Improving WiFi Reception abroad, etc.

[Grey Beard]

I spent a couple of weeks in Norway with a Camper Van and family. Many of the camp sites offer free WiFi, or alternatively, at a price, which may or not be prohibitive.

The problem I experienced, was that the camp site WiFi transmitter antenna is usually mounted somewhere on the Reception Office block, so that, unless you are using the laptop in that building, on the bog, etc. the reception is unusable.

Only one camp site had really good fast reception any distance away from the antenna. It was not helped of course by the signal attenuation of the camper van metal body, but it was too cold or too wet (or both) to sit outside in the late evening to surf the Internet.

I did a search here and there was one reference to hanging an Laptop extension antenna out of the window, but I don't think my Dell Laptop has any sockets for such a device, unless one is available via a USB slot.

I could of course just buy a Data SIM Card for that country and use it directly in the laptop, or via my HTC HD2 phone tethered to the laptop. However, this latter option works out more expensive than the free WiFi option.

Any one know of/can recommend a suitable plug in (USB ??) WiFi antenna for my Lap top? It is a Dell Studio 1557 model.

Second question is also related to some camp site/public access WiFi, which are unsecured. It is not recommended to use these without security, especially for On-Line Banking, etc. How easy is it for someone to eavesdrop on your PC WiFi communications on an unsecured network?

(A sales assistant in one of the local phone electronics stores told me her boy friend used to eavesdrop on his neighbour's Internet browsing, presumably over an unsecured WiFi system).

Thanks for any advice.

Grey Beard

 

[wessie]

Wi-fi USB dongles/adapters are pretty ubiquitous - any PC store will have them, or ebay etc.

USB adapter from £7.50 http://www.ebuyer.com/store/Networking/cat/Wireless/subcat/Adapters---USB

Simply use a suitable length USB cable to turn them into an antenna you can hang out of a window. You will have to disable the inbuilt wifi adapter to avoid a conflict.

USB 5 metre extension cable £2.26 http://www.ebuyer.com/130591-xenta-usb-2-0-extension-cable-black-5-metre-plex-078

Communication to your bank should be pretty secure on your own computer as the data is encrypted your end and then decoded at the bank, and vice versa. What you should never do is use a public computer in a library, internet café etc as that could be equipped with a keylogger that records your password when you type it in. Banks try to defeat this type of system by using drop down menus and hardware solutions like keycode generators that look like a pocket calculator.

 

[Grey Beard]

Wi-fi USB dongles/adapters are pretty ubiquitous - any PC store will have them, or ebay etc.

USB adapter from £7.50 http://www.ebuyer.com/store/Networking/cat/Wireless/subcat/Adapters---USB

Simply use a suitable length USB cable to turn them into an antenna you can hang out of a window. You will have to disable the inbuilt wifi adapter to avoid a conflict.

USB 5 metre extension cable £2.26 http://www.ebuyer.com/130591-xenta-usb-2-0-extension-cable-black-5-metre-plex-078

Communication to your bank should be pretty secure on your own computer as the data is encrypted your end and then decoded at the bank, and vice versa. What you should never do is use a public computer in a library, internet café etc as that could be equipped with a keylogger that records your password when you type it in. Banks try to defeat this type of system by using drop down menus and hardware solutions like keycode generators that look like a pocket calculator.

Hi Wessie

Thanks for your quick reply.

I had a quick look on the net and see some quite powerful units. Some seem to be the Yagi directional units, probably favoured by War Drivers, but would be good for the camp site thing, if space/weight wasn't going to be an issue. I think any unit will have to be external to get the better signal. I will look at the dongle type ones, but I think they are around 500mW. Some of the other more expensive units are 1000mW to 2200mW. Don't know if there is a limit to power within the EU.

I have seen a library set up, where my Mother lives and they provide free Internet Access for one hour at a time. They seem pretty secure as the Admin privileges are set pretty well and won't allow any software or data files to be saves onto the machine. Even the profile settings for screen resolution, etc. are not stored on shut down. But as you say, other less carefully set up units could be insecure.

The sites I tried whilst camping usually gave a warning that other users may be able to see your information.

Certainly the banks are introducing electronically generated codes via hand held devices or alternatively by sending you a one time use code via SMS.

Grey Beard

 

[turbine_2]

(A sales assistant in one of the local phone electronics stores told me her boy friend used to eavesdrop on his neighbour's Internet browsing, presumably over an unsecured WiFi system).

Working out what sites a person is going to (if you're on the same network) is easy, you can download free packed sniffing software that will do that. Working out what they are doing on the site is a lot harder as, although the connection between the wifi router and the computer may not be encrypted the connection between the server that is used and the computer will be for anything worth sniffing. Not impossible, but a lot harder.

Depending on how paranoid you want to be there are many routes open to you, but generally I would say be a bit wary with what you're browsing and you'll be safe enough. Make sure that you've got a firewall working on your computer (even if it's just the inbuilt one microsoft give MS users) and you're probably ahead of most.

For signal boosting, I'd say go with an external WiFi aerial / access point that you can plug in to either your own WiFi router or directly into your laptop through an enternet port (you'll probably have one, just never use it)

 

[Grey Beard]

Working out what sites a person is going to (if you're on the same network) is easy, you can download free packed sniffing software that will do that. Working out what they are doing on the site is a lot harder as, although the connection between the wifi router and the computer may not be encrypted the connection between the server that is used and the computer will be for anything worth sniffing. Not impossible, but a lot harder.

Depending on how paranoid you want to be there are many routes open to you, but generally I would say be a bit wary with what you're browsing and you'll be safe enough. Make sure that you've got a firewall working on your computer (even if it's just the inbuilt one microsoft give MS users) and you're probably ahead of most.

For signal boosting, I'd say go with an external WiFi aerial / access point that you can plug in to either your own WiFi router or directly into your laptop through an enternet port (you'll probably have one, just never use it)

Thanks. Laptop use at home is almost always using the Ethernet cabled connection, so that should be secure. It's only on the move that I would bother with WiFi and then it will be usually in a different country. I could get my Internet Access via my smart phone plugged into the laptop and I would guess that is secure, but I would need to have the local country SIM Card to avoid horrendous data tariffs.

I tend to be careful and do use Zone Alarm Firewall and various anti malware/anti virus products. It was just the question on the open public access that is available at camp sites, McDonalds, Startbucks, etc.

I did look at a Fritz dongle today in Staples, but that had no provision for external antenna and would be shielded if used with the laptop inside a motor vehicle, rather than a tent.

So looks like a simple USB extension antenna:
http://www.wifi-antennas.co.uk/high...int-with-detachable-5dbi-antenna-rp-sma-.html

or a more powerful:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2200mW-US...352863&po=LWI&ps=63&clkid=2636597428165227639

Grey Beard