I received my Wi-Fi Grabber today, it for some reason took longer than expected, and the preliminary shipment date was extended.
The device was smaller than I anticipated, it's about 5 inches tall, and is very light weight. The cable is about 18 inches long.
Upon hooking this system up, I found a varying degree of difficulties in getting the unit to cooperate. In it's initial setup. It has a small plastic support to help balance the unit. Even with that, the unit still wanted to fall down.
After hooking it up, I managed to efficaciously get this device to work. The bilateral unit appears to work regardless, and doesn't matter which end you use. There is clearly no designated indicator to tell you which block to use primarily.
As I used the unit, there was no indication of signal strength or signal enhancement while utilizing this repeater. However it did seem to boost the signal strength, when I was connected. Unfortunately I wasn't very impressed with the overall performance of the unit. It certainly requires a DIRECT viewpoint of the access point, without anything blocking it, especially anything physical, like trees, fences, wood, or anything solid.
The indicator on my obviously inaccurate Intel Pro Wireless network monitor, did not show any kind of enhancement. I noticed I had a better ping, and a faster connection, though.
The access point which I am utilizing right now generally gives me a horrible signal, especially during the day. The access point is at least 75 feet or more from my current location. It seems to have boosted the signal as If I was practically right next to it, I may just have a good wifi day, and further testing will need to be done.
I also attempted to disassemble the unit. It requires a smaller screwdriver which I used, but with difficulty had problems getting the screws out, I had no success, and ruined my screwdriver in the process. It's obvious they do not want you to disassemble the unit, but in due time I will disassemble it, and try to find a way to amplify the signal using an electronically assisted Radio Frequency, with a makeshift copper housing/wires, I may also try to enhance the antennae itself. I'm going to go ahead and jump to conclusions, and assume that I will have to find a way to get the wireless card to acknowledge the amplified signal, or at least try to get a compatible frequency, or find a way to simply localize surrounding signals.
The unit does appear to work, and it seems to only speed up a connection that you are already connected to. The repeater does not assist you in picking up other signals, it simply just boosts a nearby signal, which you have either very low connectivity, and enhances that signal, providing you with a much better signal, and a better, faster connection. It's flimsy plastic construction, is something to keep in mind while handling. It does not appear to be waterproof, so caution must be applied while using this unit outdoors.
When you receive the product, THEN- it tells you that "Obstructions degrade the performance of any antenna" "For best results sit the receiving unit of the wifi grabber antenna so that its looking out a window, pointed towards the incoming signal." I've tried this with another notebook PC, and did not have the desired results.
I will post updates on this thread, as I go on. Eventually I will dismantle the unit and attempt to modify it, and post some pics of the internal components.
