Next G PC Card booster options
 

My room on site is a pretty well insulated on and the mobile signal is ok (although not fantastic ) outside but non-existant inside.

Currently running a 5dBi antenna to the PC card which a lot of the time I get away with in the window but evenings ( I take it everyone gets on the net or phone ) the signal keeps dropping out.

I chucked it on the roof tonight and the signal is way better ( Was getting -105dBm in the window is about -86 on the roof ) BUT its coming up to storm season and I'm not to sure I want to have an antenna on the roof connected direct to the laptop when there is lightning every night.

I have found a few signal boosters/repeaters that you have an antenna inside and outside and no direct connection to the puter. Would also be a good thing for the mobile to. Catch is I can't find one that is approved for use in Australia.

I take it something has to be available and approved just need some help to find it. Anyone have any leads I would appreciate it.

we looked at it for sites a while back, illegal in australia as far as we could work out. that said you could always wait for the FCC to track you down in middle-of-fucking-nowheresville. the other option is the big whip style antenna that you see on fully siq utes, they set you back about a hunj. we use them with Call Direct and Cisco NextG routers with pretty good results.

The 5dBi that I have seems to be enough extra signal strength if its on the roof ( Though a little extra wouldn't do any harm ) I would just really like to find a way to disconnect if from the computer so if lightning does hit the antenna the Mac doesn't melt.

Other thought is there a surge protector of some sort suited to slotting in the coax somewhere that would protect the puter???

if lightning fries a mac do i get a coke with that?

Looking at another option and want opinions from those that are running a 3g wireless router that will take a Telstra ( Sierra Wireless ) Aircard 880E.

Are they any good???

I will almost certainly need to run an external antenna. I take it I can still just plug it into the Aircard as I currently do.

I don't mind taking the sim out of the Aircard and putting it in the router if it is a better way to do it but will need to be able to run the external antenna.

So what make & model are recommended. What sort of ballpark price and where to buy.

We've used various models from Call Direct with success around Australia, I think we had ~10-12 sites use them. Be good for a home user but they just weren't quite feature rich enough for a corporate network. These are their own NextG modem (also a Sierra brand afaik) you just slot your SIM in

[url]http://www.call-direct.com.au/CDR-790seu.php[/url]

Looks like a nice bit of kit but is there anything available a bit cheeper. This is intended as a sacrificial bit of gear IF the antenna gets hit by lightning rather than frying the laptop.

Bearing that in mind is there anything a little cheeper or is the 800 odd price I found a little over inflated.

Remember this is only to bring a signal into a 4m*4m room. Doesn't need to do an entire office block.

The standard Telstra Next G Wireless gateways aren't bad. They're a rebadged Netcomm router so not too bad quality. ([url]http://www.netcomm.com.au/products/telstra-bigpond/3G10WVT[/url])

I have one of these with an external 5DB desktop antenna down at the Common User Facility in Henderson. Works quite well down there, have about 7-8 people who have been working F/T via VPN back to head office for the last 12 Months. It's not the fastest thing in the world, but i works well enough.

As with Jesters suggestion these don't need the Sierra Modem, just slot your next G SIM card in and away you go. Don't really see how it would give you better signal strength but?

[QUOTE=elemist;404400]As with Jesters suggestion these don't need the Sierra Modem, just slot your next G SIM card in and away you go. Don't really see how it would give you better signal strength but?[/QUOTE]

I get a good signal with the 5 dBi antenna on the donga roof but its coming into thunderstorm season and I'm not to keen on having an antenna on the roof diractly into the laptop.

If it's into a modem that is worth 300 odd bucks I'll be pissed if it gets fried but no where near as pissed as if I loose a 4 grand laptop.

Do the telstra shops sell them or can you only get them on a plan. Already got the plan for the wireless card so don't really want to be running 2 plans.

We bought it outright from Telstra business at the same time we took out the plan. But you should be able to buy it outright from any Telstra shop.

Other thing you could do would be to put the antenna on the side of the donga rather than the roof, makes for a smaller target and if you put it on the side closest to the tower you shouldn't loose any signal strength.