Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Long range free wifi

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    Long range free wifi

    I figure I live a mile or two from any free wifi . I see these hi gain antennas . Yagi , parabolic , I just wounder if any one else is getting this kind of range out of these antennas or if they will work over that diatance .

    #2
    Re: Long range free wifi

    parabolic will for sure, i'v seen a guy in india do 40miles with one!!!

    you need the right kit with it though, something like a tplink 5110.

    Comment


      #3
      Re: Long range free wifi

      I have some old sat. antennas . I have a plan in my head of a bracket and clamp where the lnb mounted . There are a few buildings between and any free wifi so I dont know if this will work and i did not want to put a lot of money in to this .

      Comment


        #4
        Re: Long range free wifi

        dish must be solid, not mesh btw because of the difference in intended frequency's

        Comment


          #5
          Re: Long range free wifi

          Originally posted by stj View Post
          dish must be solid, not mesh btw because of the difference in intended frequency's
          i have a mesh dish here ..dogs bollocks apparently .. not set it up yet . cant ever find the time for it . internet is cheap enough these days . cant complain with speeds and data for mobile connection . only line of sight from here with fast connection not happening .. both very slow ...

          Comment


            #6
            Re: Long range free wifi

            Originally posted by desert-rat View Post
            I figure I live a mile or two from any free wifi .
            A number of suggestions.

            1. Be wary of free wifi from anyone due to security concerns, man in the middle attacks, traffic snooping, etc.

            2. Be sure it is free before spending any money. Drive up to the spots and see if free wifi is rate limited.

            3. What is free can easily be gone or not free the very next day.

            4. If your wifi client (PC, phone, etc) isn't up to date with the latest security patches, you may be hacked.
            --- begin sig file ---

            If you are new to this forum, we can help a lot more if you please post clear focused pictures (max resolution 2000x2000 and 2MB) of your boards using the manage attachments button so they are hosted here. Information and picture clarity compositions should look like this post.

            We respectfully ask that you make some time and effort to read some of the guides available for basic troubleshooting. After you have read through them, then ask clarification questions or report your findings.

            Please do not post inline and offsite as they slow down the loading of pages.

            --- end sig file ---

            Comment


              #7
              Re: Long range free wifi

              I use the free wifi to down load torrent files , securty is not that big of a deal . I get 10 gigs from cricket with my phone . On the antenna, copanies like dish and direct install new dishes and just leave old ones so there a lot of old antennas around . There solid a foot to a foot and a half round and oval . I can use a L shaped bracket where the lnb would go then use a clamp to hold the end of the coax with a wire in the focal point of the antenna . The coax is rated for the higher freq.

              Comment


                #8
                Re: Long range free wifi

                Originally posted by stj View Post
                dish must be solid, not mesh btw because of the difference in intended frequency's
                Mesh very much works.
                https://www.data-alliance.net/antenn...ifi-high-gain/

                So do even cheap yagi's like these.
                https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fro...5&LH_PrefLoc=1

                Add this.
                https://www.data-alliance.net/bullet...5ghz-ubiquiti/

                Then some proper wires minding line loss and make it line of sight via antenna mast or roof. 1-2 miles is dependable and even more if both sides are playing together. You could recycled a dish and play cheaper making a bi quad feed and a alfa or even a yagi but a little more restricted on placement.

                Retiredcaps has a point but I'll add everything can be hacked.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Re: Long range free wifi

                  use a specific dns and DONT use auto if on free wifi.
                  infact use a specific one anyway - a lot of isp's fuck around with filters and stuff.

                  that dish you linked was intended for 2.4GHz, small sat dishes are optimised for around 1800-2GHz if i remember the KU band right.
                  Last edited by stj; 07-20-2018, 05:42 AM.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Re: Long range free wifi

                    The sat. antennas are used around 12 ghz . , but I dont think that stops them from working as 2.4 ghz .
                    https://www.lyngsat.com/EchoStar-14.html
                    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ku_band

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Re: Long range free wifi

                      Originally posted by desert-rat View Post
                      I figure I live a mile or two from any free wifi . I see these hi gain antennas . Yagi , parabolic , I just wounder if any one else is getting this kind of range out of these antennas or if they will work over that diatance .
                      Is your emphasis on "free"? ... or "WiFi" (network access)?

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Re: Long range free wifi

                        I am trying for the the few places that offer free high speed net , and dont block torrent files .

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Re: Long range free wifi

                          Originally posted by stj View Post
                          use a specific dns and DONT use auto if on free wifi.
                          infact use a specific one anyway - a lot of isp's fuck around with filters and stuff.

                          that dish you linked was intended for 2.4GHz, small sat dishes are optimised for around 1800-2GHz if i remember the KU band right.
                          Of course it's intended for it that is what those are made for. I thought that is what you were saying doesn't work though. Never seen a mesh tv dish around here. Have converted and seen others use tv dishes though.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Re: Long range free wifi

                            Originally posted by desert-rat View Post
                            I am trying for the the few places that offer free high speed net , and dont block torrent files .
                            You've not answered the question. Is "no cost" more important to you than "internet access"?

                            Note that "no cost" -- especially if you're effectively "stealing" the service -- can go away at any time. Turn down the XMIT power on the AP and suddenly you need another 6dB in your antenna, etc.

                            If you're willing to PAY for access, I'm sure you can find someone (Hughes, BlueSky, and, no doubt, other "semi local" wireless providers)

                            [It's 2+ miles as the crow flies to my ISP's transmitter and my monthly payment ensures I have service when I want it!]

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Re: Long range free wifi

                              Ok , I am not a hacker , I have no interest in hacking any encripted wifi . I can pick up 7 of my neghbors wifi from my lap top modem with out any high gain antenna . I thought free wifi meant the same to ever one . If I walk in to a store and there is a sine saying you are welcome to use our FREE WIFI , that is not stealing if its inside there store , in the parking lot or at my home .

                              Comment


                                #16
                                Re: Long range free wifi

                                Originally posted by desert-rat View Post
                                Ok , I am not a hacker , I have no interest in hacking any encripted wifi . I can pick up 7 of my neghbors wifi from my lap top modem with out any high gain antenna . I thought free wifi meant the same to ever one . If I walk in to a store and there is a sine saying you are welcome to use our FREE WIFI , that is not stealing if its inside there store , in the parking lot or at my home .
                                You've missed the point.

                                These places set up "free WiFi" for THEIR CUSTOMERS... not some guy 2 miles away who wants a free ride!

                                TOMORROW, they can replace their AP, move their antenna, site a large metal appliance directly in your line-of-sight to their antenna, decide to turn the AP off after business hours, limit the number of connections to the few folks they normally expect to see on it, forcibly drop leases after 60 minutes, restrict certain types of traffic (e.g., torrents because someone from MPAA gave them a call/visit as the goons can see the IP you're using as you DL those torrents), etc.

                                THEIR CUSTOMERS (the intended beneficiaries of their FREE service) won't be impacted. You, OTOH, may well be. If you are so sure that they intend this service to be available to folks "in the parking lot or at my home", you'd have no problem ASKING them about it in those terms, right?

                                So, I repeat, going this route only makes sense if you're more interested in FREE than in ACCESS.

                                Comment


                                  #17
                                  Re: Long range free wifi

                                  Originally posted by desert-rat View Post
                                  I am trying for the the few places that offer free high speed net , and dont block torrent files .
                                  Free, high speed and not configured properly so as to allow torrents.

                                  That will be over there then, next to the field of unicorns.

                                  Comment


                                    #18
                                    Re: Long range free wifi

                                    parabolic/cantenna dish wifi
                                    https://youtu.be/jNPVC7gAook

                                    WiFiUmbrella antenna
                                    https://youtu.be/E1iv3OpeQ1g

                                    The WiFi Umbrella Long Range Test
                                    https://youtu.be/RBPEObHHhPE
                                    "Our technologies have surpassed our humanity" ~Einstein

                                    Comment


                                      #19
                                      Re: Long range free wifi

                                      With all the buildings and trees in the way , I am not sure this will work any way . I am not putting a lot of money and effort in to this . On free ride , I do buy stuff from the places that do offer free fast net . At a local lowes hard ware store I made the mistake of telling the guy that cleans up the parking lot what I doing . They cut off the torrents. There are places the cut off the wifi where there not open . There are a lot of sites that wont let you down load torrents .

                                      Comment


                                        #20
                                        Re: Long range free wifi

                                        Originally posted by desert-rat View Post
                                        With all the buildings and trees in the way , I am not sure this will work any way . I am not putting a lot of money and effort in to this . On free ride , I do buy stuff from the places that do offer free fast net . At a local lowes hard ware store I made the mistake of telling the guy that cleans up the parking lot what I doing . They cut off the torrents. There are places the cut off the wifi where there not open . There are a lot of sites that wont let you down load torrents .
                                        There are "services" that filter web content. Many businesses and organizations subscribe to these because they don't want to have to devote staff to keeping track of all the "bad places" on the web that follks (their employees as well as "free wifi" users) might want to visit. E.g., I can't visit CL from many AP's because they host "adult content" -- easier to block the whole site than just that portion of it!

                                        The same is true of types of network traffic (HTTP vs. SMTP vs. ...) and particular ports. Torrent traffic is relatively easy to recognize even when not bound to a fixed set of ports.

                                        Any business run by semi-professionals (not "ma and pa") will want to protect themselves from the consequences of truly open network access -- hence the reason for the abovementioned services. (Feds visited one of the local libraries to confiscate a PC that had been used to send threatening messages to someone at the local university.)

                                        I used to run 19.2PEP. Absolutely brutal when downloading hundred megabyte files. You're "vulnerable" (power outages, server faults, etc.) for hours at a time!

                                        Solution: carry an external hard drive to library and use their faster connection to do so. Then, sneakernet the drive back home. It's "free" in that my tax dollars have already paid for this service regardless of whether or not I use it. Annoying that I can't do it from the comfort of my home but the 2.2 mile drive isn't that long (I'd often walk it just to get some exercise)!

                                        As the files that I wanted to DL grew, suddenly I had to contend with session time limits -- I'd be automatically logged out when my session expired. Anything partially transferred was effectively lost.

                                        Solution: drag a laptop to library and do the download using their WiFi while seated reading a book/newspaper (session limits only applied to use of THEIR computers as they were in limited numbers).

                                        But, WiFi slower than wired connection so if I didn't finish before the library closed, I was again screwed.

                                        Solution: drag laptop back outside and sit in car while it finished.

                                        That stopped being an effective workaround when they started turning off the WiFi after hours.

                                        Eventually, bit the bullet and installed faster service at the house -- JUST for those downloads. Because "ACCESS" was more important to me than "FREE". Now, I don't sweat 20GB downloads -- unless my ISP goes down! They don't block torrents but I'm sure they monitor (and, perhaps, shape!) my traffic! OTOH, I'm not DLing movies or music or other DMCA-type content that might bring them (because of me) to anyone's attention!

                                        Comment

                                        Working...
                                        X