Wi-Fire USB antenna promises access up to 1,000 feet

by Peter Cohen, MacCentral

hField Technologies has introduced the Wi-Fire, a Mac-compatible USB-based Wi-Fi antenna that purports to have considerably longer range than Apple’s built-in networking capabilities. It costs $79.

The device is a directional high-gain antenna. It works with any 802.11b or g access point and can work at up to three times the distance of an internal AirPort card by itself — up to 1000 feet away from a base station, according to hField.

The Wi-Fire measures 3 x 4 x 3/8 inches and folds up when not in use. You can perch it on a laptop screen while you’re using it.

Software included with it — the Wi-Fire Connection Manager — reveals all available networks in the area.

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