netgear wireless router

[klottes]

Hi all;
to begin, i have satelite internet which runs though the modem then to the router (netgear wgt624), then i have 2 desktops that r running wires to the router & a laptop wireless all works fine, now the airport across from us has a tower with the wi max(mircowave type antena) about 350 to 400 ft away from my router. my question is this, is there anyway that my router can pick up that signal? I want it too, for its going to be faster & cheaper than my internet now, im hoping, if my router can what do i need to do to get that signal? any help would be great thank you

[ErikD]

First off that is illegal, so not a recommended thing to do. Secondly your router won't really be able to act like that, though it might be possible to do some patched together sort of thing. They hopefully have some sort of security in place on that anyway, if it is in fact a wireless internet connection. Might just be for an internal wireless network with no internet access.

[klottes]

ty for the advice, but my wife works for that company & is legal for us to use the wimax signal from the airport. I have got on it already, but signal is weak, is there something that i need to add to get a better sigal?

[TonyT]

legal or illegal?

It is 100% LEGAL to use someone else's wireless internet connection! The FCC governs wifi in the US and per FCC law is is totally legal to receive unencrypted wifi signals and data. If a wlan is encrypted then it is illegal to use the connection. It is illegal to access someone else's computers on a wlan unles authorized by the owner. A wifi router or ap is NOT considered to be a computer.

FCC law is the ultimate authority on the subject, though some states & local govts have attempted to write laws regarding wifi. For example, a New Enmgland state recently developed laws that make the ap owner 100% responsible for the wlan security, meaning that anyone can access an ap as long as it is not secured (no encryption). A Florida city charged a man for using someone else's unsecured ap but afaik he ended up being charged with other misdemeanors and the wifi aspects of the case were dropped.

The fed govt WANTS & backs the FCC laws on the subject. Why? because certain fed agencies really like the idea of being able to sniff wlan traffic legally w/out having to acquire a warrant! You've read about the recent fed phone wire tapping of course, which is illegal according to FCC laws, but there has been no media re wifi tapping because there are NO laws preventing ANYONE from sniffing wifi traffic, only laws re accessing computers that do not belong to you and laws re encryption. An unsecured wlan is open to all takers.

There are fed laws re "theft of services" and these laws apply ONLY to WIRED services such as telephone & cable. Any "theft of services" info that has been published, when it comes to wifi, are generated by uninformed users or cable companies themselves. Satellite services fall into the wifi group and if unencryped it is legal to grab the signal, such a s gps signals, but encrypted sat signals are illegal to grab, such as direct tv & similar.

As for getting a better signal from the airport:
What you nee4d is a yagi type antenna connected to your wifi router or to your wifi card. I use a Cantenna w/ my laptop occasionally to get a stronger signal from distant wlans when traveling or when mobile. I have 2 wifi pcmcia cards that have a port for an external antenna.

These antennas can be ordered with different cable connector adapters so they can be attached to various devices. My antenna will grab a point to point signal up to 10 miles (line of sight) away!

Cantenna:
http://www.cantenna.com/