Comments on: Wi-Fire Review http://www.yankodesign.com/2007/12/19/wi-fire-review/ Modern Industrial Design News Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:02:20 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: LS http://www.yankodesign.com/2007/12/19/wi-fire-review/comment-page-1/#comment-80677 LS Mon, 27 Jul 2009 22:14:14 +0000 http://www.yankodesign.com/index.php/2007/12/19/wi-fire-review/#comment-80677 Thought I was the only one with lousy experience with this adapter I see I'm not alone! A couple years ago I bought a Wi-Fire that did manage to improve the signal a little bit from my wireless router 300 feet away. I wish I had a dollar for every reinstall of the buggy WiFire drivers I had to do to get the thing even to work somewhat reliably. Technical support was very poor, delaying an entire month with slow email runaround excuses before finally and begrudgingly replacing the dead-on-arrival unit I received. Thought I was the only one with lousy experience with this adapter
I see I’m not alone! A couple years ago I bought a Wi-Fire that did manage to improve the signal a little bit from my wireless router 300 feet away. I wish I had a dollar for every reinstall of the buggy WiFire drivers I had to do to get the thing even to work somewhat reliably. Technical support was very poor, delaying an entire month with slow email runaround excuses before finally and begrudgingly replacing the dead-on-arrival unit I received.

]]> By: ejg http://www.yankodesign.com/2007/12/19/wi-fire-review/comment-page-1/#comment-73333 ejg Sat, 09 May 2009 05:33:53 +0000 http://www.yankodesign.com/index.php/2007/12/19/wi-fire-review/#comment-73333 It makes no sense to criticize this antenna by saying "my internal shows 100% but the wi-fire shows 80-90%". Note that Wi-fire was made to better your connection distance by supplying a very sensitive antenna combined with a very small reflector focused in a specific direction. The oversensitive antenna over saturates close in which is why you see erroneous measurements for your closeby/home network. I question the credibility of some of the negative tests reported here. I myself am able to connect to a neighbors network and speedtest shows 7Mbps down, 3Mbps up. The network is about 300 yards away. Signal strength is 50% whereas I could not see the signal with my laptop. Great antenna except the clip-on really is a joke. Better to set it on a flat surface. It makes no sense to criticize this antenna by saying “my internal shows 100% but the wi-fire shows 80-90%”. Note that Wi-fire was made to better your connection distance by supplying a very sensitive antenna combined with a very small reflector focused in a specific direction. The oversensitive antenna over saturates close in which is why you see erroneous measurements for your closeby/home network. I question the credibility of some of the negative tests reported here.

I myself am able to connect to a neighbors network and speedtest shows 7Mbps down, 3Mbps up. The network is about 300 yards away. Signal strength is 50% whereas I could not see the signal with my laptop. Great antenna except the clip-on really is a joke. Better to set it on a flat surface.

]]> By: snowbird http://www.yankodesign.com/2007/12/19/wi-fire-review/comment-page-1/#comment-62689 snowbird Sat, 07 Feb 2009 01:18:43 +0000 http://www.yankodesign.com/index.php/2007/12/19/wi-fire-review/#comment-62689 Wi-fire is garbage. I bought one - it shows the networks fine - but if they are encrypted good luck at logging in if your getting low-medium signal. Even at 20 percent, Wi-fire refused to log in and got stuck on (acquiring,,,,,,) forever. Garbage Wi-fire is garbage. I bought one – it shows the networks fine – but if they are encrypted good luck at logging in if your getting low-medium signal. Even at 20 percent, Wi-fire refused to log in and got stuck on (acquiring,,,,,,) forever. Garbage

]]> By: david http://www.yankodesign.com/2007/12/19/wi-fire-review/comment-page-1/#comment-58467 david Sat, 03 Jan 2009 19:47:01 +0000 http://www.yankodesign.com/index.php/2007/12/19/wi-fire-review/#comment-58467 I just recently acquired a Wi-Fire unit. A few notes on this one. For starts, I don't think it's worth $80. The third party wireless software bundled with this unit is a choppy hack at best; it consistently crashes. The hardware mount is crap, and the unit really isn't that powerful. I honestly doubt it's using 500mw. I was able to get the item to connect on both my Macbook, my Macbook pro, and my 1.67ghz pb G4, but not without frequent restarts/reinstalls/forced quits. My longest stretch of connectivity was roughly 5 hours. On my Macbook and G4 pb, I did notice an increase in signal strength. However, on my Macbook Pro, signal was slightly weaker than what the stock Airport card achieves I was unable to see a reduction in either latency to my game servers, or an increase in total bandwidth using the Wi-Fire. In fact, most of my ping times increased by 20-30ms. I suspect this is due to the crappy drivers. I would recommend a Hawking product instead. DO NOT BUY I just recently acquired a Wi-Fire unit.

A few notes on this one. For starts, I don’t think it’s worth $80. The third party wireless software bundled with this unit is a choppy hack at best; it consistently crashes. The hardware mount is crap, and the unit really isn’t that powerful. I honestly doubt it’s using 500mw.

I was able to get the item to connect on both my Macbook, my Macbook pro, and my 1.67ghz pb G4, but not without frequent restarts/reinstalls/forced quits. My longest stretch of connectivity was roughly 5 hours. On my Macbook and G4 pb, I did notice an increase in signal strength. However, on my Macbook Pro, signal was slightly weaker than what the stock Airport card achieves

I was unable to see a reduction in either latency to my game servers, or an increase in total bandwidth using the Wi-Fire. In fact, most of my ping times increased by 20-30ms. I suspect this is due to the crappy drivers. I would recommend a Hawking product instead. DO NOT BUY

]]> By: Red http://www.yankodesign.com/2007/12/19/wi-fire-review/comment-page-1/#comment-48279 Red Wed, 15 Oct 2008 16:15:08 +0000 http://www.yankodesign.com/index.php/2007/12/19/wi-fire-review/#comment-48279 This piece of crap is worst than my internal antenna. Even when I'm sitting right next to the router, and have it pointed right at the router I only get 80-90% signal VS my internal 100% signal. Then there's the speed issues-- Download speeds with Wi-fire were about 20-30 kb. Internal 300-500 kb. Yes it can see AP farther away than an internal antenna, BUT the connection goes in and out, or it doesnt even connect to the AP. Dont waste your time with this shit, its just a cheap usb wifi with a cheap directional antenna. This piece of crap is worst than my internal antenna.

Even when I’m sitting right next to the router, and have it pointed right at the router I only get 80-90% signal VS my internal 100% signal.

Then there’s the speed issues–
Download speeds with Wi-fire were about 20-30 kb.
Internal 300-500 kb.

Yes it can see AP farther away than an internal antenna, BUT the connection goes in and out, or it doesnt even connect to the AP.

Dont waste your time with this shit, its just a cheap usb wifi with a cheap directional antenna.

]]> By: Darren http://www.yankodesign.com/2007/12/19/wi-fire-review/comment-page-1/#comment-46812 Darren Mon, 06 Oct 2008 02:22:57 +0000 http://www.yankodesign.com/index.php/2007/12/19/wi-fire-review/#comment-46812 The software for Leopard is not really functional it often causes kernal_task to eat up all my cpu cycles and nothing but restart will fix the issue. Great idea, but useless without functional software. Still no sign for their improved Version 2.0 software either even with a Summer 2008 release date. The software for Leopard is not really functional it often causes kernal_task to eat up all my cpu cycles and nothing but restart will fix the issue. Great idea, but useless without functional software. Still no sign for their improved Version 2.0 software either even with a Summer 2008 release date.

]]> By: Makay6 http://www.yankodesign.com/2007/12/19/wi-fire-review/comment-page-1/#comment-33080 Makay6 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:13:17 +0000 http://www.yankodesign.com/index.php/2007/12/19/wi-fire-review/#comment-33080 I love this gadget. It works well with my computer both at home and when I am traveling. I take it everywhere I take my laptop and I am always pleased with the results. I love this gadget. It works well with my computer both at home and when I am traveling. I take it everywhere I take my laptop and I am always pleased with the results.

]]> By: kzai http://www.yankodesign.com/2007/12/19/wi-fire-review/comment-page-1/#comment-25888 kzai Wed, 07 May 2008 14:56:47 +0000 http://www.yankodesign.com/index.php/2007/12/19/wi-fire-review/#comment-25888 very good ! i like it very good ! i like it

]]> By: Tim http://www.yankodesign.com/2007/12/19/wi-fire-review/comment-page-1/#comment-24463 Tim Wed, 23 Apr 2008 03:31:51 +0000 http://www.yankodesign.com/index.php/2007/12/19/wi-fire-review/#comment-24463 <b>Be careful when purchasing the Wi-Fire, it didn’t work for me and I have sent them 4 emails and left 2 phone messages (no one ever answers the phone) trying to get a return number and they won't respond. It's starting to look like this is a “Fly by Night Outfit” at best.</b> Be careful when purchasing the Wi-Fire, it didn’t work for me and I have sent them 4 emails and left 2 phone messages (no one ever answers the phone) trying to get a return number and they won’t respond. It’s starting to look like this is a “Fly by Night Outfit” at best.

]]> By: Eugene http://www.yankodesign.com/2007/12/19/wi-fire-review/comment-page-1/#comment-21663 Eugene Sun, 16 Mar 2008 12:04:51 +0000 http://www.yankodesign.com/index.php/2007/12/19/wi-fire-review/#comment-21663 I think it is not useful, if I don't know where AP is. I think it is not useful, if I don’t know where AP is.

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