do anything to extend the range, but if you were getting a weak signal in a particular spot in your home then it might give you an increased throughput at that point.

Well, at least I got mine before the bell. And took it back. I have a boosted WAP11, and this didn't do much for it. I had a very little bit stronger signal at the edges, but the edges didn't go any further than they had before.