External (can)tenna for Centrino Mobile?

Hi folks!

I have a laptop with built-in wifi (Centrino) and I would like to
extend its wireless range. I would like to be able to hook up an
external wifi antenna to my laptop to do this without destroying it. I

realize this will void the warranty but that ended months ago and is
not a concern.


Are there any forums or web sites that have such hacks or mods?


FYI, the specs on the laptop are:
- Acer TM 2420
- Pentium-M with Centrino Mobile techlology
- blah, blah, blah,...


TIA



Blue Streak

On 23 Nov 2006 13:19:23 -0800, "Blue Streak" <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote in <(E-Mail Removed) .com>:

>I have a laptop with built-in wifi (Centrino) and I would like to
>extend its wireless range. I would like to be able to hook up an
>external wifi antenna to my laptop to do this without destroying it. I

Simple, non-violent solution: Get a Wi-Fi PC Card with an external
antenna connector; e.g., Buffalo WLI-CB-G54S Wireless-G High Speed
Notebook Adapter
<http://www.buffalotech.com/products/product-detail.php?productid=47&categoryid=30>

--
Best regards, FAQ for Wireless Internet: <http://Wireless.wikia.com>
John Navas FAQ for Wi-Fi: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi>
Wi-Fi How To: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_HowTo>
Fixes to Wi-Fi Problems: <http://wireless.wikia.com/wiki/Wi-Fi_Fixes>

John Navas wrote:
> Simple, non-violent solution

Complex violent solution: Connecting your Linksys to your
microwave oven for 200 million gigawatts.

decaturtxcowboy <nope_none_@nowayspam.com> hath wroth:

>John Navas wrote:
>> Simple, non-violent solution
>
>Complex violent solution: Connecting your Linksys to your
>microwave oven for 200 million gigawatts.

Would you settle for about 800 watts average CW power?
http://lea.hamradio.si/~s57uuu/misch...netr/index.htm

--
Jeff Liebermann (E-Mail Removed)
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

John Navas <(E-Mail Removed)> hath wroth:

>On 23 Nov 2006 13:19:23 -0800, "Blue Streak" <(E-Mail Removed)>
>wrote in <(E-Mail Removed) .com>:
>
>>I have a laptop with built-in wifi (Centrino) and I would like to
>>extend its wireless range. I would like to be able to hook up an
>>external wifi antenna to my laptop to do this without destroying it. I
>
>Simple, non-violent solution: Get a Wi-Fi PC Card with an external
>antenna connector; e.g., Buffalo WLI-CB-G54S Wireless-G High Speed
>Notebook Adapter
><http://www.buffalotech.com/products/product-detail.php?productid=47&categoryid=30>

Semi-violent solution. Drill and hole and add a pigtail to the
internal MiniPCI card:
http://repair4laptop.org/wireless_lan.html

--
Jeff Liebermann (E-Mail Removed)
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

Jeff Liebermann wrote:
> John Navas <(E-Mail Removed)> hath wroth:
>
> >On 23 Nov 2006 13:19:23 -0800, "Blue Streak" <(E-Mail Removed)>
> >wrote in <(E-Mail Removed) .com>:
> >
> >>I have a laptop with built-in wifi (Centrino) and I would like to
> >>extend its wireless range. I would like to be able to hook up an
> >>external wifi antenna to my laptop to do this without destroying it. I
> >
> >Simple, non-violent solution: Get a Wi-Fi PC Card with an external
> >antenna connector; e.g., Buffalo WLI-CB-G54S Wireless-G High Speed
> >Notebook Adapter
> ><http://www.buffalotech.com/products/product-detail.php?productid=47&categoryid=30>
>
> Semi-violent solution. Drill and hole and add a pigtail to the
> internal MiniPCI card:
> http://repair4laptop.org/wireless_lan.html
>

Thanks, dude!

I think I might even avoid drilling a hole and use some unassigned pins
in the VGA port like this guy, Red Scorpion, did.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/show....php?p=1660246

> --
> Jeff Liebermann (E-Mail Removed)
> 150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
> Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
> Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

"Blue Streak" <(E-Mail Removed)> hath wroth:

>> Semi-violent solution. Drill and hole and add a pigtail to the
>> internal MiniPCI card:
>> http://repair4laptop.org/wireless_lan.html

>I think I might even avoid drilling a hole and use some unassigned pins
>in the VGA port like this guy, Red Scorpion, did.
>
>http://forum.notebookreview.com/show....php?p=1660246

Retch. Using the VGA connector for 2.4GHz will probably be rather
lossy. That will work if you have an external amplfier to compensate
for the loss, but not if you just connect an antenna to the VGA
connector.

My preference is to use a u-FL to R-SMA (or R-TNC) bulkhead pigtail
and mount it somewhere on the back end of the laptop.
<http://www.hyperlinktech.com/web/cable_radio_pigtails_switchcase.php?connection=UFL &pgType=ufl>
Make sure the pigtail goes to the "Main" connector on the MiniPCI card
and not the "AUX" connector. The u-FL connector is not made for a
large number of insertion/removal cycles and will eventually break.
The R-SMA connector mount should be reinforced as just drilling the
plastic is probably not strong enough. Something like this:
<http://mtarena.blogspot.com/2006/06/add-external-antenna-sma-connector.html>
but hopefully neater.

--
Jeff Liebermann (E-Mail Removed)
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

Jeff Liebermann wrote:
> "Blue Streak" <(E-Mail Removed)> hath wroth:
>
> >> Semi-violent solution. Drill and hole and add a pigtail to the
> >> internal MiniPCI card:
> >> http://repair4laptop.org/wireless_lan.html
>
> >I think I might even avoid drilling a hole and use some unassigned pins
> >in the VGA port like this guy, Red Scorpion, did.
> >
> >http://forum.notebookreview.com/show....php?p=1660246
>
> Retch. Using the VGA connector for 2.4GHz will probably be rather
> lossy. That will work if you have an external amplfier to compensate
> for the loss, but not if you just connect an antenna to the VGA
> connector.
>
> My preference is to use a u-FL to R-SMA (or R-TNC) bulkhead pigtail
> and mount it somewhere on the back end of the laptop.
> <http://www.hyperlinktech.com/web/cable_radio_pigtails_switchcase.php?connection=UFL &pgType=ufl>
> Make sure the pigtail goes to the "Main" connector on the MiniPCI card
> and not the "AUX" connector. The u-FL connector is not made for a
> large number of insertion/removal cycles and will eventually break.
> The R-SMA connector mount should be reinforced as just drilling the
> plastic is probably not strong enough. Something like this:
> <http://mtarena.blogspot.com/2006/06/add-external-antenna-sma-connector.html>
> but hopefully neater.
>
> --
> Jeff Liebermann (E-Mail Removed)
> 150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
> Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
> Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

Thank you.

Very helpful.