The main problem with piratebox on the pi

The main problem with running piratebox on the pi is that you have to use wireless usb adapters, Most usb and pcie cards for laptops are nowhere near as powerful as your wireless routers.

A typical off the shelf wifi router can do 100mw of tx power where the typical usb and pcie card can only do 31mw of tx power.

So you would need to either connect the pi to a wifi router via ethernet cable or find an AC powered usb dongle with at least 100mw otherwise no one will even see your raspberry piratebox.

Yes, but

Quote

A typical off the shelf wifi router can do 100mw of tx power where the typical usb and pcie card can only do 31mw of tx power.

Is wrong.

Normal routers have more antennas with results in better transmit and recieve conditions. The maximum Antenna-Output is regulated due to local laws. In Germany, we are talking about 100mW .. but that is the power including the dBi gain through a antenna- which is the important side fact.

And yes, the support for USB-wifi cards is mostly crap especially, if they need more power as the RPi can provide without an powered usb hub.

Setting up a Wifi-router + RPi isn't that difficult, so btw.

Obstructions and height of the transmitter are more important than power at these frequencies.

Of course Wi-Fi USB with external antenna will outperform dongle with internal antenna.

In U.S. maximum transmitter power is 1000mW (1W) but low power dongle will still work if users can see the Pi.

I measured this dongle + Pi out to 300m outdoors. RAV battery powered. Pi was about 1m off the ground. Transmit power is 17 dbm (0.05W):

Tenda W311Ma

Also this one, 250m outdoors:

Think Penguin

Wi-Fi USB + Pi does not require a hub for power. I use 2A supply from Amazon, or RAVPower external battery with 2A output.

Power supply

RAVPower battery



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/16/2013 11:47AM by zhenqi.