Can anyone share with me a good way to boost the signal strength of an incoming wireless network? I am almost in range of my brother’s netgear router where I am but the signal is very weak and often disappears. Is there an antenna I could use with a netgear wireless USB adapter? Or perhaps is there a wireless network card I could buy that is good at boosting a weak incoming signal? Any assistance is greatly appreciated!
Assuming you’re using the cheapie antenna that came with the card, there are high-gain ones available, such as this one, which claims a 15 dB gain (doesn’t say if this is dBi or dBd). I use this only as an example, not to recommend this particular antenna. There are many others available.
Some routers have two spots for antenans. You can purchase two directional antenans, one for the router and one for the card. You can also get powered antenans to extend the range.
maybe something like this
or like this
That one (and others I’ve seen) are more for the router to broadcast with rather than for me to receive with from what I can see. I don’t have access to the router (its actually my brother’s wife’s who won’t let us touch it) so I’m left with doing something on my end. Any way to hook that thing up to a Netgear USB adapter?
Incidentally, for maximum range, you should equip both units with high-gain antennas. Gain works both ways, for both transmitting and receiving. If you go with directional antennas (which generally have the highest gains), such as the one in my link above, naturally they’ll need to be aimed at each other.
It’s both. Each card is both transmitting and receiving simultaneously, all the time. As I noted above, if you use two, you will maximize the range and signal strength.
And I missed the part where you said your sister in law won’t let you touch the router. So, just put one on your end and aim it at the router. Since you say you can get some signal, albeit at a low level, you’ll be ok with just the one.
Understood, thanks for the assist!
Based on my experiences with the exact same issue get this router, and it will likely solve your problem. You don’t need to change the receiving antenna for the increase in coverage to be effective.
That costs quite a bit more than a typical high-gain WiFi antenna, though, doesn’t it?. If the router they have works fine otherwise, what’s the point?
The point! 
New toys! Better toys!
What have you done with Q.E.D.? If you’ve harmed him…
Silly me, being all practical and shit. 
Yes, it IS a nice toy, I’ll grant you that. The geek in me definitely says “Go for it!”
Hmm, now I’m tempted…if I buy this I’m sending my wife over to bitch at you instead of me!!
It’s an interesting product. I had very flaky reception at the far end of the house, because the existing LInksys G router had too many walls to punch through.
I tested the Linksys MIMO SRX-400 router on the cable broadcast end, and a MIMO SRX-400 receiver adapter PCCARD on the PC end, and the speed (sent large video files back and forth on the network) was exactly the same vs just using the G receiver that was already built into the notebook, but the coverage area was much, much better. I returned the MIMO adapter and kept the MIMO SRX-400 router.
Useful coverage area is much enhanced overall.