War-driving help? do Wi-Fi antanna's really work? what should I look for?

[405]

Here's the deal in the town I live in the cable/ISP ends at the highway just north of my place.

In other words no internet to the house.

however there are a number of hotels that line the highway who offer free Wi-Fi but I'm like a half mile away from the closest one...

Anyway I have been reading up on these Wi-Fi range extenders--- cantenna, USB-Yagi, alfa. There's like a gazillion do-dads out there that claim to increase my laptops Wi-Fi hopefully giving me the added range to connect to one of those free Wi-Fi connections.

so my question is--- what should I be looking for? any hints tips or suggestions would be muncho appreciated -

[cdjp84]

nothing i know of will get you a half mile outside of a wireless bridge, but that require direct access to both ends of the network, meaning you and the hotel would each need to have an end of the bridge, and a clear line of site to each antenna. range extenders typically only give you a few hundred extra feet, however, the issue here is not your range, but theirs. basically think of wifi as a wave (which it is, its a radio wave) as the wave radiates out your antenna pics it up, the further away, the weaker the wave and the less data you can receive and this means slower speeds or if far enough no connection at all. Since these waves have to contact your antenna and can't simply be met mid air by a signal from your computer to relay data there really isn't anything you can install in your home that will help you get a stronger signal from them.