can USB WLAN adapter be left outside?

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Hey guys,
I was hoping that someone can help me with this problem :

I'm using a wireless broadband connection using a usb wlan adapter and to get the best reception i'm forced to put the usb adapter outside(through my window) using a usb cable. There it has perfect reception.

But I'm concerned about not damaging it(due to the low/high temperatures). I wasn't able to find a operational temperature working specification for this adapter.

Has anyone has similar experience with this kind of wlan adapters? What is your oppinion ?

Thanks,
Ice

 

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Hi Ice

I had similar problems with a D-Link USB wireless adapter. I bought a 3m USB extension cable so I could move it around the room to get a better reception from the router.

Where is the router placed in distance from you machine? Can the router be moved, and does this change reception?

I tried numerous things and the best I got was a 36mbps [good signal] connection.

In the end I bought a PCI wireless card for £15 and now I get a 54mbps [excellent signal] connection.

 

Thanks for the reply.

I'm not using a router. I use the usb wlan adapter to directly connect to the multi radio mesh network of my ISP. See more here.

However, I'm using a linksys wap54g AP to connect my private network computers who are sharing that internet connection.

Funny enough, I wasn't able to connect to the wifi network of my ISP using the Linksys AP! When scanning for wireless networks in client mode, I says it cannot find one. Do I need an update of the firmware of something? Any thoughts on this one ?

BTW, it started raining outside, so I'm now really concerned about the safety of my usb adapter(although its 'nicely' protected using deep freezer bar and a lots of tape )

Thanks, Ice

 

These devices are *not* intended for outdoor use!

What you might do is get an all-weather antenna and wire it to a PCI card in your main machine, or to a router which has an antenna socket.

Harry.

 

Harry, thanks for the advice. You have an advisor award, so you must be right!

However, I'll let it stay out and test it for a while. If it drops dead(read: when it drops dead), i'll have a reason to buy pci card and outdoor antenna. . I'm ready to sacrifice this usb wlan adapter(it's pretty cheap and work fine for now).

My assumption that it may work fine outdoor, comes from the fact that many people have built their home wifi antennas using usb adapters and put them outside and claimed that worked fine. We'll see how true that goes...

Thank You,
Ice

 

Cough - blush! I've been known to get things wrong though....

It is amazing how long things can work under such conditions!

Harry.

 

Personally I liked the external aerial idea. That device is not going to last long outside in the English weather, even if it is in a plastic bag. The condensation will cause issues, probably sooner rather than later.

Moisture and electronic devices are not a recipe for reliability

 

you're all probably right. But I have excellent connection there, and today I protected it nicelly using a homemade plastic shell. It is working without problem so far.

To tell you the truth, I'm more concerned about how the device will cope with the summer hot weather, than cold weather and some moisture. I'm afraid that the hot sun can literally melt the device! I'll have to do something about that...

Ice

 

I know you're on the other side of the world Bluerinse, but that doesn't excuse you from thinking Macedonia is in England!

(Reminds me of the time a young Canadian boy, when asking where I'm from, said "England? Isn't that somewhere near Paris?"

 

You're right!

Ice

 

Try this it should help.

 

Sorry, I meant Wales

 

Erm.... Pete.....

http://www.macedonia.org/

 

Ah that Macedonia, the one near Albania in Scotland

 

Nah, that one got closed down when the English built a motorway through Hadrian's Wall !!!

 

I didn't know you had roads in Scotland Jak .

 

Oh yes - I believe the Welsh Assembly are considering a feasibilty study based on our work (which, as mentioned above, the English did for us)

erm, I think we have drifted off-topic a tad ...