WiFi Bridging?

An anonymous reader asks: "I have a wireless network on one side of the street, and want to connect a computer on the other side of the street to it. Unfortunately this computer is behind a nice solid metal wall, and can't really be positioned near the signal. Currently I have a 20' USB cable going to a USB Linksys 802.11b unit, and a 20' RG58 cable going to a 14dB antenna and a PCI Linksys 802.11b card. Both of these cut out about once every 30 minutes, for about 5 seconds at a time. I also have an Airlink 802.11g PCI card and a Netgear 802.11b PCI card. What's the best way to connect to a kind of weak (-65db) signal? Can I use a wireless bridge in reverse, telling it an SSID and plugging the other end into an ethernet card? Which WiFi card has the most reliable software, that doesn't drop the connection all the time? I haven't been able to find much real info on this. Any help is appreciated, thanks!"

Best form of wireless communication ever

[antifoidulus]

Smoke signals
Just gotta figure out how to transform them into bits!

Re:Best form of wireless communication ever

[NevarMore]

http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc1149.html [faqs.org] Check out RFC1149 too. It can get a bit messy, but its low maintenance and will work for miles on very little electricity.

You're only trying to go -across the street-?

[adolf]

"Across the street" means to me that you're only going a couple of hundred feet, at most, and that you've got a rather clear line of sight. With 20 feet of RG-58 and a 14dB antenna, your total antenna+feedline gain is something near 9dB.

And 9dB of gain should sure as fuck get you across any street I've ever seen.

Obviously, then, you're doing something wrong.

And since you never mentioned it, I'll surmise it: Your antennas are all indoors, aren't they?

Solution:

Punch a hole in each wall[1]. If it's like most metal buildings, a regular twist bit in a drill will chomp through it in seconds. If it's thicker than that, you'll want to enlist the help of that friend of yours who already has an acetylene tank. If you don't have a friend like that, now is the perfect opportunity to recruit one.

Once you get your holes, run your cabling through them. And then place both antennas outside.

Yes, the USB adaptor should be outside, too. Use a butter tub (Wal-Mart, dairy section, ~$1.50) and whatever sort of fluid adhesive substance you find appropriate or happen to have on hand. Make a hole with a pen knife to poke the USB connector through.

Done.

[1]: If you cannot do this for political or aesthetic reason, just order DSL for the remote location, find yourself some comfortable VPN software, and stop wasting time trying to microwave things through grounded metal structures. Thank you.