So I have five Apple laptops of different models in my home currently. Four have internal AirPort, one has a WaveLAN PC Card. All work great, except for the most expensive one, the TiBook. In some spots in my home its signal strength is horribly weak.
I can use the WaveLAN PC Card under Mac OS 9, but there is no software to easily switch between the two cards. The Orinoco software which I thought would work (just let it handle the PC card, and let AirPort software handle the internal card!) won't, because the Orinoco driver now has a "feature" where it can work with the internal AirPort card. Hm. Maybe I'll see if I can disable that feature.
Anyone know about antennas for 802.11 cards, or better yet, internal AirPort cards?
I thought the 2nd gen TiBooks had an antennae all the way around the edge of the box and not just in one spot in previous models. Are you sure it's an antenna problem?
Jarkko and I both have had odd little airport problems with the iBooks lately where flipping it off then on again seems to do the trick.
Re:that fancy new Ti is weak on the signal?
pudge on 2002-04-17T18:34:57
Apparently, they've improved it, but it still sucks. I don't know it is the antenna, but I am quite sure it is the nature of the TiBook. Most of the people I know with TiBooks, who I've discussed it with, have such problems (including Simon).
Re:Just in case...
pudge on 2002-04-17T19:42:32
It's connected, I'm sure. I normally have a connection that is just fine in the house, but there are some dead spots in the house, and the range outside is very poor. It's just a weak signal, which is what most people seem to have.
I've got a really big omnidirectional antenna connected to mine that looks a lot like a light sabre. It allows me to use my laptop (with it's buffalo card) in the pub next door or the cafe across the street. No more connection problems. Security problems yes, connection problems no.
Until I hear otherwise, I believe that ingy is the first person to publish a module to CPAN from a pub.
IIRC, Pig tail adaptors are about 25ukp. Antennas are about 80ukp. I've no idea how much these cost in the states, but I guess the prices are comprable. You can also get big nonoise loss cable (not so useful for you, but fun to allow mounting) and surge protectors (if you're gonna mount it outside you've just created a very effective lightening conductor)
