Filed under: Hardware, Peripherals, Wireless, Odds and ends
Can having a Quicky boost your Wi-Fi range?
Get your mind out of the gutter! I'm talking about the Quicky Jr II USB wireless signal booster, which is a little USB dongle / antenna that plugs into a USB port on any Mac that is running Mac OS X 10.4 or newer. This little device, from QuickerTek, purports to let you wander up to three times the distance you normally can, and still receive a nice, strong, and encrypted wireless signal.The US$89.95 Quicky Jr II comes with an easily-installed USB driver that lets it work with your 802.11n/g/b networks, including those that are powered by an AirPort Extreme Base Station. While I'm usually dubious of any device that claims to increase wireless range unless it is pitched by the late, great Billy Mays, the Quicky Jr II appears to be just what it says it is; a powered USB Wi-Fi antenna. In theory the larger antenna size and a built-in USB-powered amplifier could help boost the signal, then route it to your AirPort circuitry.
Rather than speculate on how well devices like this work, I'd like to ask our readers. Do you have any experience with this or similar products? Do they work as advertised? TUAW wants to know.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
David Grant said 1:36PM on 6-29-2009
I've used the somewhat larger version of this they sell with my AlBook for several years. Works just as advertised.
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ian said 1:36PM on 6-29-2009
I want to know too.
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ErnieP said 1:40PM on 6-29-2009
Quickertek crap is overpriced. Next!
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Freak Mojo said 1:41PM on 6-29-2009
I just want my 12/2009 MacBook Pro to stop killing my wireless Belkin network!
Will the antenna do that?
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Pat said 1:49PM on 6-29-2009
Future macbook
Dean said 1:54PM on 6-29-2009
See there's the problem. You're using a MacBook from the future and Belkin network gear doesn't come from the factory with adequate shielding for the RFI caused by tears in the fabric of the space-time continuum.
mhbethany said 2:37PM on 6-29-2009
Freak Mojo - What happened to your network when using your Mac? I just had a problem and chalked it up it a fried wireless router (from using an xbox, wii, 2 iphones, 8 different computers, etc) Sometimes it would connect us (rarely) and even when we did, it would give us an IP address but wouldn't connect us to the internet. It was really weird...
doc said 3:33PM on 6-29-2009
Monster Screen Clean, iClean, and iKleer are all the same product sold by different vendors also sold as Audioquest and Phillips LCD Cleaner and the defunct CompUSA Blue gel screen cleaner.
Any way this stuff rocks ... No alcohol... Pretty much just water but secret ingredient is the light polymers that make the dirt and dust get caught up in your microfiber. A damp microfiber (really dryish damp) will do the same but not as effective.
This is what we used to clean Plasma and LCD TVs on our showroom floor and what the Genii at the Apple Store use as well.
It's my vote.
BTW works wonders on the exteriors of iMacs, MB and MBP computers.
doc said 3:33PM on 6-29-2009
Does you network support N or is it still G,B or A. When I used to work at the Genius Bar I saw that older routers and the N based macs would fight from time to time.
It is most likely due to a good fight between New and old standards. Try to update the firmware in your router, our set up your router to connect to each computer via its mac address rather than stock DHCP. Not only does it work great its faster and more secure.
I little bit more work when you add a new device but trust me it rocks.
Or get a new router that is N based. Best thing is to drink the Kool-Aide and get a Dual Band AirPort Extreme
doc said 3:38PM on 6-29-2009
the first post was a copy paste accident, sorry.
BTW
Since I gave up and switched to AirPort Extreme I have not reset my network once.
I have 6 Macs, 3 PCs, Xbox360, Ps3, Wii, AppleTV, 3 iPhones, 2 printers all connected via mac address and a dedicated guest network for when company comes over via the New AirPort Software.
Worth the extra money if you have it.
ewan said 6:36AM on 6-30-2009
I had problems with my MBP and my Linksys WRT600N. I ended up getting an Airport Extreme and all of my wireless problems have gone away. I never figured out the root cause of the problem and spent many hours researching/troubleshooting trying to fix it. Now that I have my Airport Extreme, I must say I love it and I'm glad to have Linksys out of my life.
Ryan said 2:04PM on 6-29-2009
This is pretty much a gimmick. The Hawking HWUG1 http://tinyurl.com/nugt3h will get you a better signal at HALF the price not to mention the SMA connector which will allow you to connect a much larger antenna if you choose. The card uses the RT2571 chipset which you can download the drivers from here http://tinyurl.com/2aqygd. The only difference is that the hawking does NOT work on wireless N which is rendered moot because at 5GHZ the range drops anyways. Nice try none the less.
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GBower said 2:14PM on 6-29-2009
I had/have one of these devices but it was the older aluminum brick looking one. I found the software included was clunky and not as intuitive as the airport interface. It was like asking iStumbler to take care of your wireless, except that you couldn't use iStumbler. The older antenna's that "tied" into your existing airport cards were much better, but a pain to install. The whole USB antenna thing is just cumbersome. But that is just my opinion.
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Scott said 2:18PM on 6-29-2009
I don't understand how this device could possibly work. Is it just a USB WIFi card with a big antenna, or does it really 'reroute' the signal via usb?
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kf9z said 3:59PM on 6-29-2009
Please read the article as it claims to have a small amplifier that is greater than that of the internal WiFi card. Also - when you remove the antenna from the confines of the electrical insides of your computer is cannot but help to increase performance - but I am only a lowly RF engineer.
Scott said 4:12PM on 6-29-2009
I have read the article, and I understand the concept of an RF amp, and the fact that an antenna inside an aluminum enclosure will take a hit on performance. What I don't understand is how-all over USB- this self proclaimed "amplifier" can magically increase performance without a direct connection to the WiFi card. That is, unless, it is similar to one of those cell phone "reception booster" stickers that uses a whip antenna and a USB port for support- but why then would it need a driver?
Barlo said 2:37PM on 6-29-2009
Does this mean you could pick up WIFI in the parking lot near a Starbucks? Is their an iPod Touch adapter?
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matthew cobb said 11:14AM on 6-30-2009
my ipod gets ok distance but yea if i could buy something to push it a good bit further i would be all over it
reallycrazyguy said 2:31PM on 6-29-2009
It's just a usb wifi card with a big antenna.
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Avian said 2:53PM on 6-29-2009
The author realizes that this has nothing to do with the build in Airport card in macbooks, but it's own stand alone wifi dongle right?
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