Using cellphone antenna booster for internal wifi?

[JMHar]

Instead of being smartasses, explain to me why I am getting the results I do and how they are misleading. That is all I wanted, not a definition of a word that I already know. Is it too much to ask for a technical explanation???

[howste]

Are the results you're getting consistent? I can hit refresh on my laptop and the number of WiFi access points may increase with no other changes. Another time I'll do the same thing and some of them will drop off.

[RobRich]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JMHar

Instead of being smartasses, explain to me why I am getting the results I do and how they are misleading. That is all I wanted, not a definition of a word that I already know. Is it too much to ask for a technical explanation???

You are wanting a technical explanation for something that does not work. The video is a spoof, made to be amusing to people that understand the technologies involved, in particular people understanding radio frequency engineering, which is an area of technology where I have a decent background.

In order to keep this simple, you are not connecting the phone to the RF input/output stage of anything. The video suggests coiling network cable around a phone, which interfaces nothing between your computer and the cell phone, then further suggests plugging the cable into a RJ-45 network port of a NIC that has nothing to do with WiFi. On the RF side of the proposed setup, 802.11 (a,b,g,n,etc.) operates on different frequency spectrums than GSM, CDMA, or iDEN cell phones.

Any gains you have perceived are at best imaginary or at worst hallucinations. As howste indicates, you could be dropping in and out of various networks, but that has nothing to do with your cell phone in regards to the 802.11 networking of your computer.

Otherwise, I have a feeling you could be trying to "have fun" with people, but you will need a less technical audience than TechIMO if that is your goal.

[JMHar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by howste

Are the results you're getting consistent? I can hit refresh on my laptop and the number of WiFi access points may increase with no other changes. Another time I'll do the same thing and some of them will drop off.

I only tried it the one time and saw an increase from 1 (mine) to 4 in my area. I'll try it a few more times when I get home to see if it is how you say, as well as try and connect to several of them.

[JMHar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobRich

You are wanting a technical explanation for something that does not work. The video is a spoof, made to be amusing to people that understand the technologies involved, in particular people understanding radio frequency engineering, which is an area of technology where I have a decent background.

In order to keep this simple, you are not connecting the phone to the RF input/output stage of anything. The video suggests coiling network cable around a phone, which interfaces nothing between your computer and the cell phone, then further suggests plugging the cable into a RJ-45 network port of a NIC that has nothing to do with WiFi. On the RF side of the proposed setup, 802.11 (a,b,g,n,etc.) operates on different frequency spectrums than GSM, CDMA, or iDEN cell phones.

Any gains you have perceived are at best imaginary or at worst hallucinations. As howste indicates, you could be dropping in and out of various networks, but that has nothing to do with your cell phone in regards to the 802.11 networking of your computer.

Otherwise, I have a feeling you could be trying to "have fun" with people, but you will need a less technical audience than TechIMO if that is your goal.

Look, like I said, I tried it and saw an increase in the available networks (but didn't try them because they were all in the 1 - 2 bar range of strength). You can talk all the crap you like about my having hallucinations, but I saw what I saw. Otherwise I wouldn't be wasting my time asking for an explanation.

If anyone else has tried it, what exactly did you see???

[RobRich]

You will find I do not talk "crap." I talk tech, all the way down to the electronics and electrical engineering level if need be. I was trying to be nice the first time around, but you keep asserting something that does not work.

Okay, let's try this the other way around considering my background in RF electronics. Please explain to me why you think it works.

[JMHar]

I never said that I thought it worked (but I never said that I didn't think it worked, either). All I asked is why do I see what I see if it doesn't work. That's it. And then I asked others who've tried it to post their results.

[RobRich]

Rest assured, it does not work. You were likely bouncing networks or experiencing variable signal gain based upon numerous factors (RFI, EFI, etc.), which happens with WiFi. If I have to type paragraphs of RF theory, that is possible, but the basic issues come down to no interconnection between the required devices and no overlap in the desired frequency spectrums.

[Friedchicken100]

I asked my networking teacher about this one. He said there was no conceivable way this could work. I watched that video and I was convinced it was spoof from the moment he constructed that antennae with a bowl and aluminum foil.

[FalcomPSX]

so if RF boosters make cellphones have a better signal, and make wifi networks appear from miles away.....how fast will it make my car go???