What Are My Options for Extending Wifi Range Away from Campus?

[MinnesotaState]

I'm 6 blocks away from campus & probably 4 blocks out of range. I'm a student at the university so I do have the security code.

I'm only 1st year EE, so I'm looking for advice. I can follow a schematic, but lack theory of operation that many of you have.

Options?

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

4 blocks out of range is really out of range. I don't see any options other than to move closer to campus or get them to install an ultra-long range WiFi router with some kind of amplifier, but even then I'm not aware of any that has a 6 block radius.

Something might be found here
http://www.wlanparts.com/

 

[MinnesotaState]

Can you receive a WiFi signal, amplify, & then re-transmit?

Again, I lack theory.

*There is a fence that runs from the back of my property up the ravine to campus.

 

[Bill Simpson]

Half a century ago, before the invention of digital, there were a few places that were down in a valley behind a high ridge. A large rhombus antenna was erected just on the far side of the ridge and that was connected to another rhombus antenna on the near side of the ridge. The result was a passive rebroadcast of radio signals.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhombic_antenna

I doubt that would be effective in your case.

IF you could get a good measure of the signal levels with your existing antenna and with perhaps a one meter dish antenna and compare those numbers to what are needed for reliable Wifi then that might give you a good idea whether there is any hope or not.

 

[Evo]

I'm 6 blocks away from campus & probably 4 blocks out of range. I'm a student at the university so I do have the security code.

I'm only 1st year EE, so I'm looking for advice. I can follow a schematic, but lack theory of operation that many of you have.

Options?

Have you contacted your university to ask them about this? That's what you need to do.

 

[fedaykin]

You can retransmit an WiFi signal using extenders or certain routers, but I don't think your school will want to do that. The passcode will quite likely be shared with non-students, and it is probably a crime to alter your schools network without their permission.
Additionally, throughput and latency often seem to degrade quite badly if you extend the signal several times.

If this is for some sort of school project, I'd suggest looking into "cantennas".

 

[turbo]

The passcode will quite likely be shared with non-students, and it is probably a crime to alter your schools network without their permission.

Leaving a University network open to unauthorized access would probably not endear you to the school.