How to Build a WiFi Antenna Using a Satellite Dish

Bi-directional satellite antenna

Building a wireless networking directional antenna can be as simple as rewiring a used satellite dish. The effective range will vary, but the average wireless signal can travel 1,200 yards, and the satellite dish will only enhance direction and focus. The skilled antenna technician can build a satellite dish Wi-Fi antenna in about an hour.

Things You'll Need

• satellite dish solder equipment high-gain antenna wire Wi-Fi equipment wire-cutting equipment

Instructions

Making a Wi-Fi satellite antenna

1. Cut the antenna wire of the wireless networking equipment, and prepare it for soldering. Most single computer cards and laptop Wi-Fi equipment will use a Reverse SMA cable, which means that the center wire is the negative polarity signal. The positive signal runs through the outer copper shielding that is separated from the center by a plastic core. The leads should be stripped and separated, and the braided copper of the outer shielding should be pulled to one side and twisted into a point.

2. Cut and prepare the leads from the satellite dish. Two-way satellite dishes are ideal, as they have transmitting antennas already built into the unit and aimed at the dish's concave surface. They are identified by the "twin-node" gun on the front mount. The "single gun" models do not have transmitters and may require heavier modification. This signal transmitter will have separate leads, and each lead will have a connector. The connector adapters will vary, but they should have a positive and negative signal polarity setup. These leads to the transmitter node should be cut and the wires separated and twisted.

3. Solder the polarized leads from the networking equipment to the matching polarity of the dish's transmitter wires. The positive is soldered to the positive, negative to negative. Be sure to check the polarity of the dish's wires, as manufacturers will vary. Some networking equipment will have two antennas, and they should be identified as transmitter or receiver antennas before connecting. In this case, each of the equipment's antennas is wired to the matching nodes on the satellite dish. Wrap the finished connections with electrical tape.

4. Connect the satellite dish to the Wi-Fi equipment and test the signal strength on a local wireless connection. The dish should be pointed at the desired network's physical antenna, and the dish will have a signal angle of about 30 degrees. The satellite dish antenna should be tested against several other antennas to ensure it is working correctly.

Tips & Warnings

• Twisting the wires together before soldering will ensure a strong connection. Noise limits of the satellite dish antenna will vary, and should be as high as possible.

• Do not connect the positive and negative wires of the networking equipment to each other.

References

• Do-It-Yourself Wireless Antenna Update

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish