WiFi Tx power question--more

[Doug]

On 09/19/2014 07:24 PM, Doug wrote:

/snip/

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I'm replying to myself! One other thing has occurred to me: With _any_ external wi-fi
plug-in, you can remote the plug-in to a better location (which you find by trial) 
simply by getting a male-to-female usb cable and connecting the adapter thru the cable.
A better location will probably be somewhere up above all the clutter around your work-station.
Try it up about head-height or higher, on a little bracket or shelf on the wall. 

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(Original message follows.)

> First: Higher power does NOT increase noise in the signal. It just increases the amount of
> radio frequency energy in the general area, which may be "noise" to some _other_ piece of equipment.
> 
> A previous post recommended  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833704045.
> The antenna in the previous post has a _detachable_ external antenna. Surely that antenna will
> have a "reverse polarity" connector, but there are adapters for those things. There are two
> advantages for a detachable antenna with a connector on it:
> 1. You can connect a cable between the adapter and the antenna, and put the antenna is a
> more favorable location, and,
> 2. After you connect the cable to the adapter, you can look for an antenna with a higher gain.
> That will probably make the effective radiated power exceed legal limits, but it _will_ provide
> greater range.
> 
> The antenna recommended in this post (above) is actually two antennas, both apparently connected
> to the dongle without connectors, but that's not certain. The advantage of two antennas, is what is
> called "diversity."  The reason that diversity is advantageous is that in any environment
> with reflecting surfaces--like the room where your computer is located--
> the reflections of the RF signal will cause spots with higher field strength and spots with lower.
> The use of two antennas is intended to put at least one of them in a spot with higher signal strength.
> (This frequently works, but not always.)
> 
> I hope this discussion has made some of the possibilities more clear.
> 
> --Doug, retired RF engineer.
>