I cannot get signal in my area or my signal is weak and I am using a PC card or built-in wifi:

OII recommends external equipment while @ anchor, or in a crowded harbour or marina. PC Cards or Built in wifi were designed for short range in offices or Airports where hotspots are a few feet from each other. This gives the illusion that the laptops have 'Amazing Range' when in reality you were never more than 100ft and in an open area where the hotspots are as you roam. If you wish to get the best possible range way out at anchor, in crowded harbours and marinas, we have links on our website and have staff on hand at the office that can answer these questions for you. Drop us an e-mail or call us. Basic equipment we recommend is a USB wireless adaptor made by several companies (D-link, Linksys, Netgear etc). This equipment is inexpensive in the US (Approx $50-$60) and here about $100-$120 depending on model and availability.

802.11b is the standard you are looking for. G is compatible, but gives you half the range if it can not be altered in the settings to be in B mode only. It is also twice the cost of B equipment. You can purchase USB extentions (both male and female USB connections) that will give you 6-10,or 15 extra feet. This enables you to put the USB out on the deck of your vessel and sit down inside to get better signal, whereas with built in wifi or a PC Card you may have to go up on deck in the bright sun and move the whole computer around to get better signal and you still may not be able to do so.

Wireless ethernet bridges are an option as well as you can purchase higher gain antennas and pigtail cables to connect them to give you better range and better service.

The bridges and USBs are not weather proof, however cabling and external directional and Omnis are. Keep your pigtails short (between 2-20ft) if you are using anything other than 400series cable to avoid cable loss. These antennas are only available through special online ordering as the bridges are the only item other than the USBs that are available off the shelf at a computer store in the US. Sometimes we have them in stock here and can be purchased as a full kit. Call for more details.

Remember, the thicker the cable, the less the loss, the better the signal. The longer the cable, the thinner the cable, the more loss and less connectivity you will have.