The Almond range extender - for better or worse

[IdeLVice]

For better or worse, and for whatever reason I am now the proud owner of an Almond brand extender / repeater etc.

The only info I've seen in the archives here is from 2013 and it didn't look like anyone was using one at that time. Since I am limited to the use of this device and would rather not spend money on a different device that might be better, the question is: Has anyone used one? Are there any tricks or suggestions for use? Anything is much appreciated. The intent is to just get a wifi signal from a reasonable distance from the trailer in a state/fed park, resort, or wherever we are that says they have wifi available. DH is sometimes on call, and we'd really like to get a signal in the rv as often as possible rather than driving somewhere. THX!

 

Leslie

[TCW]

I have no experience with the Almond Range Extender, but have tried several high power wifi adapters and repeaters. This is what I have learned and experienced.

 

Every time the Wifi signal is repeated, there will be a reduction in the speed of the connection, possibly as great as 50%. A single radio repeater will result in a greater speed loss than a two radio repeater, since it can not transmit and receive at the same time. I have found that in parks/campgrounds that use repeaters rather than have each access point connected directly to an internet source, connecting to the access point closest to the primary access point often results in the best speed even if it is not the strongest signal available. The more hops you can eliminate while still having a usable connection, the higher the speed you may experience. Check every access point you can connect to and find the highest speed. Some parks we have stayed in have different internet connections for different access points. For example, a park we recently stayed in had a cable internet connection for each of their 5 access points. The access point in the area of the park with the fewest RVs(the weakest signal from our site) gave a consistant 6MBS while the others were generally less than 1MBS, so again try every access point you can connect to.

 

In my experience, a booster(wifi adaptor) that is connected directly to the computer will provide a higher speed than one that creates a hotspot and is connected to by wifi if everything else is equal. For example: When we stay at a relative's house that has Comcast internet, direct connection to the router/modem givens download speeds of about 90MBS. Connecting wirelessly gives speeds in the 40-50MBS range. Connecting wirelessly through my WFR Go2 results in speeds of 25-30MBS. At those speeds it is not a real big deal for what I do on the computer, but when using a park or public wifi system, the affect can be quite noticeable.