Wi-Fi antenna diy. A Step-by-step Visual Guide on How to Make a Wi-Fi Antenna

How To Increase Wi-Fi Range With The Right Wi-Fi Antenna

In this section, we’re going to discuss how to increase Wi-Fi range using the right antenna for the job. We’ll discuss various antenna types, how they work, cable lengths, and coupling requirements. Most of you will be using the default antennas that come with your router. But for those of you planning to boost your range, using the right Wi-Fi antenna can save you a lot of time and frustration. And with some basic knowledge about antennas, you will be better prepared to troubleshoot problems and plan your deployment.

How do Wi-Fi antennas work?

First and foremost, frequency wavelength plays a key role in the construction of the antenna. But other factors such as channel width, frequency, and spectrum are equally important.

A 2.4GHz antenna will not work with a 5GHz signal and vise versa. If it does work, it will not work properly and the range will be terrible. So, whether you are buying an antenna or building your own, make sure it’s designed for the correct frequency Band. An antenna provides three things to a radio transmitter:

Direction refers to the shape or angle of the transmission, which ultimately describes the coverage area. Polarity is the orientation of the electric field (the transmission itself) from the antenna. Gain is the amount of energy increased by the RF signal.

What is an omnidirectional antenna?

For starters, Wi-Fi antenna’s are either omnidirectional or directional. Omnidirectional antennas are designed for 360 degree operation whereby a vertical dipole radiates and receives equally well on the azimuth plane (in all horizontal directions).

Wi-Fi antenna’s have two frequency planes. The Horizontal plane (also called “Azimuth” or the “H plane”), and the Elevation plane, (also called the “E plane”). The following image illustrates the transmission pattern of an omnidirectional antenna.

For omnidirectional antenna’s, think of it like a doughnut wrapped around your finger. Your finger is the antenna, the doughnut is the wireless signal. Noise, interference, walls and other obstructions take bites out of the doughnut making it less round.

Most wireless routers are shipped from the manufacturer with small omnidirectional antennas. These are often nicknamed “rubber ducky antenna’s”.

There may be times when your rubber ducky just doesn’t cut it. When you need more range, a directional antenna might be your best option.

What is a directional antenna?

Think of directional antenna’s like a water hose with a garden sprayer. When you squeeze the handle, the water is sprayed in a straight line. When something gets in the way, the pressure will either blast through it or bounce off if it, depending on the density of the object.

Since directional antenna’s FOCUS their energy in one direction, they are excellent for controlling the direction of the broadcast, or receiving a distant broadcast.

Directional antenna’s are ideal for long range Wi-Fi deployments with a clear LoS (Line of Sight). They’re often used for wireless bridge networks spanning several hundred feet between access points. On a clear day, depending on the antenna used, cable loss, and other factors, two directional antenna’s can span several miles.

There are various types of directional antenna’s including: Flat Panel, Yagi, Parabolic, Cantenna, Bi-quad, and Fractal.

Flat Panel Wi-Fi Antenna

Flat panel antenna’s are ideal for environments that require a broad directional signal such as down a corridor, or into a particular part of a building. Flat panel Wi-Fi antenna’s typically have a Horizontal plane coverage angle of between 35 and 120 degrees wide.

Yagi Wi-Fi Antenna

Yagi antenna’s have a narrow coverage angle, typically between 12 and 25 degrees wide. Yagi’s are excellent for wireless point-to-point environments. They keep the signal narrow on both planes which helps battle interference. One downside is that they can be somewhat challenging to point. The longer the distance, the more accurate the antenna must be aimed. Another downside is that birds like to perch on them.

Parabolic Wi-Fi Antenna

Parabolic antenna’s work by reflecting the signal off of the rear reflector and concentrating that signal into one central point. If you want to test the parabolic theory, hold a large bowl in front of your face and speak into it. The audio from your voice travels to all corners of the bowl, but when it’s returned to your ears, the sound is magnified.

Like the Yagi antenna, parabolic antenna’s are a common choice for point-to-point environments. The coverage width and elevation is comparable to that of a Yagi antenna. The “dish” is more prone to wind, snow, and ice. Consider using a “grid” antenna for areas with high-wind and freezing weather.

Here are some reputable places to buy antenna’s:

Cantenna Wi-Fi Antenna

Cantenna’s are mostly used as a receiving antenna for client computers. Most people use them to replace the rubber ducky antenna’s on their wireless USB adapters connected to a laptop. Cantenna’s are a great addition to your travel case. They can help you reach Wi-Fi hotspots that might otherwise be out of reach.

There are a lot of DIY enthusiasts these days. Many of them post images and plans of their homemade antenna’s. Some are downright ugly. Others are quite impressive. They’re made from everything you can imagine: coffee cans, Pringles cans, trash can lids, etc.

Here are some DIY examples:

What is antenna polarity?

Regardless of the type of antenna that you use, there is one thing that absolutely must be correct and that is the polarity. The broadcasting and receiving antenna must use the same polarity. Good performance is all about a strong signal. Radio wave “polarization” plays a huge part in signal quality. Polarization is determined by the physical position of the antenna.

Polarization is extremely important. In fact, if you had two antenna’s pointing directly at each other, one with perfect vertical polarization, and the other with perfect horizontal polarization, the antenna’s would not hear each other at all.

Omni-directional antenna’s are vertical polarized. A Yagi antenna with vertical elements is also vertical polarized. But if you turn the antenna so that the elements are sideways, the antenna is then polarized horizontally.

What is Antenna Gain?

The range and strength at which an antenna can connect depends on the antenna’s gain. Some people say “power” but what they really mean is “gain”. Unlike the actual radio transmitter itself, antenna power is not measured in output power. It’s called “gain” and it’s measured in a relative unit known as “dBi”.

For the transmitting antenna, gain is the measurement of how well the antenna converts the transmit power into a radio wave that can be sent. On the receiving end, it’s a measurement of how well the antenna receives the radio wave and then converts that to electrical power.

What is dBi and dBm?

This can make your head spin when shopping for antenna’s. Just remember, the general idea is to reduce the amount of loss and retain as much gain as possible.

Antenna Gain and Cable Loss are values that are constant no matter what power level you are referring to. Antenna gain is affected by “cable loss”. Cable loss is associated with anything that decreases the antenna’s gain, such as the length and/or diameter of the antenna cable.

dBi is an “isotropic measurement”. That’s just a fancy way of saying that dBi is a relative measurement. So, it doesn’t really matter what level of power is in question, the dBi remains the same.

dBm refers to the ratio of decibels (dB) to milliwatts. The referenced unit is exactly one milliwatt. Since it uses a reference point of exactly one milliwatt, it is an absolute unit of measure. The conversion of watts to dBm uses a complex formula that goes beyond the scope of this section. In short, 1 watt (or 1000mW) is equal to 30dBm.

If you have cable loss of 2 dBi (based on your cable length and diameter), but a gain of 7.5 dBi from your antenna, the net effect is 5 dBi regardless of the power level.

What cables should I use for my Wi-Fi antenna?

With outdoor applications and runs over 4 feet long, use low-loss cable such as: LMR-400. If you have a 20 foot run, use 19 feet of LMR-400 for the main line and the smaller LMR-100 cable for a 1 foot pigtail equipped with the connectors you need. Your pigtail may have an N Female on one end, and an RP-SMA Male on the other.

What about outdoor Wi-Fi antenna’s?

If you mount an antenna outdoors, make sure you use a lightning arrestor. Lightning arrestors protect the router or access point from electric surges from lightning strikes on or near the antenna.

Gas charged lightning arrestors offer excellent protection. They’re essentially a gas charged surge suppressor. They respond to electrical surges by safely dumping excessive voltage to the ground. Therefore, they must be grounded properly in order to work! This little guy can save your Wi-Fi radio from getting fried.

You can order them online:

Drive a solid copper rod (4 feet or longer) into the ground. Run a solid copper wire (8 AWG or larger) from the lightning arrestor to the grounding rod. Secure the ground wire to the copper rod with a with a grounding strap. Make sure it’s tight. If it’s not grounded properly, the lightning arrestor will be have nowhere to dump the excessive voltage.

Wi-Fi antenna’s are designed for specific frequencies (2.4GHz, 5GHz, etc). The direction of the antenna, the polarity of the signal, and the gain of the antenna are all for the intention of getting radio waves to and from the transmitter. Maximize signal quality by matching polarity. In order to get as much signal to and from the radio, the idea is to minimize loss and retain as much “gain” as possible. In order to achieve maximum gain, use low-loss cable. And last but not least, protect your indoor equipment from lightning. Use gas-charged lightning arrestors and secure them firmly to a copper grounding rod.

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A Step-by-step Visual Guide on How to Make a Wi-Fi Antenna

A Wi-Fi antenna can be easily built at home, using material that will cost you less than 20. The easiest method is to use a tin can as a tool, another type of antenna can be created using a strainer as well.

A Wi-Fi antenna can be easily built at home, using material that will cost you less than 20. The easiest method is to use a tin can as a tool, another type of antenna can be created using a strainer as well.

Commercial Wi-Fi receptors cost you a bomb. There are alternate ways to make a Wi-Fi antenna at home that will not only increase the range of your network, but will also be very inexpensive. An antenna is nothing but a directional waveguide device that converts electrical power to radio signals, and vice-versa. Hence, pretty much any material that is capable, or can be made capable, of this function can be used as a Wi-Fi antenna.

A ‘cantenna’ is a directional wavelength reception device for long-range Wi-Fi. Ideally, a cantenna’s periphery is not strong enough to receive signals all by itself. Hence, cantennas are mostly used to extend a wireless network’s range or to improve reception over a distorted signal path. A cantenna can also amplify signals from 5 – 22 dB. While a ‘Pringles’ can is widely used for such setups, it is important to note that these cans are narrow in diameter and inappropriate for 2.4Ghz. Hence, for such a project, always use a can about 3.5 to 4 inches in diameter and approximately 6 or more inches in length.

Building a Homemade Wi-Fi Antenna using a Can

Materials and Tools

~ Can (about 3.5 inches in diameter)~ Solder paste~ 1.5 to 2 inches length thin copper wire strand~ N-female chassis mount connector~ Pigtail cable~ Duct tape~ Tripod stand~ Drill machine~ Soldering iron

Drill a hole in the can about a couple of inches from its base. Widen the hole according to the connector’s diameter.

The connector should just fit in; the hole should not be too small to get the connector in, nor too big so the connector falls off.

Set the adapter in the hole firmly.

Make sure it is set like how it is displayed in this image.

To the connector’s inside end (inside the can), solder a copper wire strand.

Be very careful when you solder the copper wire strand. This is how it must look like.

Plug in a pigtail cable into the connector outside the can.

Connect the other end of the pigtail cable to the Wi-Fi device/card. This will work only if you have a compatible Wi-Fi adapter. Hence, before proceeding, check the connector and adapter compatibility.

Mount the can on the tripod using duct tape, facing the Wi-Fi adapter. Once mounted and steadfastly in place, rotate the cantenna on its axis slightly, and adjust its tilt to work out the position in which it receives the strongest signal. This antenna has linear polarization, i.e., its rotation affects signal strength, positively or negatively. The tilt, though, is required in only very rare cases, and should be done carefully and only if necessary.

Once you shift the cantenna’s position to gain optimum signal strength, you can use your homemade Wi-Fi antenna!

Building a Homemade Wi-Fi Antenna using a Strainer

Materials

~ Strainer~ USB Wi-Fi adapter~ USB extension cable (at least 15 feet in length)~ Duct tape~ Wooden stick~ Tripod stand

Using the USB extension cable, connect the Wi-Fi adapter to your computer. The cable’s female connector goes in your computer and the Wi-Fi adapter is inserted in the cable’s male port. If you haven’t found an extension cable long enough to position the antenna where you need, connect multiple cables together.

Using duct tape, attach the USB adapter to the handle of the strainer. If the strainer does not have a handle, attach a wooden stick to it using duct tape, and tape your adapter to the wooden stick.

Make sure your dongle is at a point where you receive signals at maximum strength. Temporarily place the dongle on the handle of the strainer and shift its place around the handle to find the hot spot.

Aim the strainer towards the Wi-Fi transmitter in a straight line and straddle a little to the left or right depending on where you are getting the best signals. Once you have figured out the exact spot which generates best strength of the Wi-Fi signal, mount the strainer on a tripod stand and get ready to use your strainer Wi-Fi antenna!

As compared to expensive Wi-Fi antennas, homemade antennas can be made and setup in almost half the price. A cantenna in fact, will not take your total expenses above 15 – 20! A strainer antenna too wouldn’t cost you more than 25. So get the materials, ready your tools and save some money!

How To Build A Tin Can Wi-Fi Antenna For 5

Got no dough for a commercial Wi-Fi antenna? Looking for an inexpensive way to increase the range of your wireless network? A tin can waveguide antenna, or Cantenna, may be just the ticket. This design can be built for under 5 U.S. and reuses a food, juice, or other tin can.

I am not an electrical engineer, nor do I have access to any fancy test equipment. I’ve built some antennas that worked for me and thought I would share what I learned. I have no idea if this is safe for your radio or wireless network equipment. The risk to you and your equipment is yours.

Building your Cantenna is easy, just follow these steps.

  • Collect the parts
  • Drill or punch holes in your can to mount the probe
  • Assemble the probe and mount in can
  • A N-Female chassis mount connector.
  • Four small nuts and bolts
  • A bit of thick wire
  • A can

The Connector A N type Female Chassis-mount connector. One side is N-female for connecting the cable from your wireless equipment, and the other side has a small brass stub for soldering on wire. These can be found at electronics stores internet suppliers (see the list below under “Connect your antenna…” If you shop around, you should be able to find these for 3-5.

You’ll need them just long enough to go through the connector and the can. I’ve used #6×1/4″ stainless. If your N-connector is a screw on type, then you won’t need the nuts and bolts.

You’ll need about 1.25″ of 12 guage copper wire. This wire will stick into the brass stub in the N-connector.

This is the fun part. You’re looking for a can between about 3″ and 3 2/3″ in diameter. The size doesn’t have to be exact. I made a good antenna with a Nalley’s “Big Chunk” Beef Stew can that was 3.87″ in diameter. Others have reported good results with big 39oz. coffee cans that are 6″ in diameter. The pringles can is really too small for good performance, however. Try to get as long a can as possible. The old fashioned fruit juice cans should work well.

Drill or punch holes in your can to mount the probe

The N-connector assembly will mount in the side of your can. You need to put holes in the right place to mount the connector. The placement of the hole and connect is very important. It’s location is derived from formulas that use the frequency that the antenna will operate at and the can diameter.

802.11b and 802.11g Wi-Fi networking equipment operates at a range of frequencies from 2.412 GHz to 2.462 GHz. Ideally, with your can size, the TE11 cut-off frequency should be lower than 2.412 and the TM01 cut-off should be higher than 2.462. It would be good, also, if your can is longer than the 3/4 Guide Wavelength. If your can is a little off in length or diameter, don’t despair, experimentation is fun !

You want to mark the location on the can where you will put the hole for the connector. The 1/4 Guide Wavelength number tells you how far up from the bottom metal end of the can to put the center of the hole. Open only one end of your can, eat the contents, and give it a good washing. You’ll probably want to remove the label too. Use a ruler to measure up from the closed end 1/4 Guide Wavelength and mark the can with a dot.

If you’ve got a drill, select a bit that matches the size of the center of your connector. You may want to start with a small bit and work the hole larger and larger. You could even start with a hammer and nail, then use drill bits. If you don’t have a drill, start with a nail hole and use a file to get the hole to the required size. If you’re using a bolt on connector, make four more holes for the bolts – you can use the connector as a drilling guide.

Assemble the probe and mount in can

Now you’ll need that bit of wire. You’ll need a soldering iron or a friend with one as well. Cut the wire so that when it is stuck in the connector as shown, the total length of both the brass tube and wire sticking out past the connector is 1.21″. Get as close to this length as you can.

When you’ve got your wire correctly sized, solder it into the connector keeping it as straight and upright as you can. When it’s cooled, bolt or screw the assembly into your can. Put the heads of the bolts inside the can and the nuts on the outside to minimize the obstructions in your antenna. Your Done!

wi-fi, antenna, step-by-step, visual, guide

Connect your antenna to your wireless card or access point

To use your cantenna, you’ll need a special cable commonly called a “Pig Tail”. The pig tail connects your wireless card or access point to you antenna. One end of the cable will have a “N” Male connector (just right for connecting your your cantenna), while the other end will have a connector appropriate to your card or access point.

You’ll want to have a wireless NIC or access point with an external antenna connector. Otherwise, you may have to hack into the one you have to hook up the cable. I wouldn’t recommend this unless you’re good with a soldering iron and electronics. For this reason, I like the Agere Orinoco cards which have a nice antenna connector. Pig Tails can be hand made if you have the right tools, but it’s probably easier to get a pre-made one. Try:

  • Fleeman Anderson Bird
  • Fleeman Anderson Bird has a “cantenna kit” for sale that includes the connector and pigtail. Choose one of the “cables” links from the menu and look towards the bottom of the list.
  • Antenna Systems

Hook up your cable, point the antenna at a friend’s, and see how far you can stretch you network. Be sure to let me know (greg@turnpoint.net) how it works.

This antenna has linear polarization. That means that how you rotate the antenna will affect the strength of your signal. Usually, you will want to put the connection straight down, but experiment with rotating the can while watching the signal strength on your PC to get the best performance.

For more information, check out these resources:

Copyright 2003-2007 Gregory Rehm – All rights reserved. For information about reproducing this article in any format, Contact the author: greg (at) turnpoint (dot) net

How to Make a DIY Wi-Fi Antenna at Home | For Beginners

Wi-Fi antennas are present everywhere there is an internet connection. Pretty much everyone who has internet knows what they are.

They’re the long sticks that pop out of the modem, chances are you know what they look like. So, in this guide, we will help you learn how to build a Wi-Fi antenna?

These antennas essentially pick up the signals from your internet service provider and let it so you can connect to the internet.

Needless to say, these Wi-Fi antennas are really important since, without them, you won’t be able to pick up any signals.

Important: The thing most people don’t know is that depending on your antenna, you can increase the range of your Wi-Fi Connection. 

How to Build a Wi-Fi Antenna at Home

You may be interested in building a Wi-Fi antenna for a number of reasons.

Perhaps you want to increase the range of your connection, or your existing antenna broke and you’re in need of replacement, or maybe you want to build one just for fun or educational purposes.

What We’ll Be Making

First of all, you have to know that there is a vast type of antenna out there.

To make sure things go smoothly, we’ve picked out the simplest one to help you get started.

The one we’ll be making today is a strainer antenna. There are two methods which we can make this, both of which are relatively easy to make so don’t worry.

Building a new Wi-Fi antenna may seem like a daunting task, but the truth is you don’t have to be an engineer to make one. And this Article Helps you do just that.

A lot of the items we’ll be using aren’t exactly hard to find, but if you don’t already have them at home, you might have to go shopping. Here’s the list:

  • Strainer, single handle, shaped like a wok
  • USB extension cable
  • USB Wi-Fi adapter
  • Electric tape or Hot glue gun

Once you have all the things listed above, you can start making your antenna

Building The Strainer Antenna

The first method of building this antenna is less of a hassle than the second, but they basically do the same thing. So, just pick out whichever works best. Here’s the first method:

  • Step 1: Plugin the USB Wi-Fi adapter to the extension cable.
  • Step 2: Place the USB Wi-Fi adapter on the top part of the strainer. Make it so the USB adapter is directly at the center of the mesh, and that the rest of the extension wire runs down along the handle.
  • Step 3: Wrap the tape around the handle where the extension wire is in order to keep the USB adapter in the center. You can use a stick to straighten the USB adapter if it keeps falling down – just make sure it is steady
  • Step 4: Plugin the extension to your computer and you’re done!

If the first method didn’t work so great for you, you can try the second method right here:

  • Step 1: Get your strainer out and before continuing any further it is important that you keep the original smooth shape of the mesh intact. This is important for getting the signal. Once you have it out, make a hole in the center of the mesh. Make sure that it’s only big enough for the female side of the USB extension cable to get it and tight enough that it fits.
  • Step 2: Insert the female head of your USB extension cable right under the center of the mesh where the hole is. Make sure that the female head is in between the hole and not over it. In order to keep it sturdy, use your hot glue gun to fix it in place. It should be so you can insert the USB adapter on the female head from the top part of the mesh.
  • Step 3: Insert the USB Wi-Fi adapter on the female head of the extension cable. It should look like the USB adapter is standing straight on the mesh.
  • Step 4: Insert the other end of the USB extension cable to your computer and it should work fine!

I hope this article was helpful, there are a lot of different Wi-Fi adapters out there, but we just found this to be the easiest to make at home for beginners.

Don’t let that stop you though, go explore the many different kinds of adapters out there and make them yourself.

Some of those give better results than the basic one we made here today. Have fun!

How to Make a Wi-Fi Antenna for Laptop – 5 EASY HOME HACKS

Working with a laptop that struggles with Wi-Fi connectivity is a real pain.

These issues can be due to poor performance of the in-built Wi-Fi antenna or can be caused by a laptop Wi-Fi antenna being broken or because of obstacles and distance of your laptop from the Wi-Fi router.

However, the costly USB Wi-Fi adapters have been serving as a solution to this.

But what if I tell you how to make a Wi-Fi antenna for your laptop without spending a lot of money as you do on those adapters? Yes, it is possible to enhance your Wi-Fi without spending a fortune on expensive adapters.

In this guide, we are going to give step-by-step elaboration on five easy hacks on how to boost your Wi-Fi for your laptop without spending much.

Number # 1: Using Internet Cable

Starting from the easiest way to make a Wi-Fi antenna, for the first one you’d need the following things:

Material Required:

Steps To Follow:

  • In the first step, you’d need to cut the small-sized internet cable into half with scissors.
  • Next, peel the wire covering through the cutter carefully without affecting the connector at one end.
  • Now separate all the multi-colored wires and twist them all properly again or simply just twist the cable perfectly.
  • On the second end of the wire, you can see the mouths of 8 wires folding them outward so that this gives them a flower shape.
  • Now, finally, insert the connector into your laptop’s internet port and connect your laptop with the desired Wi-Fi and enjoy the speed of the internet twice or thrice the earlier one.

Number # 2: Using a blood pressure meter

Now, the next quick way to make a Wi-Fi antenna for your laptop or PC that will boost the ability to receive signals from far-located Wi-Fi routers.

Material Required:

Following are the things you’ll need:

Steps To Follow:

  • Here in this hack, you’d have to open the lower end of the blood pressure meter and separate the internal part of this machine with the meter.
  • Now take the female part or simply the narrowed part of the narrow cable and fix it between the discs of the internal part of the data cable.
  • Now connect the male part of the cable to your laptop and connect it with your Wi-Fi and enjoy the enhanced speed of Wi-Fi through this quickly made Wi-Fi antenna.

Number # 3: Using Soda Can

Moving forward, here comes the third way of enhancing the Wi-Fi speed by making a Wi-Fi Antenna.

Material Required:

Steps To Follow:

  • For this, first, you’ll have to cut the can from its mouth, end through a cutter, then wash and dry this can.
  • Now cover the opened part with tape.
  • Next, you’ll have to make a hole in the center of its other end of a size that the coax cable can pass through.
  • Cut the coax cable into the desired size and insert one part of it into the hole made on the lower end of the can and fix it with tape so it doesn’t move.
  • Now at the other end of the coax cable, cut a few inches of wire covering and one inch of center wire to bring out the non-insulated part of copper wire.
  • In this step, insert the non-insulated part of the central core into the Wi-Fi plug adapter and connect the adapter to your laptop.

Hence, finally, you’ve successfully made a Wi-Fi antenna to improve the internet speed of your laptop.

Number # 4: Using Paper Clip

The fourth quick hack of making a Wi-Fi antenna for your laptop doesn’t make it any less of the ideas mentioned above.

Material Required:

Steps To Follow:

  • For this, first, align the paper clip straight and then bend it into an “L” shape so that the horizontal part can be inserted into the Wi-Fi port of your laptop.
  • Next, take out the pen from the ballpoint, and cut the tube in a way that it fits the horizontal part of “L” of the paper clip.
  • Heat the topping of a ballpoint tube on a horizontal part of an L-shaped paper pin in a way that these two sticks together and don’t get displaced.
  • Now cover this whole L-shaped antenna with tape and insert the Horizontal end into the Wi-Fi port of the PC to experience the fast speed of the internet because of the antenna she made to improve her Wi-Fi.
wi-fi, antenna, step-by-step, visual, guide

Number # 5: Using Metal Sieve-like Container

Now the final trick of designing an easy antenna, like others, is absolutely fun.

Being fifth on the list, this idea isn’t the least among any of the given ideas.

Material Required:

Here are the things you’ll be needing:

Steps To Follow:

  • Attach the Wi-Fi dongle with the help of tape or any other tool in the center of a Sieve-like container.
  • Now insert one end of the data cable into the Wi-Fi adapter and connect the other end to your laptop.
  • Once connected, now be careful with how you place the Wi-Fi antenna container to get most of the signals.
  • The best way to decide its position is to keep moving and finally stop at a situation where signals that offer high speed are received.
  • Now, this tool is ready enough to facilitate you with increased Wi-Fi connectivity and a better speed of internet.

Is Your Laptop’s Wi-Fi Antenna Good Enough?

My laptop has been having signal problems, and I’m wondering if I need to replace my Wi-Fi antenna to get a better signal.

How do I know if it’s the antenna or something else causing the problem? Is it even possible to replace the antenna myself? And what can I do with my old one if it doesn’t work anymore? These are all questions that have been on my mind lately, and hopefully, this article will help me find some answers.

To begin, before we talk about wireless networks and how they work, it’s important to understand what an antenna is.

An antenna is a device used to transmit or receive radio waves.

For example, an old-fashioned TV set has an antenna attached to its backside that allows you to pull in signals from broadcast towers far away and watch your favorite shows.

When using Wi-Fi for an internet connection at home, the router typically has an antenna that sends and receives data across the airwaves.

Routers usually have more than one antenna for this purpose; for instance, most routers have three antennas.

You might wonder if the router with three antennas will provide better coverage than one with two or even one.

But the answer is not always so simple because each of these antennas is transmitting different types of data at different frequencies–one transmitting at 2.4GHz while another transmits at 5GHz–and as such may not be strong enough to be received by some devices like tablets, laptops or smartphones when in other parts of the house due to distance limitations imposed by the physical structure of homes.

How to determine if your Wi-Fi antenna is good enough?

If you can’t access wireless networks or your internet connection is slow and spotty, you may be dealing with a Wi-Fi antenna that needs replacing.

Let’s discuss how to determine if your Wi-Fi antenna is good enough for your laptop.

Check out our step-by-step guide on how to fix it.

The first thing you need to do is look at the back of your laptop near the vents and locate the following items: Air Vent, Battery Pack, Ethernet Connection Port (most laptops only have one port).

Next, you will want to find the antennas located near these items.

Then hold your hand around each antenna individually.

You will want to make sure there are no obstructions from nearby walls or devices such as cell phones.

If there are obstructions they should be removed before conducting this test so that you get an accurate reading of whether or not your laptop’s Wi-Fi antenna is working properly.

Now place your hand on each antenna separately and see which one produces more heat as this indicates stronger Wi-Fi signal strength in most cases.

Five easy ways to improve your signal strength

These days, a majority of people have a wireless internet connection at home.

If you’re part of that group, then you probably know how frustrating it can be when your internet speed slows down or even stops working.

If your router is placed in a central location, you’ll need to extend its signal so that it reaches all corners of your house.

What does extending your router’s signal mean and how do you do it? Let’s find out! There are five easy ways to improve your signal strength:

1) Update your firmware;

2) Move the antenna;

3) Use a wired Ethernet cable;

4) Try using an external antenna for better reception;

5) Put your laptop close to the router.

A good rule of thumb is, that if you’re experiencing disconnections on the floor below the router, try moving it up one floor.

Improve laptop wireless signal with a wireless adapter

If you have a desktop computer, it’s easy to replace your current wireless antenna with a better one.

But if you have a laptop computer, replacing your antenna is trickier.

If you don’t know what you’re doing, opening up your laptop can be risky business and might even void your warranty.

Fortunately, there are options for making do with what you already have.

Understand Wi-Fi Strength with iStumbler and Netstumbler

Stumbler is a free Wi-Fi stumbler and discovery tool that runs on Windows and Mac OS X.

It allows you to view detailed information about access points, devices, and channels around you in real-time.

It features client mode, where it can connect to wireless networks; as well as AP mode, where it can be used as an access point to share an Internet connection with other Wi-Fi devices such as laptops or smartphones.

Netstumbler is similar to Stumbler but it runs only on Windows (both 32-bit and 64-bit versions).

Netstumbler also has its own channel statistics feature which displays the signal strength of every available channel within range of your device.

It’s important to make sure your laptop’s antenna can pick up the strongest signals so that you have a good overall experience when using the Wi-Fi connection for streaming movies, surfing the internet, or making Skype calls.

Some antennas work better than others so this should be taken into consideration when purchasing your laptop.

Conclusion:

The above five-mentioned tricks of how to make a Wi-Fi antenna for your laptop are not just cheap but also easy to make too.

We hope these five best laptop Wi-Fi antenna solve the internet connectivity issues.

Remember to be cautious while trying these methods and take all required precautions before experimenting with any method.