At my apt, I have been able to pick up a few wireless signals, one of which is from the city's free wireless demonstration. See City of Grand Rapids Wireless Homepage for more information. In the last week, the strongest wireless signal disappeared (I think it might have been from a neighbor that moved), and I am now completely dependent on the city's wireless. The access point for the city's wireless is only a few blocks away--it seems like I should be able to pick it up at my apt, but it goes in and out and the signal strength is very low.
I currently use a Netgear 108 Mbps USB adapter . It works pretty well, though the signal has always been "low" according to the device (even when I was picking it up from next door), and when I plug it in, it always reminds me that I am connecting a "hi-speed device into a non-hi speed USB port".
So, my questions are:
1) Is there another similar device that I can purchase that will provide me with a greater range, so I can pick up the city's wireless signal?
2) What can I do to increase the overall signal strength?
3) Does the "non-hi speed USB port" have anything to do with the signal strength I can pick up? I don't really even know what this means... Should I be doing something about the fact that I don't have hi-speed USB ports?
Let me know...
Thanks,
Bfly