ANTENNA BOOSTER FOR COMPUTER AND CELL
Wireless communications is a wonderful thing. But we've all come
to know and accept that our cordless connections aren't always
crystal clear. In fact, you may find yourself doing what I like to
call the "cordless dance" while making a cell phone call. That's
where you lean to the left, then lean to the right, then slowly turn
around until the fizzle in your ear stops. The cordless dance is a
popular one and people can be seen doing it just about everywhere,
from airports to zoos.
 Of
course not all of us like to dance. So to those of you who would
rather avoid these displays of physical contortion, I may have a
solution for you. It's called the Freedom Antenna from ARC Wireless
Solutions. The Freedom Antenna is a small six inch tall flat panel
with a small cable which you plug into your cell phone's antenna
jack. Actually, I was surprised to learn that most cell phones have
one. My Motorola v.60 for example, has a small rubber plug
concealing the antenna jack. All I did was remove the rubber plug
and I was ready.
But remember I said that it is wireless communications that is
wonderful and that encompasses more than just our cell phones. Wi-Fi
wireless communication is also popular among the portable computer
set. I challenge you to walk into a Starbucks these days and not see
someone sitting there sipping a latte and surfing the Internet on a
laptop. But sometimes you may want to extend your range outside the
Starbucks zone. Some of these stores are near the park or some other
desirable location.
While the range of Wi-Fi is about 300 feet, you may be able to
either extend that or get a more solid (and therefore possibly
faster) connection using the Freedom Antenna. According to ARC, many
but not all Wi-Fi enabled portable computers have some kind of
antenna jack. If you had to add Wi-Fi via a plug-in add-on card,
there's a good chance the card has an external antenna port. ARC
also says that many notebooks with built-in Wi-Fi sport an antenna
jack as well. To be sure, take a look at your computer or consult
its manufacturer. ARC also makes available a list of cell phone and
portable computer makes and models with which their Freedom Antenna
will work.
The Freedom Antenna comes provided with a pedestal so that you
can easily stand it on your desktop. For the car, an included
suction cup lets you firmly stick it on any available window space.
The Freedom Antenna requires no power nor batteries to function.
Just plug it in and get ready for a better connection.
The Freedom Antenna works within a frequency range of 800 to 2500
MHz making it compatible with a wide variety of cordless systems.
Don't confuse this device with one of those little stick-on
so-called antenna boosters. The Freedom Antenna is made by a company
who has been in the wireless business for many years. The Freedom
Antenna is their first consumer orientated product. As such, you can
find the Freedom Antenna at your local neighborhood Radio Shack for
$31.95. Make sure that you also get the proper cell phone or Wi-Fi
adaptor for your make and model device.
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