How Does a WiFi Antenna Connect to a Laptop?

Purpose of a WiFi Antenna

Some laptop users are not happy with the wireless range on their notebooks. Maybe they live in an apartment building with wireless service, but some of the rooms in their home get better reception than others. If you are at your favorite coffee shop, and your service seems to go in and out, then maybe a WiFi antenna is the perfect choice for you to increase your signal strength. A WiFi antenna can also help you easily connect to wireless networks in homes and businesses, as well as connect at your favorite hot spots. Some people may use them to create a neighborhood network to play games with each other. WiFi antennas also help you load websites and transfer files faster.

How to Connect WiFi Antennas to Laptops

To connect your WiFi antenna to your laptop, you will most likely need a wireless card that has an external antenna connector. You will plug the wireless card (also known as a wireless PCMCIA card) into your computer. Then you will need a laptop adapter cable. Attach the laptop adapter cable to the wireless card. Then attach your WiFi antenna to the cable, and you are all set to use your WiFi antenna. Another way to attach it is to have a USB adapter for a wireless antenna. Then you just need the USB adapter and the antenna. You don't need the cable. You plug the USB adapter into a USB slot in your computer and then attach your antenna to the adapter.

Two Common WiFi Antennas

One common WiFi antenna is the Super Cantenna from Wireless Gardens, Inc. (see Resources). It is available online or from stores such as Radio Shack and CompUSA. Super Cantenna comes with a 3-foot cable, a dual tripod/pistol grip, universal mounting socket and weather-resistant coating. The Super Cantenna website has all the information you need for easy setup, including a chart to show what the antenna is compatible with from desktop computers to laptops to routers.

Another common WiFi antenna is the RadioLabs 5.5 dB Laptop WiFi Antenna (see Resources). You can mount this antenna on the side of your laptop screen. It comes with a mount, cable with choice of connector, cable clips, double-sided tape, and Velcro. It does require an external jack on your computer to hook it up. You can use a wireless card for this as mentioned in Section 2. The Radiolabs site suggests which wireless card works well with their antenna.

Resources

• Super Cantenna
• Radiolabs Wireless Antenna