This is just a general question. I have a wireless router (of unknown origin) in my laptop. It's 802.11abg, of course, and I was curious:
How does one go about hooking up an antenna to a wireless card?
FireSBurnsmuP 0 Posting Whiz in Training
John A 1,896 Vampirical Lurker Team Colleague
How does one go about hooking up an antenna to a wireless card?
Is this what you're looking for?
http://www.oreillynet.com/cs/weblog/view/wlg/448
DMR 152 Wombat At Large Team Colleague
I have a wireless router (of unknown origin) in my laptop.
No, you have a wireless NIC in your laptop; a router is an external device which serves a different purpose. :D
How does one go about hooking up an antenna to a wireless card?
If the NIC is built in to the computer, or if it's a plug-in (USB or PCMCIA) card that has the antenna encapsulated inside the card, you can't add an external antanna. In either of those caes your only option is to buy a plug-in NIC which does have an external antenna (some manufacturers ofthose wireless cards even sell high-gain antenna replacements that you can install to boost your range).
FireSBurnsmuP 0 Posting Whiz in Training
Is this what you're looking for?
http://www.oreillynet.com/cs/weblog/view/wlg/448
lol, hey! That's my link!
and whoops, the card thing, I did mean to say "card," not "router."
And somehow I highly doubt that it is impossible to connect an external antenna to an internal card. It may be difficult and require some power tools, but I know it has to be possible.
Although, I might buy another one to put in that slot over there, *nods his head in the general direction of that empty card slot on the left side of the laptop* that I could use. I guess I have seen (even dealt with) cards that have a coaxial-looking connector...
John A 1,896 Vampirical Lurker Team Colleague
lol, hey! That's my link!
Sorry :P. I just looked through my bookmarks, and then I gave the link (completely forgot you posted it in that other thread). In any case, it's probably much easier to use a USB wireless adapter and hook an antenna into that, than to try to tap into the laptop's internal card...
DMR 152 Wombat At Large Team Colleague
I guess I have seen (even dealt with) cards that have a coaxial-looking connector...
Yeah, those are the ones. A "brew-it-yourself" external antenna solution is definitely possible, but given the time and effort it takes to get it right, a PCMCIA card probably makes more sense.
FireSBurnsmuP 0 Posting Whiz in Training
Yeah, I suppose I could find one to put in my empty card slot, but that costs money that I don't have. But thanks, I'll use this for future reference.
Junyah 24 Posting Whiz in Training
Hey Guys .. Almost a year ago ..I took apart a 12 buck wifi card that I got on slae froms fry's ... iot was a refurbished so I boght two .. one to use and one to take apart... I took apart the DWL-G630 and there is an antenna circuit on the top right of the circuit board... I tried making an RF loop and hookiong it up to an antenna .. but then I scraped away some of the circuit board and trace and I soldered a pigtail to it. And I atached it to a variety opf commercial and homemade antennas. It worked so I made an antenna network from the main house to the barn and some out buildings... Until I found out about transceivers and USB Wifi..
Look Up what they are doing with USB Wifi dongles... It's easier that taking apart and they are pretty cheap.
FireSBurnsmuP 0 Posting Whiz in Training
Junya : It's easier than taking apart and they are pretty cheap.
FireS - Not If I can do it with stuff I already have! I have plenty of free time to tell these needing do-it-your-selfers. This is my way of sticking it to the man.
Well, I have aquired a PCMCIA card one, it's only 802.11 B, and I'd have to ndiswrap that too... but I'll take it apart and see what I can do to it.
Junyah 24 Posting Whiz in Training
Cool its a learning experience. I've taken apart some more USB wirless and cards..Go to Seattle Wireless ..They have alot of great info and some great links.
There were a couple of sites that had great pictures and info on Buffalo and Ornico cards.
You might wanna find out your chip set on the card also..
Also I've bought a couple or sale and fleamarket USB wifi dongles... they work great when you put them in an antenna or dish.
I'm also working with a Transceiver/antenna combo ... gets a great signal anywhere in the park.
I took apart a little recently usb11v4 ... it's a B adaptor with a fixed antenna ... we'll not anymore...I also adapted it or an external antenna. I can pretty much get a wifi signal throughout my park and the main visitor center out buildings.
Junyah 24 Posting Whiz in Training
Almost forgot .. Som of the cards and dongles have a little ceramic antenna ... it looks white and has two leads .. you gotta be careful if you have one of these ... especially if you replace it and solder a pigtail or antenna jack to it. I fried on and had to go back on the board and make new traces.
FireSBurnsmuP 0 Posting Whiz in Training
Lol, yeah that'll happen... I actually took this apart and found a guide online... sauce later... but there's a little junction thingy soldered on the board (that doesn't actually... do anything) that you can take off and solder a cable to! Plus I found instructions on how to make an omnidirectional antenna out of just coaxial cable ( 50ohm, but standard these days is 75 ohm so I don't think 50 ohm will be too hard to find ). I'm thinking of trying it out one of these days, when I actually get the supplies to do so.
I think it's a broadcom off-brand... D-link I think... but I know ndiswrapper will work for it ^_^ This should be a fun little experiment. I'll post more on progress later.
Junyah 24 Posting Whiz in Training
How did your tweaking of the card go>
Be a part of the DaniWeb community
We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.