[travelerone]

In searching the web for a wifi adapter for my desktop PC, I find both adapter cards to be installed inside the case as well as "dongels" which connect to an external USB port. Is it safe to assume that the technology & thus the performance would be the same, ie not dependent on where the adapter is installed?
I would like to connect via wifi to a router located about 600 feet from my apartment, so perhaps an adapter with the ability to add a high gain antenna might be the way to go?
Am considering Rosewill RNX-G300LX and Rosewill RNX-G1.
Any comments would be appreciated.

[midders]

You are unlikely to be able to connect to a router that far away unless both the router and your wireless adapter have decent high gain antennas, and even then I wouldn't recommend it.

Slainte

midders

[EmeraldCo]

You really need a directional wifi antenna. They focus the energy, kinda like how a satellite dish lets you get a signal from a satellite that is about the strength of a cell phone, even though that satellite is hundres of miles away. I have used these to go up to 1000feet. Just do a search on google, there are many there.

[JohnWill]

Hawking Tech has a number of products that will help you increase your wireless range. The root page is Hawking Hi-Gain™ WiFi Range Extending Products.

Some of the more interesting products are this Hawking [HSB2] Hi-Gain WiFi Signal Booster, which can be used on either end of a wireless connection to boost the signal power.

Another way to increase your signal strength is by the use of hi-gain antennas. You can choose from omni-directional or directional models, here are a some examples.

Hawking [HAI7SIP] Hi-Gain 7dBi Omni-Directional Antenna

Hawking [HAI15SC] Hi-Gain 15dBi Corner Antenna

[HAO14SD] Outdoor Hi-Gain 14dBi Directional Antenna Kit

For 802.11n applications, this ZyXEL ANT1106 6db omni-directional antenna can be used.

For really long range outdoor applications, this 24dB parabolic WiFi Antenna may be a good choice.

If you have a wireless adapter that doesn't have provisions for an external antenna, one adapter that I've had good luck with is a Rosewill RNX-G1 USB Wireless Adapter. It's feature is that is has a removable antenna and will accommodate replacement antennas.

This is just a sample of available products, many people have hi-gain antennas with similar specifications, but I haven't seen any other suppliers of signal boosters.

[travelerone]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I have been looking over the hawking antennas.
I did some further surfing of the internet on this subject and found that the ALFA USB 500mW adapter got some very good reviews, especially the hardware with perhaps one of the highest receiver sensativities. So maybe it combined with a high gain antenna would be the best combination?

[JohnWill]

Sounds like a plan. FWIW, I was able to connect over 3/4 of a mile using a pair of Linksys boxes and the old Cantenna antennas. They're a 12dB antenna, nowadays you can buy a much better antenna, so I have to believe that 600 feet will be no sweat, that's assuming line-of-sight. If there are obstructions, it gets MUCH harder to impossible.