How to Get More Power From a Wireless Card

Most consumer-level wireless cards are designed with either internal or nonremovable antennas that have a fixed wireless range. These cards are designed to use the maximum power available to them at all times. However, there are circumstances where the wireless signal coming from the wireless router or access point is not strong enough to reach the client device, such as a computer. In this situation, a wireless card with a removable antenna is required to obtain higher power.

Things You'll Need

• Wireless card with removable antenna
• Screwdriver
• High-gain wireless antenna

Instructions

1. Obtain a wireless card with a removable antenna. Although some USB wireless cards have this feature, most internal PCI or PCI-E wireless cards have this feature.

2. Install the wireless card into the computer by inserting it into the slot and fasting it with a screw.

3. Detach the antenna from the wireless card by unscrewing it.

4. Attach a high-gain antenna to the wireless card by screwing it into the card. Attaching the high-gain antenna is the only way to get more power from an existing wireless card.

5. Test the signal strength by connecting to a wireless router or access point.

Tips & Warnings

• High-gain antennas feature more internal elements and are more sensitive to wireless signals. These antennas effectively produce and receive a higher wireless power rating (measured in decibels) than the standard antenna included with most wireless cards.