Free Internet setup (HOW TO).

[Hcklbery]

Free Internet setup (HOW TO).
Hotspots as their called are businesses such as Safeways, coffee shops, motels and many other various places of businesses that provide free wireless high speed internet to their patrons and many to the public at large. So when you go into a coffee shop you can open your laptop and connect to the Internet.
Typically these wireless signals have a very limited distance capability and so generally speaking are not much good for any distance more than a few hundred feet using a standard laptop.
But laptops typically have a wireless setup of only somewhere around 50 - 100 mw signal strength with an antenna of maybe 3 or 4 dbi signal strength configuration. These are very small numbers but adequate for a standard laptop.
In comparison the AP Bridge I have (sort of like a two way radio in concept) is 600 mw and while the antenna I have at present is not what I ultimately want which is an 18 dbi directional panel antenna the one I do have (9 dbi omni antenna) is getting me by until I can buy the antenna I want.
The difference between omni and directional is that the omni is a stubby looking whip that receives and transmits in all directions, and the panel directional limits it's signal exposure to a 25 degree arc right and left from center which means you would need to be able to rotate it 360 deg to cover all points around your position in order to "sniff out" your best signal and pull it in, also this antenna is flat looking much like a bassball pitchers plate.
A TV antenna directional remote control and a raiseable mount like a RV TV antenna I think would work great. All you would need to do to deploy is to raise the mast same as you do with any RV tv antenna setup and using the directional remote select your area to sweep for a good signal and once found engage your bridge to associate with it and connect.
This could be done at distances of as much as nearly a mile away (and depending on which bridge and signals even up to 10 miles) depending on the source strength and location (indoor or outdoor, near a window, any trees or buildings blocking) etc.
This is just a general description for you to contemplate but if you want to pursue the idea further than PM me with your Ph # and I will be glad to go over the details and suggestions of what AP Bridge/Antenna configuration best fits your application.
http://www.engeniustech.com/datacom/products/details.aspx?id=230
This is the Bridge I have but you may want to consider a different one which has the new technology capabilities of WIMAX which is the second generation to WIFI and currently being tasked under the cell phone industries' heading as 5G by the Parent Company Clearwire Inc.. This in fact is not the traditional Cell phone frequencys technology but the product of the WIFI research and development but endeavors to keep the technology as a pay-for platform rather than the WIFI free to anyone platform, This will change I think and so It might be worth buying a different bridge which has both capabilities. If memory serves I believe it is the EOC 5112 made by enGenius tech.  You can usually find very good deals at tigerdirect.com for the bridges and at L-com.com for the Antennas. I don't know of any other place for the antenna stuff else I would not send you to L-Com as I had a customer service disappointment with them recently and would myself prefer to find another company.

[Lonnie time to go]

The link you posted is not working.  But i do have some interest in learning more.

Lonnie

[Hcklbery]

I have the EOC 3610S Ext made by Engenius tech.
But is is discontinued and I can't find it for sale on the computer web sites but the latest/greatest one is the Engenius EOC2611P and is a little different than mine so I wouldn't be of much help if you needed help with interaction with it at your computer level as the menus and configurations are different I'm sure. But Engenius has a support to help with those matters.
The EOC 2611 P is made by EnGenius tech and can be viewed at  http://engeniustech.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=89:outdoor-access-points-client-bridges&id=3350:80211g-outdoor-high-power-600mw-bridge-access-point-with-dual-antenna-polarity-and-dual-antennas&Itemid=123

Tiger Direct has it for sale for $79.00 at  http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6076240&CatId=372

The antennas I got from L-Com at http://www.l-com.com/category.aspx?id=2073   These are the 2.4 GHz antennas and you can research it to better inform yourself of the best choice for your intended usage parameters.

If you wish to discuss your specific application and needs you can PM me your Ph # and I will try and help as much as I can.

Eli.