Buying an external antenna for AirPort?

#1 Thu, 12 Sep 2002 - 09:38

So I come across this site:

http://www.wwc.edu/~frohro/Airport/Airport.html

and I'm interested in trying this. Does anyone have any experience with this? I have an iBook with an AirPort card in it, and I have a friend who lives in a house about 50 yards away who also has an iBook with an AirPort card in it. I also have an extra AirPort card sitting around not being used.

Here's what I'd ultimately like to do: Set up my iBook (which is connected to a cable modem and is running 10.2) as a software base station for use by my friend across the way. If I buy an external base station, can I hook an external antenna to it and use it as a repeater between my iBook and my friend's iBook? Or does it make more sense to hook the base station into my cable modem, attach the external antenna, and use that as my main access point?

Any recommendations on external antennas?

#2 Thu, 12 Sep 2002 - 13:00

you can't use it or a second base station as a repeater. repeaters are particular, afaik.

since it's only 50 yards, you'd be better off using a long, quality antenna. usually you have to drill a hole at a specific location in the base station, then connect the external antenna. I've never done this.

are there any obstructions from your house to his?

#3 Thu, 12 Sep 2002 - 13:47

Well, there's a corner of another house between my computer room and his. I may just try to see if I can get any connectivity at all without an additional antenna first.

Now if I can just find a good antenna. Perhaps something like this:

http://www.superpass.com/SPHSG6O.html

?

#4 Thu, 12 Sep 2002 - 18:06

I've read that lucent external antennae are quality.