jefatech Wi Fi repeater

[Darrel]

I was looking for more reliable Wi Fi connections in the campgrounds we visit. I found the jefatech site and their solution/hardware looked like it should solve my problems. It is $149.95 and I wonder if anyone else has tried it out and could report on their experience?

Have a nice day - Darrel

[navyblue]

I use a Hawking HWDN2 mini satellite with USB cable and extender(about 10' long) that plugs into USB port on my laptop and then I place the mini dish(about 5-6" diameter) on dash and point until I get the strongest signal. I have picked up "unprotected" wireless signals from other campgrounds/ nearby homes when I have been in a campground without wi-fi. I then "borrow" their wi-fi for my use. Has a claimed range of about 1/4 mile. I have picked up wi-fi from a housing development about 1/8-1/4 mile away across a field at my mother-in-laws. Cost about $45-$50 at Best Buy.

NAVYBLUE

[Alan_Hepburn]

I installed the jefaTech system on my Bounder several months ago and love it. I opted for the high-gain antenna which brought the cost up to $200. At a campground where we spend a lot of time the site we usually get is about 300 yards from the clubhouse where the wifi is located, with a few trees and a building in the way. We get a usable signal with the system whereas without it we get nothing. They say the high-gain antenna should receive a signal from at least a mile - I suppose under ideal conditions it's possible, but in real-life conditions I'm happy with its performance.

[Darrel]

Update - I finally decided to order the Jefetech repeater.

Like Alan, I have been happy with the performance of the Jefetech product. I am typing this using the signal from my neighbors house (with his permission) about 100 yards from my RV. There is a house and several big trees between us and the signal is small but obviously usable. My neighbor is a little bit surprised because he can't get his signal in some of the rooms in his own house.

Setup was straightforward (though with many steps) and came up at the first attempt. Mounting the antenna on the TV antenna of the RV was fairly easy. I jury rigged my own clamp because of clearance issues between the two RV antenna legs. Now if I only could see an easy way to route the cable into the RV.

Have a nice day - Darrel

[Dmiles]

I ordered, and just now received, the Hawking Tech HWDN1. I chose the Hawking tech over the Jefetech due to the fact that the Hawking Tech does wireless B,G and N, while the Jefetech is only B and G. I realize that hardly any campgrounds have wireless N at this time, but that is what I use at home, and I will be transferring ripped Blu Ray movies, so wireless N was a necessity for me. Plus it was basically the same price, if not a few dollars cheaper.

As soon as I have some dinner and change my clothes, I will go out and install it, and report back the results.

[Bill Adams]

I will be transferring ripped Blu Ray movies, so wireless N was a necessity for me.

I am not sure why N would be a requirement since N and G both operate at the same speed. N gives better range but the actual transfer speeds are the same.

[Alan_Hepburn]

Originally Posted by Darrel

...I jury rigged my own clamp because of clearance issues between the two RV antenna legs. Now if I only could see an easy way to route the cable into the RV.

Darrel - I used stainless steel hose clamps to attach mine to the batwing antenna. Four clamps and it works great!

Extended:


Stowed:


To get through the roof I used a standard weather-resistant junction box. The cable goes through the roof directly into the cabinet that houses the hardware.

[Dmiles]

Originally Posted by Bill Adams

I am not sure why N would be a requirement since N and G both operate at the same speed. N gives better range but the actual transfer speeds are the same.

That is just not true Bill, sorry but you're wrong on this one. I'm getting real world transfer speeds of 280 Mbs. There is not a G sytem out there that could do 1/5 of that speed. This Hawking Tech adapter is unreal.

[Bill Adams]

OK.

[Dmiles]

If it were just the internet, then yes, the speed is the same, because the internet is slower than wireless G speeds. Where you see the advantage with N is transferring data on a home network, which is what I do when I transfer the ripped movies. So stricly for internet use, no you would not see a speed improvement with N over G.

Now, I have to brag on this thing a bit. What I was using before was a Linksys adapter that I actually got for like 10 bucks after rebate. From my RV parked in my yard, I got no signal with that thing. With this Hawking Tech, I'm getting as much as 65%! And I'm picking up networks that I had no idea even existed. A few are unprotected.

If you are running a wireless network that is unprotected, you might want to think about using the encryption. Apparently the technologyy has improved quite a bit, and there's a good chance someone can see you now that couldn't before.

[texnet]

802.11 is not the limiting factor when you are connected to a campground system. If the campground has a cable connection of say 5mbs, which most don't, and you have 30 campers fighting for the bandwidth you will find that a 802.11 b connection is probably faster than the throughput you will see.

IEEE 802.11 is a set of standards for wireless local area network (WLAN) computer communication.

(A) 802.11a
Frequency- 5 GHz
Typical Data Rate - 23 Mbit/s
Max Data rate – 54 Mbit/s
Range – 115 feet
(B) 802.11b
Frequency - 2.4 GHz
Typical Data Rate - 4.5 Mbit/s
Max Data rate – 11 Mbit/s
Range - 115 feet
(G) 802.11g
Frequency - 2.4 GHz
Typical Data Rate – 19 Mbit/s
Max Data rate - 54 Mbit/s
Range – 125 feet
(N) 802.11n
Frequency - 5GHz and/or 2.4GHz
Typical Data Rate - 74 Mbit/s
Max Data rate - 300 Mbit/s (2 streams)
Range – 230 feet

[EngineerMike]

Alan- this is off topic, but your front cap/roof seam needs recaulking.

For those w/a cabinet next to a propane/electric fridge, you can usually go sideways thru the curb of the fridge's roof vent suing a grommet or sufficient sealant, down into coach thru the vent opening (which has good access w/the vent cap off), then sideways into the fridge-adjacent cabinet for a minimal fuss installation of new roof wiring.

[texnet]

I use a combination of devices to access the Internet while on the road as I have multiple computers and a iPhone that need access. The base of my system is a Cradlepoint MBR900 Mobile Broadband N Router. The MBR900 provides 802.11 b/g/n and 4 ethernet ports to connect to. It has two ports that are used to connect to the Internet. One port, a USB port, is used for a USB cellular adapter, mine is a Sierra Wireless Aircard USB 305 from AT&T. When connected to a cell tower, that has the supporting equipment, the Sierra card will deliver download speeds of up to 7.2 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 2.0 Mbps. The second Internet port is for a ethernet device. Here I use a Ubiquiti NanoStation which is mounted to the rear ladder and feed with Cat-5 cable which provides data and power. The MBR900 will automatically switch to the cellular USB device when it loses connectivity on the wired side of the router. This setup provides me Internet access while traveling through my cellular USB card and Internet access through the NanoStation when near a wifi access point. The NanoStation can be setup to connect to any open access point but does require you to configure it, via a web browser, if an access point has a WEP or WPA key or you want to connect to a specific AP. This only takes a couple of minutes. Currently the equipment is only temporary in the MH but in the near future I will be mounting everything permanently and when I do I will shoot photos of the installation.

[Dmiles]

Originally Posted by texnet

802.11 is not the limiting factor when you are connected to a campground system. If the campground has a cable connection of say 5mbs, which most don't, and you have 30 campers fighting for the bandwidth you will find that a 802.11 b connection is probably faster than the throughput you will see.

Correct, but again, when I'm transferring ripped DVDs to the computer in my RV while it's parked at home in my yard, I need the higher throughput of wireless N. For that application, there isn't a B or G that can touch it. And since my router at home and all my other wireless connections are N, I can turn off B and G, further enhancing security.

I'm about as pleased with this Hawking HWDN1 as I possibly can be. For those who have a need for the wireless N connection at home, I don't know of anything better.