How to successfully run an outdoor cam show?

i know there is a big thing about wi-fi extenders etc here in the UK, plug them into electrical outlets to extend the range of your wi-fi, maybe that is worth looking into?

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_ ... 20extender

CynCity said:

I know a model that buys this thing called a "wifi hotspot" for 50 dollars a month so that she is able to connect her laptop outside of her home. I wanted to know if there was another, per-say cheaper way to be able to have the connection run smoothly? I downloaded hotspot on my android app and I'm wondering if I could connect that to my laptop?


Thanks in advance. IT guys/girls, I'm reaching out to you!

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Depending on the manufacturer of your android device, it should already support tethering. Checking on mine (Google Nexus 5), it is under 'Settings', 'More...' under the 'Wireless & networks' section and then it should have a 'Tethering & portable Hotspot' option. From there, just configure it on 'setup wifi-hotspot' and then click on 'portable wifi hotspot' to enable it.
With that said, the availability of this feature depends on the cell phone provider as well - check the contract, call their support and ask if it can be enabled.

One accessory that no one mentions but you probably should also look into is an external USB battery for the phone in case you dont have access to an outlet - in tethering mode the phone will eat through the battery really quickly as it has to keep two radios on all the time (cell+wifi).

Another thing to keep in mind is signal strength and network availability - I have never tried testing the upload on my phone, but I wouldn't be surprised if you only get good performance on a 4G network with strong signal. Also, research if the cell phone company in question has good results and delivers what they claim - speedtest has a good database under http://www.speedtest.net/isp-performance .

CynCity said:

Okay so I have been camming on MFC for a few months now and I have realized from scrolling through some of the models that a lot of times when you broadcast outside (even somewhere different besides the bedroom like the kitchen) models on the cam site are able to obtain a ton more viewers and tippers and I always see them on the top list. I have been thinking about it lately and I am planning on having a pool show.
I just wanted to ask what kind of technological set up must you have so that your cam is able to run smoothly when you are outside your home?

Thanks in advance. IT guys/girls, I'm reaching out to you!

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I'd say it depends on your situation as to what would work the easiest and cheapest. You mention a pool. Is this pool in your backyard? Is it a mile away at a community pool? Is it in another town at a friends house? You get the idea.

The simplest solution is if it's in your backyard. Maybe just moving your wireless router to a room that's closer to get a stronger signal while out at the pool.

If that's still not strong enough you could always get a higher quality router that pumps out the range. Maybe even get a better quality usb wireless adapter to receive the signal on your laptop instead of using the built in wifi card.
http://www.tp-link.us/products/details/?categoryid=2872&model=Archer+C7

This adapter (Netgear’s A6200) performed remarkably when used with an 802.11AC wifi router according to PC World. It was overall 2nd place on average in their test, but it outperformed all the others in speed at greater distances from the router. So this would still keep up a higher bandwidth if your pool is farther away from your router.
http://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-WiFi-...id=1407611312&sr=1-2&keywords=Netgear’s+A6200
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2090556/ ... limit.html

Otherwise there's also an option of extending your wireless signal using an Amped Wireless system. Something like this device will extend your wifi up to 1.5 miles away in a single direction. And you would have to have additional equipment and line of sight to get that, so this option gets a bit more expensive for initial setup.
http://www.ampedwireless.com/products/ap600ex.html


There's also this device setup which limits the speed to 54mbps by only using a b/g wifi connection, but it's very high powered so the signal can reach over 9 miles away (15km).
http://www.tp-link.us/products/details/?categoryid=216&model=TL-WA5210G
Technically that setup can reach 32.3 miles but to get that range would require bulkier equipment in the form of a high gain antenna to receive the signal so it's not really very portable at that extreme 32 mile range.

It all depends on how far you want to reach and how much you want to spend. If the pool is on your property I'd just get a really good router. If it's a ways away or you plan on moving around and doing shows from other locations then maybe the phone's hotspot would be better. But you definitely have a lot of choices available.