Member Avatar for newbie130608

Hi there all you nice people,

Sorry to be a parasite but I need a one-time help.

I am not a network-guru though I have no problems with creating and maintaining a small LAN/WAN at my home.
I am, however an electronics engineer and so I do understand some tech-talk.
There are certain things I know how to do but I'm aware I do not understand a LOT more!

The above was just to tell you that I know where the ENTER key is, can read instructions, know basics of network settings, etc.

OK, here's the problem that I would like to solve, to know how to setup and use a configuration:

A possible situation:

  1. I book into a hotel, say in France, and want to have wireless access to Internet via the hotel's hot-spot or some other, free hot-spot.
  2. I have with me a laptop with on-board WiFi module but I think it may be too "weak" in the hotel's environment.
  3. I also have with me a small USB WiFi "card" that I tested at home and was able to access Internet via a number of unsecured (!) wireless networks existing in my neighbouthood. But this "card" may prove to be also too "weak", and that is why...
  4. I also have with me a Linksys WRT54GL router into which I flashed the DD-WRT v.23 firmware. I assume that this router is the best choice to access The Net in the above situation.

So, my question is how (if at all) to configure these 3 items I have:

  1. Laptop
  2. Ethernet cable
  3. Router (with a high-gain antenna that I made in 3 hours - better then many commercial products, small and only 300 grams:icon_biggrin: )

    I have already learned that such configuration is possible and it is called "Client" or "Client bridge" and my router + DD-WRT has such capacity but the advices I found so far include configuring the other router, the one in the hot-spot I would like to connect to - and this (I assume) I cannot do.

    Additional requirement:
    If this configuration is possible, set and running, is it also possible to wirelessly share this Internet access with 2 or 3 of my friends staying in the same hotel?

    If you had the patience and are still with me, please see the diagram I made and please advise.

    NEWBIE130608

CONFIGURATION.pdf (16.39 KB)
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  • Latest Post Latest Post by OlyComputers
Member Avatar for OlyComputers

I couldn't tell you how to configure the router to bridge, but if it is possible it would be a matter of the bios software on the router, so pursue it on that end.

My suggestion for you: You're an electrical engineer. Enhance the antenna on the USB wifi adapter! It should just be a matter of finding the right points to solder the wires too. A laptop gets better reception than a usb adapter because it has an antena running through the case (and usually secured to the corner of the screen) you could use the same concept to enhance a standard USB device lacking this external antena.

If you're particularly atatched to the one you have now, you can get a cheap wireless G adapter on ebay for $12 shipped, try it on one of those.

A third option, if the other two fail, would be to switch to wireless N, even though you don't get the speed (or all the range) advantages of wireless N when you're using it with a G/B network, the antennas are still more powerful and you would certainly get better range.

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