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Only use public hotspots for internet

RageTester

I am currently paying a ton every month for internet that isn't very stable. Changed the router, but problems are still there. So how viable is an option to use internet for free. I have many public hotspots around me, closest one like 200 meters away. How powerful antenna do I need to catch the signal? I live in a house on 1st floor and there are higher buildings potentially blocking the signal. I know it's gonna have advertisement every 30 minutes, but only if I  have web browser open. By my calculations purchase of antenna could pay itself of in a few months, and then it's free internet till it brakes down.

 

Would this be enough? https://www.tp-link.com/baltic/business-networking/outdoor-radio/cpe605/

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iam pretty sure there is a limit to how much  time etc you can spend on those WIFIs to prevent that sort of thing.

And 200m away with higher buildings in the way is really gonna hurt you. especially since higher than 1st floor could indicate concrete buildings which really kills the signal.
you might be able to get a signal but the thing you start the thread with is unstable, that is not gonna be better on the public version AT ALL.

 

also if going with this solution use a VPN :)

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11 minutes ago, RageTester said:

I am currently paying a ton every month for internet that isn't very stable. Changed the router, but problems are still there. So how viable is an option to use internet for free. I have many public hotspots around me, closest one like 200 meters away. How powerful antenna do I need to catch the signal? I live in a house on 1st floor and there are higher buildings potentially blocking the signal. I know it's gonna have advertisement every 30 minutes, but only if I  have web browser open. By my calculations purchase of antenna could pay itself of in a few months, and then it's free internet till it brakes down.

 

Would this be enough? https://www.tp-link.com/baltic/business-networking/outdoor-radio/cpe605/

I don't know if your idea is going to work but public WiFi are often non secure due to the fact that everyone can connect to them, hackers included. Since you are all in the same network the protection that usually is given by a router is missing completely.

someone could use MITM (Man In The Middle) to catch something about you and then take all their time with the 'packets' to decrypt them and take all the information you received/sent in that time (if you logged to an account on a website, the credentials for example)

Other than that public hotspot WiFi may have time limit/GB limit per user

You could try going near a WiFi hotspot and download something to see if there's a limit

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A VPN is a must, and not one of those free/cheap ones

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55 minutes ago, lexusgamer05 said:

I'd say it's probably going to be a better idea to pick up a 4G Router/Access Point

I mean I am using routers since 2013 and they can't compare with modem reliability before that... Speeds are dropping to kbps even on wired devices sometimes, and it's weird how one day it works better with external antenna and next day it works faster if I disconnect the antenna from router... But modems have top speed limit and only go in combo with phone line, tons of extra cable management, no fiber optic available in my part of town.

 

At least with free internet I wouldn't have a reason to complain if speed drops.

Concrete jungle is worse than regular jungle internet wise too I guess...

 

  

1 hour ago, Ajukrezi said:

iam pretty sure there is a limit to how much  time etc you can spend on those WIFIs to prevent that sort of thing.

And 200m away with higher buildings in the way is really gonna hurt you. especially since higher than 1st floor could indicate concrete buildings which really kills the signal.
you might be able to get a signal but the thing you start the thread with is unstable, that is not gonna be better on the public version AT ALL.

 

also if going with this solution use a VPN :)

I am not sure it will perform any better If I buy the directional antenna with it's own power supply and connect it to my current ISP router. Because router still stinks... I already have antenna like this one that sometimes improves the signal.

clipimage.jpg.bd4b67e1698328eb393b7e9c3fdc8144.jpg But even with full 5 bars speeds drop to kbps some days...

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4 hours ago, RageTester said:

I am currently paying a ton every month for internet that isn't very stable.

 

2 hours ago, RageTester said:

 But even with full 5 bars speeds drop to kbps some days...

 

In the UK we have some rather strict advertising standards for internet... I imagine there is something fairly similar where you are, which would give you grounds to complain to your ISP/get your money back?

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4 hours ago, RageTester said:

I am currently paying a ton every month for internet that isn't very stable. Changed the router, but problems are still there. So how viable is an option to use internet for free. I have many public hotspots around me, closest one like 200 meters away. How powerful antenna do I need to catch the signal? I live in a house on 1st floor and there are higher buildings potentially blocking the signal. I know it's gonna have advertisement every 30 minutes, but only if I  have web browser open. By my calculations purchase of antenna could pay itself of in a few months, and then it's free internet till it brakes down.

 

Would this be enough? https://www.tp-link.com/baltic/business-networking/outdoor-radio/cpe605/

Depending on where you live in the world, what your asking is illegal. I mean you could go to prison illegal. I know here in Michigan you could get charged under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, that's if they catch you of course. 

 

Secondly WiFi is a two way street, if you need to do long range then you need to have good antenna's on both end. Seeing how you cant do this I doubt that this will work. Also with buildings potentially blocking the signal, you're sunk. 

 

Third, have you called your ISP? What kind of Internet do you have? Cable, DSL, LTE, Satellite, etc? 

I just want to sit back and watch the world burn. 

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4 hours ago, RageTester said:

I am currently paying a ton every month for internet that isn't very stable. Changed the router, but problems are still there. So how viable is an option to use internet for free. I have many public hotspots around me, closest one like 200 meters away. How powerful antenna do I need to catch the signal? I live in a house on 1st floor and there are higher buildings potentially blocking the signal. I know it's gonna have advertisement every 30 minutes, but only if I  have web browser open. By my calculations purchase of antenna could pay itself of in a few months, and then it's free internet till it brakes down.

 

Would this be enough? https://www.tp-link.com/baltic/business-networking/outdoor-radio/cpe605/

I would not suggest it. It is illegal and it is not worth going to prison for

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Lmao since when using free internet is illegal, wonder if lucky bunch that live near big supermarket aren't doing this... I got the idea from someone else who already does this...

Yeah I fear that even biggest antenna will not be able to receive signal if access point isn't powerful too. Neither my router or any other device see those access points while I am at home without using outdoor antenna.

ISP provides router Huawei B715, and free replacement of it, but that doesn't fix my problems... Older router model from same ISP worked better until it stopped working at all. Not that many alternative ISPs around...

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2 hours ago, RageTester said:

Lmao since when using free internet is illegal,

Since the business offering it, is paying for it and it’s for customers of that establishment. 

I just want to sit back and watch the world burn. 

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2 hours ago, RageTester said:

Lmao since when using free internet is illegal

Since Internet cost money

My Laptop: A MacBook Air 

My Desktop: Don’t have one 

My Phone: An Honor 8s (although I don’t recommend it)

My Favourite OS: Linux

My Console: A Regular PS4

My Tablet: A Huawei Mediapad m5 

Spoiler

 

 

 

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There are laws in place about use of public internet such as this but nobody is going to prison over it. They accept the responsibility of users that can access their signal, regardless of how far away they are from the establishment. Mind you everything you do over it is tracked so a VPN is kinda important. If you can reach it with a directional antenna, you can do two way comms. It may not be super fast or dependable but it doesn't require high power antennas on both ends. Ask me how I know. But ALSO... if the establishment isn't open 24 hours, they may have it lock down after hours to prevent this kind of thing. Ask me how I know. In addition, some places have put daily data caps or speed throttling on their access... also to prevent this kind of thing... and if they see the same MAC's logged with lots of data, they may black list it. Yes, lots of ways around all of that but at some point, your conscience needs to kick in and tell you... buy your own effing internet plan and stop being a sponge because "you know others are doing it". My suggestion is to work out the issues with your ISP.

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There are so many problems with this.

 

  1. You need an expensive and beefy 2.4GHz antenna to cover 200m, both ways when the other end is using a standard antenna.
  2. You need a good VPN, wich costs money
  3. You may be blaklisted as Theguruofnothing informed
  4. It may be illegal as many has pointed out

 

What you schould do is this, in order:

  1. Call your ISP and complain, they will most likely help you figure out the problem.
  2. Buy a new router, you mentioned it was from 2013 so an upgrade is due. You'll get decent routers for under $100 that will be alot better than an 2013 one.
  3. Turn on QoS if the router supports it. The world of the Internet is based on "Best effort" and "First come first serve", so any programs hogging the downlink will slow everything else down. QoS is a way to try and controll the behavior of non important programs by prioritizing bandwith.

 

 

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1 hour ago, Fr3dr1k said:

There are so many problems with this.

 

  1. You need an expensive and beefy 2.4GHz antenna to cover 200m, both ways when the other end is using a standard antenna.
  2. You need a good VPN, wich costs money
  3. You may be blaklisted as Theguruofnothing informed
  4. It may be illegal as many has pointed out

 

What you schould do is this, in order:

  1. Call your ISP and complain, they will most likely help you figure out the problem.
  2. Buy a new router, you mentioned it was from 2013 so an upgrade is due. You'll get decent routers for under $100 that will be alot better than an 2013 one.
  3. Turn on QoS if the router supports it. The world of the Internet is based on "Best effort" and "First come first serve", so any programs hogging the downlink will slow everything else down. QoS is a way to try and controll the behavior of non important programs by prioritizing bandwith.

 

 

No you got me wrong, I mean I was using modems till 2013... 1st router was okish, and I have lost count to number of routers I have changed since then...

I was trying to watch Formula 1 live race just now... paid for F1TV... turned all other internet devices off, and boom I couldn't even watch the start, had to turn my Raspberry Pi with KODI on to watch lower quality "illegal" as you guys like to call things here stream... and even that hanged a few times...

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On 8/28/2020 at 10:03 AM, RageTester said:

I am currently paying a ton every month for internet that isn't very stable. Changed the router, but problems are still there. So how viable is an option to use internet for free. I have many public hotspots around me, closest one like 200 meters away. How powerful antenna do I need to catch the signal? I live in a house on 1st floor and there are higher buildings potentially blocking the signal. I know it's gonna have advertisement every 30 minutes, but only if I  have web browser open. By my calculations purchase of antenna could pay itself of in a few months, and then it's free internet till it brakes down.

 

Would this be enough? https://www.tp-link.com/baltic/business-networking/outdoor-radio/cpe605/

You can get a satellite dish and a wifi feeder for it, install everything on the roof, your access point in a ip65 box under the dish and run ethernet from the roof to your room.

 

Been there done that

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