i was looking around for some resources on making cheap wifi antennas. please post up your own of course, this one is from new zealand and serves up antenna e made from chinese cookware only setting you back $5 with range extensions up to 10 miles.
24 thoughts on “Boost Your Wifi With Usb Adaptors & Diy Antennas”
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http://www.jetcityorange.com/links has, yep, links to DIY cardboard antenna sites but more importantly a link to Tritium’s Flatenna. You can’t go wrong.
I’ve got a laptop with an integrated 802.11b/g chipset- anyone been able to use a method like this to boost the range on a similar setup?
thanks
will try this one for shure…. don’t have to eat the pringles.. for now…
The New Zealand antenna is pretty impresive! However there is another solution for about 10 cents. It is not as powerful as 10 miles but will change a low range area into a good range area. I found it on techtv.com. Here are the links:http://www.g4techtv.com/html/videostream.asp?file=ttv/thescreensavers/2004/ss040513wifi_165_0.asf
techtv movie on how to make it and info, and the templates for the dish/parabola:http://www.freeantennas.com/projects/template2/
Enjoy!
The New Zealand antenna is pretty impresive! However there is another solution for about 10 cents. It is not as powerful as 10 miles but will change a low range area into a good range area. I found it on techtv.com. Here are the links:http://www.g4techtv.com/html/videostream.asp?file=ttv/thescreensavers/2004/ss040513wifi_165_0.asf
techtv movie on how to make it and info, and the templates for the dish/parabola:http://www.freeantennas.com/projects/template2/
Enjoy!
reading that hurt my head. are these people fluent at english? a lot of it makes NO sense at all.
While a very cool project and one I would love to undertake – that was the worst DIY I have ever read – at least the format of it. It took me 20 min to get through 1/2 of the pictures muchless read the all the text / blog… I would love to see this get rewritten and presented in a workable format.
Clearly these guys should stay focused on research, and stay away from tech writting!
That highly popular USB WiFi site (~200,000 hits in first 6 months) contains “work in progress” lab.notes, & records ongoing findings while acting as an altruistic resource for others (including non English speakers)! OK-there IS a lot to read thru’, BUT outcomes to date include –
*Cheap USB WiFI adaptors are versatile,reliable & fast
*USB leads/connectors are also cheap,easily extended,& lossless!
*DIY directive antenna can greatly enhance WiFi performance
*Resource sharing LOS links can be sustained to several km
No single best antenna design has yet emerged, but findings support “Scoops” as the most cost effective approach. A more polished web page should eventually develop, perhaps in the “can do” style of =>http://bloodnok.coders.net.nyud.net:8090/sub/dish/
Extra: Although someone has indeed reported 16km (across a lake to a directed AP) with this setup,a 10 mile range is not claimed by those mad kiwi guys ! They estimate 10km max.-NZ is of course all metric- if 2 used LOS ( line of sight) with each other point to point. A single USB “scoop” antenna has normal max to 4-5km (~3 miles) range when accessing a LOS AP. Suggest a closer reading of their findings & details on that support web page => http://www.usbwifi.orcon.net.nz
Not 10 miles, but 10km ( with 2 point to point )!
Check out http://www.wifi-toys.com
Mike Outmesguine of the SoCal WUG has antennas like this as well as 14 other cool wi- fi projects.
Cool homebrew pistol grip/antenna mount and more good wifi antenna information.
check out http://www.binarywolf.com/249/pringles.htm
i saw a tupperware antenna made at http://www.networksecuritytech.com/viewtopic.php?t=499 and it looks pretty cool.
25th Jan. 2005: Check the Mk.2 “boutique” version, based around a flexible stalk desklamp & kitchen sieve, => http://www.usbwifi.orcon.net.nz/mk2wifi.jpg
Black spray painting makes the unit professional & almost invisible for discrete laptop use in a library etc – cover with a jersey or plastic bag too perhaps ? NetStumbler testing shows gain 12+ dB, thus ~3dB less than a larger “scoop”.
Recommended!
1. Are these connected to the wireless router and hence you need a usb connector on the router or are the connected to your P.C. /laptop
2. If you don’t have usb on the router can you use other connector types?
3. Are these for infastructure or Ad hoc networks or both.
Well – as the URL says – USB WiFi! All the magic is within a normal el cheapo USB WiFi adaptor dongle, which simply USB cable extends to your PCs USB port.No routers ! Main intention is for WiFi client use (since of course APs usually need omnidirectional coverage), although it’s been very successful for P2P ad hoc links – when setup at both ends like this ~10km LOS achieved.
Fantastic effort and good use of resources.. I to have been playing around with the zydas usb which are now selling for less than $10US.. I’ve bought 4 and have disassembled one, to see what would be required to attach a high gain dipole, for use in a mobile (car) roof top mount.(netstumbler :) I’m working on combining a usb dongle and High gain dipole and usb GPS into single car top assembly with a single USB down feed Have you and your friends done any work in this area yet.. I’d be interested to see what you have. I agree 100% with your thoughts regarding the use of a digital feed (USB) verses the expensive and more difficult RF feed used by external antenna and cardbuss.
yea i was wounder if theres any way for some one to hack into there boost mobile cell phone and get free mins or have a key gen to produce keys for mins
this is the best idea i have seen to date. i love the ideas on his page so much, i may have to make something. the gears are already turning…. they have inspired the inventor in me.
Soon as i saw the post i made the antena and have since been taking it on business trips, and used it in many hard to find wifi locations.
I have picked up on very distant signals that otherwise would have been non exisitent and impressed many people with its simplicity and range to find connections.
TSA airport security find it a little strange and the hotel manager was a little curious but overall the chinese cooker was practical and affordable and it best of all it works better then most commercial grade antennas.
I even point my ut-starcom wifi phone to the USB device and make free voip calls using the antenna, its an amazing world..
I would like to use this to connect my router with my neibors to network togeter but my roter nor my neibors have a usb conneion so how would i connect using this dish by the way it is a neat idea
I would like to use this to connect my router with my neibors to network togeter but my roter nor my neibors have a usb conneion so how would i connect using this dish by the way it is a neat idea
would alunium foil work for the dish
This is a great project…I tried it and took it a step further. Get a DTV dish and pull the horn out. pop in a d-link wifi base and dongle(take plastic case off dongle for a better fit) put it back together and voila ! Try It!!!