Hark- did someone mention 2.4 GHz? In mid 2004,after much past hands on microwave experimentation, (which included ham,sat.TV, WiFi, Bluetooth & video links etc) I flagged away cantenna & the like in favour of arriving USB WLAN adapters,& STILL STRONGLY recommend this approach (for WiFi & BT anyway).
Inbuilt WLAN adapters in most PCs/laptops are OK only when very near an AP,& simply instead using an external cabled USB adapter,placed above head/partition height or near a window etc, can improve coverage enormously. Recently more powerful & sensitive USB client adapters like the Senao/Engenius "362"<A href='http://www.usbwifi.orcon.net.nz/senaousb.jpg' Target=_Blank>External Web Link</a> & Alfa AWUS036H <A href='http://www.usbwifi.orcon.net.nz/alfa.jpg' Target=_Blank>External Web Link</a>have become available,making LOS links over many km a breeze.
USB suits "poor man" & roving WiFi setups,as the dirt cheap & lossless cabling can readily be extended (by at least 5m)into signal sweet spots. Best of all,placement of a USB WLAN adapter at the FP of elevated & directed parabolic reflectors can GREATLY boost signals. Asian mesh cookware scoops have been celebrated top performers, & these were also used for 2.4GHz ZigBee range trials <A href='http://www.picaxe.orcon.net.nz/zigscoop.jpg ' Target=_Blank>External Web Link</a>,with flea powered 1 mW Picaxe XBee units successfully then linking up to 3km LOS over water.
Results & diverse evolving designs are hosted at my near infamous "wokfi" site => <b>www.usbwifi.orcon.net.nz </b> <A href='http://www.usbwifi.orcon.net.nz ' Target=_Blank>External Web Link</a>. Feedback has been highly satisfying, especially from folks in downtrodden "$1 a day" regions. It was really intended as my bit for global altruism,but my sense of humour is continually being tickled by mega budget skeptics reporting "Gawd-it works! Stan
Edited by - manuka on 16/06/2007 00:48:33