Perusing PDA adapters
If you've decided to ignore my sage advice (see "Picking a PDA," earlier in this
chapter) and have purchased a handheld that lacks integrated wireless connec-
tivity, then your choice for a compatible adapter will be driven by the type of
expansion slots built into your device. Unfortunately, there just aren't a lot of
Wi-Fi adapters available on the market today -- and none of them offers any
sort of enhanced capability. Here are a couple of representative PDA/Pocket PC
adapters that offer standard output:
Socket Go Wi-Fi! E300: A low power consumption SDIO card that's com-
patible with Windows Mobile 2003, 2003SE or 5.0 operating systems.
Socket also makes a CF card known as the Go Wi-Fi! P500.
Palm P10952U: Manufactured by Palm and built to the 802.11b standard,
this SDIO card (as one might guess) can be used in Palm devices that
support wireless connectivity.
Linksys WCF54G: Compatible with most Pocket PC devices that are
equipped with a Compact Flash expansion slot, this Compact Flash wire-
less card complies with the 802.11g standard.
Extending Your Range
I don't know how many times I've read generic Wi-Fi tips suggesting that if
you're having trouble getting a decent signal at the hotspot of your choice,
you move closer to the source of the signal. Right.
I don't know about you, but when I'm searching for a truck-stop parking
space, I usually take what I can get and hope I'll fit. I don't remember the last
time I was able to pick and choose or move around at random. The real solu-
tion (other than more parking spaces) is extending the range of your laptop.
PDAs need not apply. I don't know of a way to increase the range of a PDA
wireless-connection device.
Enhanced-capability laptop adapters go a long way toward alleviating the
problem of being too far from an access point. You can use them to enhance
your ability to access a hotspot with your laptop. Before rushing right out to
purchase all the pieces and parts mentioned in this chapter, give one of the
enhanced-capability laptop adapters a good test. If you're still having prob-
lems obtaining or maintaining a connection, then you can come back and try
one of the following ways to extend your wireless radio-transceiver range:
Increasing antenna gain: If you've purchased one of the laptop adapters
that has a removable antenna, then you can attach an external high-gain
antenna. Most standard laptop adapters are equipped with an antenna
rated at somewhere around 2 dBi -- but even those equipped with
Part I: The Wonderful World of Wireless Fidelity
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