Any suggestions as to getting internet service in the country?

[oceanfamily]

Hi there~ we currently get "Wi-Fi" service through a neighbor but it is extremely slow. How can we boost our signal?

[Miss Cellane]

Getting your own internet might help.

But a lot depends on what type of internet you are dealing with. Cable internet? My cable provider has several different levels of internet access, with faster and slower download speeds. The faster it is, the more you pay.

With cable internet, the more people on the web in your area at the same time, the slower it will be. Getting a DSL line or a dish might be faster.

[ToomuchStuff]

Why is it slow? (the answer to that, affects your options)

If it is distance or something like that, and card that allows an external antenna (google cantenna) might help. But that won't help if the neighbor is throttling the connection.

I am hoping you have their permission for use.

[oceanfamily]

The problem is that we are continually getting disconnected and receiving poor signal. I have installed an outdoor Omni-directional antenna and am still having connectivity issues. We used to never have Wi-Fi connection problems but our old router went out and have been trying several different "NEW" routers that are supposed to be better, but are completely frustrated with this issue since we are too far away from the street to affordably get our own isp. And yes I have permission they are relatives and the routers that I purchase go in their house :)

[CathyA]

We are in a similar position, but recently got our own Sierra wireless At&t Mobile Hotspot - Elevate 4G wifi. It works great.

[oceanfamily]

CathyA~ thanks for the response but we don't understand what that mobile hotspot thing is...

[Tradd]

CathyA~ thanks for the response but we don't understand what that mobile hotspot thing is...

It's a little device that gives you cellular internet (aka like you would get on a smart phone).

[oceanfamily]

That's a wonder idea but darn it we are so in the woods that even cell internet for hubby's phone is very sketchy:(

[CathyA]

Its just your own personal WiFi. It cost about $50. (Then you pay for a monthly plan). We always got poor reception too, but this is great. It always has an excellent signal. We live in the woods too.
Here's a little info about it. If you got fair reception from using your neighbor's WiFi, your own should work even better.

http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/devices/sierrawireless/att-mobile-hotspot-elevate-4g-aircard-754s-black.html

[SteveinMN]

oceanfamily, you might do much better with a directional antenna (or a pair of them; one at the house containing the router and one at your house). For the better part of a year, I "gunned" a WiFi signal across a (city) street to my mom's place with a pair of directional (dish-shaped) antennas and it worked fine, even in the rain and in the winter. It took a little positioning to maintain "line of sight" between the dishes, but it was do-able. The router must be able to accept an external antenna, though. These days not all can.

Router/antenna positioning is important. The more hard surfaces the signal must pass, the lower the strength. You may find that moving the router in your relative's house to a higher position (higher floor/attic, higher on the wall, within "sight" of a window) will improve the signal substantially. Or that moving your device (or at least the antenna) closer to a window will make the difference -- without spending a dime.

Another option might be to get an "open-source" router. These are routers controlled by the Linux operating system. They used to be pricey, but I see them in many price ranges now. Actually, one of the routers you've purchased in the past might be able to run open-source. These routers can run third-party open-source software like DD-WRT and Tomato (you can do Web searches for these and, in fact, should do a search to make sure the router you want to use is compatible). DD-WRT probably is the best-known open-source router software. It offers more features than the software provided by Netgear/Linksys/whoever, and you won't care about most of those features. But they do offer the option to boost the power through the antenna(s), which will give you more reach. And they also offer options to reserve a certain amount of bandwidth for your use so you aren't "starved" by others using that router.

Good luck!

[creaker]

Have you tried any lo-tech things? Like where your neighbor's wi-fi router is positioned? Putting as few walls as possible between you and the router and on an upper floor if that's a possibility.

A more technical one is something like this: http://www.ehow.com/how_12292051_use-second-router-boost-range.html - you could set up a 2nd router as a bridge either in their house or yours depending on which works better. This would extend the wi-fi range.