Can I put a directional antenna on my laptop?

First time poster here. I have recently purchased a HP ZX 5000 wireless
laptop. I have XP Home with SP2 installed. I connect great with my Motorola
wireless router. I will be heading on a trip to sunny Florida next week and
would like to be able to check my email daily from the web. My question
is... is it possible to attach an external directional antenna to my HP
laptop?

thanx, saltykayak

probably could open your wifi door and see what antenna connection is but
most likely you wont find an off the shelf antenna with that connector on
it. So I doubt you'll have enough time to have a pigtail made to connect to
an antenna pigtail.

you might find and buy a wifi pc card that has an antenna jack & antenna to
fit its jack fairly easy, and pay FedEx to rush it.
However, I doubt any directional antenna is gonna reach all the way home to
your router from Florida - at least not during citrus ripening season.


"nntp.charter.net" <(E-Mail Removed)**> wrote in message
news:jWkqd.12263$(E-Mail Removed)...
> First time poster here. I have recently purchased a HP ZX 5000 wireless
> laptop. I have XP Home with SP2 installed. I connect great with my
Motorola
> wireless router. I will be heading on a trip to sunny Florida next week
and
> would like to be able to check my email daily from the web. My question
> is... is it possible to attach an external directional antenna to my HP
> laptop?
>
> thanx, saltykayak
>
>

Hi b,
I figured that since it's a full moon... I'd just bounce the signal off
it's face and ... just kidding!. I am thinking I'll be staying in hotels
that may have wifi access but if I'm on the 5th floor and the access is in
the restaurant, I am thinking I can push thru the floors enuf to get a
signal. but... wifi door? any idea which one? The documentation says it's a
broadcom V103C D 12F4 Rev. 4.4.
I'll check the doors on the bottom of the laptop and see if I have
access to the connector.

thanx, saltykayak

"bumtracks" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:_Elqd.2455$wr6.1643@trnddc04...
> probably could open your wifi door and see what antenna connection is but
> most likely you wont find an off the shelf antenna with that connector on
> it. So I doubt you'll have enough time to have a pigtail made to connect
> to
> an antenna pigtail.
>
> you might find and buy a wifi pc card that has an antenna jack & antenna
> to
> fit its jack fairly easy, and pay FedEx to rush it.
> However, I doubt any directional antenna is gonna reach all the way home
> to
> your router from Florida - at least not during citrus ripening season.
>
>
> "nntp.charter.net" <(E-Mail Removed)**> wrote in message
> news:jWkqd.12263$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> First time poster here. I have recently purchased a HP ZX 5000 wireless
>> laptop. I have XP Home with SP2 installed. I connect great with my
> Motorola
>> wireless router. I will be heading on a trip to sunny Florida next week
> and
>> would like to be able to check my email daily from the web. My question
>> is... is it possible to attach an external directional antenna to my HP
>> laptop?
>>
>> thanx, saltykayak
>>
>>
>
>

nntp.charter.net wrote:

> Hi b,
> I figured that since it's a full moon... I'd just bounce the signal
> off
> it's face and ... just kidding!. I am thinking I'll be staying in hotels
> that may have wifi access but if I'm on the 5th floor and the access is in
> the restaurant, I am thinking I can push thru the floors enuf to get a
> signal. but... wifi door? any idea which one? The documentation says it's
> a broadcom V103C D 12F4 Rev. 4.4.
> I'll check the doors on the bottom of the laptop and see if I have
> access to the connector.
>
> thanx, saltykayak
>
> "bumtracks" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:_Elqd.2455$wr6.1643@trnddc04...
>> probably could open your wifi door and see what antenna connection is but
>> most likely you wont find an off the shelf antenna with that connector on
>> it. So I doubt you'll have enough time to have a pigtail made to connect
>> to
>> an antenna pigtail.
>>
>> you might find and buy a wifi pc card that has an antenna jack & antenna
>> to
>> fit its jack fairly easy, and pay FedEx to rush it.
>> However, I doubt any directional antenna is gonna reach all the way home
>> to
>> your router from Florida - at least not during citrus ripening season.
>>
>>
>> "nntp.charter.net" <(E-Mail Removed)**> wrote in message
>> news:jWkqd.12263$(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> First time poster here. I have recently purchased a HP ZX 5000 wireless
>>> laptop. I have XP Home with SP2 installed. I connect great with my
>> Motorola
>>> wireless router. I will be heading on a trip to sunny Florida next week
>> and
>>> would like to be able to check my email daily from the web. My question
>>> is... is it possible to attach an external directional antenna to my HP
>>> laptop?
>>>
>>> thanx, saltykayak
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
As a rough guide you will loose about 1/3rd of the signal each time
you go through a wall or floor, so probably 5 floors is too much even
with an enormous external aerial.

David

think you'll find its probably a Hirose U.FL connector.
probably take a look at www.fab-corp.com
antennas or pigtails


"David Goodenough" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> nntp.charter.net wrote:
>
> > Hi b,
> > I figured that since it's a full moon... I'd just bounce the signal
> > off
> > it's face and ... just kidding!. I am thinking I'll be staying in hotels
> > that may have wifi access but if I'm on the 5th floor and the access is
in
> > the restaurant, I am thinking I can push thru the floors enuf to get a
> > signal. but... wifi door? any idea which one? The documentation says
it's
> > a broadcom V103C D 12F4 Rev. 4.4.
> > I'll check the doors on the bottom of the laptop and see if I have
> > access to the connector.
> >
> > thanx, saltykayak
> >
> > "bumtracks" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> > news:_Elqd.2455$wr6.1643@trnddc04...
> >> probably could open your wifi door and see what antenna connection is
but
> >> most likely you wont find an off the shelf antenna with that connector
on
> >> it. So I doubt you'll have enough time to have a pigtail made to
connect
> >> to
> >> an antenna pigtail.
> >>
> >> you might find and buy a wifi pc card that has an antenna jack &
antenna
> >> to
> >> fit its jack fairly easy, and pay FedEx to rush it.
> >> However, I doubt any directional antenna is gonna reach all the way
home
> >> to
> >> your router from Florida - at least not during citrus ripening season.
> >>
> >>
> >> "nntp.charter.net" <(E-Mail Removed)**> wrote in message
> >> news:jWkqd.12263$(E-Mail Removed)...
> >>> First time poster here. I have recently purchased a HP ZX 5000
wireless
> >>> laptop. I have XP Home with SP2 installed. I connect great with my
> >> Motorola
> >>> wireless router. I will be heading on a trip to sunny Florida next
week
> >> and
> >>> would like to be able to check my email daily from the web. My
question
> >>> is... is it possible to attach an external directional antenna to my
HP
> >>> laptop?
> >>>
> >>> thanx, saltykayak
> >>>
> >>>
> >>
> >>
> As a rough guide you will loose about 1/3rd of the signal each time
> you go through a wall or floor, so probably 5 floors is too much even
> with an enormous external aerial.
>
> David

On Sun, 28 Nov 2004 16:59:41 GMT, "bumtracks" <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>think you'll find its probably a Hirose U.FL connector.
>probably take a look at www.fab-corp.com
> antennas or pigtails

Yeah, that's probably the right connector. However, be careful
playing with those connectors. They're very flimsy and not made for
many insertions/removal cycles.

Methinks that since this is a temporary situation, it would be cheaper
and easier to use an external USB radio. There's no reason you can't
have two radios running. Tear the USB radio apart, unsolder the
antenna, and replace it with a coax connector. That would go to
whatever antenna you can build or buy. The radio goes on the roof of
the mobile home. 16ft maximum for the USB cable.

If you don't wanna destroy the USB radio, just place it at the focus
of a dish, corner reflector, or bottom of a coffee can.

If you have money, just buy the whole thing in one package as an
EtherAnt II (for ethernet) or USB-Ant. See:
http://www.ydi.com/products/wireless-internet.php
I kinda prefer the EtherAnt because it requires no Windoze drivers and
the cable goes farther.

It might be necessary to temporarily "disable" the internal wireless
card in the laptop when using the external wireless device to avoid
creating your own interference.


--
Jeff Liebermann (E-Mail Removed)
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 AE6KS 831-336-2558

Just get an USB wifi adapter on a length of cable (up to 5m), easy to
position for best reception.
If necessary take A4 size card bend it 90 deg in the middle, cover it in
silver foil and place behind the adapter opening towards the signal.

However the wifi signal in your hotel will be oriented horizontally, and
even if it wasn't it's not going to get trough 5 (probably reinforced
concrete) floors.
Regards,
Martin