How to Build Your Own High Gain Antenna for Air Cards
This step by step video tutorial shows you how to build your own air cards’ antenna. For less than 10USD you can multiply the power of your air card by six. The electronic parts can be easily found in any electronic store and the material can be recycled from everywhere at your home. Don’t miss the chance to have a super air card!
WiFi Super Antenna – Funny bloopers are a click away
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The future of mobile network, from LTE to HSPA+
To meet the strong demand for energy required from smartphones and other mobile devices, telephone companies are engaged in both the construction of new facilities and implementation of existing networks.
The new networks are divided into two main technologies: WiMAX and Long TermEvolution (LTE). The two systems use similar approaches to supply the availability of bandwidth than the current one. A method called OFDM (Orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing) allows a base station to split a portion of spectrum in sub-channels. The signal strength of the subchannels and the number of channels allocated to different devices can be changed. OFDM allows highspeed data transmission, even far away from the base station, and fits well with all types of radio interference present in urban areas, where the signals reflected on the walls produce confusing echoes.
Both LTE and WiMax are based on the MIMO method (multiple input, multiple output). It uses multiple antennas to create a single wireless connection. MIMO can package the data with a higher density in the wireless spectrum available than a system with a single antenna, which consumes the same amount of energy.
WiMax has arrived on the market two years before LTE; it offers a theoretical maximum download speed of 144 megabits per second compared to the 360 of LTE (the United States a standard residential broadband connection is around 10 megabits per second ). LTE seems to have an overwhelming speed advantage, but in reality wireless mobile companies are far from reaching that performance of both technologies. In the U.S., Sprint’s WiMax network reach speeds between 3 and 6 megabits per second, while Verizon’s LTE network is between 5 and 12 megabits per second.
Although Sprint and Verizon have them labeled as 4G, these services do not actually meet the performance criteria that the ITU (International Telecommunication Union) has called officially for 4G services. But the latest version of WiMax and LTE are trying to meet these standards, guaranteeing download speed up to 1,000 megabits per second or even higher.
Although WiMax has been developed more quickly (the first large-scale deployment dates back to 2008) most operators in the U.S., Europe and Japan are using LTE for next-generation wireless networks. The main reason is that they assume that LTE network is technically easier to integrate with their existing structures.
But some suppliers, such as T-Mobile in the United States to upgrade their existing 3G networks, they prefer a system called HSPA+. T-Mobile claims that HSPA+ enables peak download speeds of 21 megabits per second, enough to compete with next-generation networks, at least for now.
At present all the network operators are committed to enhancing the capacity and flexibility of their 3G networks. Over the next four years, when the next generation systems will be developed and 3G chips will become cheap enough to make their appearance in a wide range of consumer products, these systems will attract more subscribers of the LTE network.
The biggest obstacle to the improvement of these systems comes from the wired network, not from the wireless. The cell towers and base stations must be connected to the same network hub. These links from one point to another, which typically use copper telephone wires or special connections or microwave, in recent years have become real bottleneck, forcing operators to adopt the more expensive fiber connections.
About 95 percent of the new Verizon LTE data network will be over fiber. But dig into the streets to lay fiber optic cable in densely populated areas can be expensive. For this reason, AT&T is committed to improving its 3G service in New York, which must withstand the impact of thousands of iPhone users.
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How to save cell battery? Rebuilding radio mesh, using new antenna
How to save the battery of the cell? With an antenna for mobile phones that can follow each user with a dedicated single “beam” instead to use rainfall transmission of the radio signal. Reduce the power consumption of mobile networks per bit delivered is the Green Touch’s mission, a consortium of leading Information and Communications Technology (ICT) that want to save mobile batteries energy.
The new antenna presented in London this year could be reduced 100 times the energy consumption of mobile communications if it’s used in multiples of one hundred. In practice, replacing a single tower with hundreds of small transmitters, it would consume only 1% greater energy required from the antenna to get the same quality of service. But this is only the beginning.
The aim of the consortium, founded a year ago at the initiative of the legendary Bell Labs-Lucent Aleatel and now part of a forty public and private research centers, is to introduce by 2015 a series of “key elements” that can increase dramatically the efficiency of communications networks.
It’s an ambitious goal but not impossible to achieve. GreenTouch collects the best of global know-how, laboratories of private companies, even competitors – such as Huawei, Samsung. Swisscom and Telefonica and public research, such as that conducted by the University of Cambridge and the Tsinghua University.
All over the world the users of mobile phones are growing, data and video application’s explosion are generating an unprecedented wave of data traffic. The transport of large quantities of bits are now the rule even in mobile networks and then on the radio link with a data traffic doubles every year. In the near future additional scenarios are making big changes: Cloud computing with the distribution of users, applications, data, computing resources and storage. Without radical action mobile phone energy consumption will become a problem.
At present there is no real uniform radio mesh. This will waste a lot of energy, which would be saved if the networks were more homogeneous.
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How to extend the wi-fi range of your network with repeater
The repeaters are often the easiest way to extend the range of a Wi-Fi network. They are devices that receive the signal of an existing network, they regenerate and retransmit it in its coverage area. They do not require any special configuration, since their purpose is not to create a new WLAN, but simply exploit an already present network. They also do not have to be connected via Ethernet cable, but only through AC power.
Often also called “wi-fi range extender” or with other similar names, the wi-fi repeaters have a major limitation: having to use the radio equipment for both communicating with the main access point and for extending wireless signal to the client, the available overall wireless bandwidth will be halved.
In the case of an 802.11g wifi network, for example, the theoretical 54 Mbps down to 27 Mbps and, in turn, the actual throughput is halved. These are solutions that improve wireless coverage, but decrease the speed. In addition to the stand-alone devices developed specifically for this purpose, the repeater function can also be performed by a traditional access point, not all access points on the market are able to operate in repeater mode, and this feature is not always well marked in technical specifications of the product. Before to buy an access point or router, check that the repeater mode network is supported.
Install a wi-fi repeater is a simple operation. First, it is important to choose the most appropriate point for the placement of the device: it does not require a wired connection to the network, so you will have a fair amount of freedom in the choice of location. Typically, the wireless repeater is located in an area with coverage limits of the original access point signal, so to maximize the signal range. Pay attentio to do not exceed: the signal received by the repeater must still be of good quality to avoid reducing the speed of connection.
Try also to extend wifi range with Wireless Distribution System (WDS).
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Create a wireless connection with 3G Router, Tp-Link
TP-Link 3G/3.75G Wireless Router TL-MR3220 allows you to quickly create and share a 150Mbs high speed wireless network using 3G/3.75G mobile connection. You have to plug your UMTS-3G-EVDO-HSPA air cards into USB port on the rear and Tp-link router will activate a Wi-Fi zone that allows users to go to Internet anywhere there’s a 3G/3.75G coverage. It ’s also useful for devices that can not use air cards (see how to connect Ipad to internet with aircard).
But, as it is very annoying to lose the Internet connection when we are working, the TL-MR3220 integrates the 3G/WAN failover function, which allows you to choose whether to give priority to the Wan(DSL) or 3G mobile connection. The router will automatically switch to wireless connection with secondary priority when the primary signal is weak.
Once the service is restored, router will back to the connection with higher priority, this will keep “always-on” Internet connection.
TP-Link presented also the Access Point TL-WA701ND that allows you to connect to the wireless network gaming consoles, printers,external hard drives, smartphones, iPad, iPhone. It integrates “repeater” function with WDS (Wireless Distribution Service , see how to extend coverage of wireless home network with WDS) technology that improves the strength of wi-fi network coverage in large environments. What makes the TL-WA701ND very simple in its setup is the Quick Secure Setup (QSS) function that allows you to establish a wireless connection protected by a password simply touching a button.
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Vertical handover, connection between wifi and 3G/4G broadband air cards
The Wi-Fi is now an ally of mobile broadband to save it from network saturation. It is a scenery closer and it begins to enter into the calculations of the major mobile operators. The technology that will help the 3G and 4G mobile network is called “vertical handover”, that is the transition of users across different networks (between Wi-Fi and 3G/4G or UMTS).
Different forms of vertical handover in the network are already used by some operators. South Korea’s SK Telecom makes between WiBro (local variant of WiMax) UMTS and CDMA2000. Rumors say that AT&T in the United States intends to adopt roaming between 3G and Wi-Fi
The IEEE organization is working to define a standard for vertical handover, the 802-21 between Wi-Fi, WiMax and 3G/4G. The horizontal handover is already used and is the transition from one cell to another within the same network (or between different networks using the same technology, such as in roaming).
Recently, efforts have multiplied between operators, academics and experts to reach a vertical handover efficiently managing to talk to different technologies. The reason is that there is an urgent need: in all developed countries the broadband mobile networks show signs of saturation. A remedy, already adopted in some countries (USA, Japan, United Kingdom) are the femtocell (small cellular base station, typically designed for use in a home) and picocell (wireless communication system typically covering a small area, such as in-building ) which installed by the user, are used to relieve the main operator (macrocell). In recent days, there was a historical overtaking in the United States: the number of femtocells has exceeded the number of the macrocell.
The weaknesses of this solution are the cost of the equipment and the need to have adequate backhaul (ie a fast connection to the rest of the network;now it happens through adsl-dsl). So it would be useful relieves traffic of mobile users on the wi-fi hot spot if they are present.The hot spots are in fact connected to a wired network, where bandwidth is less poor than mobile.
How it vertical handover works: software on the pc ’s user knows when there is a sufficient Wi-Fi signal, in that case it moves the connection on the network. Otherwise it uses the mobile network through UMTS/4G/3G air cards connected to a PC.
The challenge of the algorithm is to maintain a stable connection as the user moves from one network to another: this is the vertical handover. You do not realize they have switched from Wi-Fi to 3G or the opposite continuing to navigate normally. It can use any Wi-Fi hot spot that is authorized to have access. To succeed they had to overcome two problems of vertical handover: wi-fi delays authentication and the ping pong, the risk of passing continuously from one network to another when the Wi-Fi signal is weak. The paradox: wi-fi was always considered by operators the enemy that could undermine the boom in mobile data traffic. The boom is arrived, too strong, and now they go to the Wi-Fi to get help.
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How to choose the best antenna for your access point
If the coverage provided by your wireless router or access point is still insufficient, you can replace the antenna with different higher gain models. There are antennas that have the same transmission power but that can extend wireless coverage in certain directions. To make an update is indispensable that your device is equipped with removable antennas and standard hooks (SMA or TNC).
Before to make an antenna upgrade you must first distinguish between directional and omnidirectional models. Directional antenna essentially work as that ones provided by default to cover equivalent distance in all directions , while omnidirectional cover specific directions for creating a longer distance bridge.
When you purchase an omni-directional antenna, it can be established its efficiency on the basis of dBi values: antennas typically mounted on the access points or router offer 2 or 5 dBi, while there are models with 6, 8 and even 10 dBi. Consider that an increase of 6 dBi corresponds to a doubling of the range of the coplanar plane.
The higher dbi values mean lower antenna “vertical” efficiency .In practice 8 dBi antenna is less efficient than a 5 dBi if the client is placed at a different elevation from the access point.
Directional antennas are typically used to establish small wireless links of small , therefore rarely they find space in a home wireless environment, these systems focus the issue in a specific direction penalizing all the others. Examples of highly directional antennas are Yagi, Backfire or Satellite Dishes, models that require a precise pointing. For indoor use the best solutions consist in directional panel antennas (prices from 30 up to 150 dollars), providing good coverage in a field angle without requiring specific point.
read also how to direct router antenna for getting the best coverage.
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