Did we help with your project? Buy us a Cup of Coffee!

Laptop Wireless Card with External Antennas! by Brett

05-19-2005 006

Well, this project starts just like any other laptop wireless card- under the MPCI door. As you can see, I’ve installed a MPCI wireless card into my laptop that previously had no WIFI. I’ve also plugged in some short pigtails that I have run myself. This is where it’s going to get a little more complicated than your typical WIFI install…

06-17-2006 007

I’ve carefully run the pigtail cables through the case and to the other side of the motherboard, in places they won’t get damaged or bent at a sharp angle (it is coaxial cable you know). It was a tough decision figuring out where I was going to place the external connectors, but this corner offered enough room for both connectors and cables to operate without interfering with the normal laptop components.

05-19-2005 010

Once the holes are drilled and the connectors are tight, it’s just a matter of putting everything back together, stopping every step of the way to admire how awesome that looks. Come on, look at it! That’s Hot.

05-19-2005 028 06-17-2006 022

Now you have CHOICES when it comes to antennas. Is this a 7dB day or perhaps only 2dB? Both? Oh I know, today we are wardriving, so we’ll need a 7dB + a magnetic 12dB external on the roof of the car. It’s good to have options.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...
on

Don't forget to tell them about testing the leads for the antenna's. hehe.
I can't believe it worked so well with bad leads for a while.

roondog248 said...
on

My internal wifi card has a white and black wire which im pretty sure are antenna(s). i want to add an external antenna and i will need to create a rp-sma port like you did. but do you need both antennas or could i just attach a a MMcx cable to where one of the wires on the wifi card is ? i guess what im wondering is do i need to disconect both or just one and which one?

Brett said...
on

@roondog248
As far as I understand it, most modern cards will use the better of the two for signal. I've seen some use this as an advantage by polarizing the two differently.

Find It