Laptop Antenna Booster

Aug 14, 2006 12 Replies

I have a Dell laptop with Intel Pro Wireless 2200BG. While I'm very pleased with the reception I get, I was wondering if there was such a thing as an antenna booster for a laptop. I drive a lot and would like to be able to connect to, ahem, local unsecured networks while working in the field. Does a USB or minicard product such as this exist? I have been unable to find one.



Thanks,



Lee


On Sun, 13 Aug 2006 21:24:11 -0400, "Lee C. Carpenter" wrote in :

Do you also shoplift, or do you only steal wireless?

"Lee C. Carpenter" hath wroth:

No. However, you can install an external antenna on an Intel 2200BG if you don't mind either drilling the case, or sneaking a pigtail through the exhaust holes. The 2200BG and most MiniPCI cards use Hirose u-FL connectors for the antenna.

Find a u-FL to SMA, TNC, or N connector pigtail.

formatting link
(CA178-RTNCB-UFL-6)
formatting link
(near bottom)

The u-FL connector goes to the connector on the MiniPCI card labelled "main" and not the one labelled "aux".

I'll leave it to your immagination as to the selection of antenna and mounting arrangment.

If this is too much, external USB radios are probably a good option. Also PCMCIA/CardBus radios with external antenna connectors.

Unsecured wireless is the same as leaving your car unlocked with your wallet on the seat. If someone takes it, you deserve it. If you can't figure out how to secure your network, you're too stupid to need one to begin with.

Give me a break with your shoplifting BS.

Thanks Jeff. The external USB radios sound like my best option.

Lee

On Sun, 13 Aug 2006 22:38:39 -0400, "Lee C. Carpenter" wrote in :

Thanks for confirming my suspicions.

Lock your car, John!

On Sun, 13 Aug 2006 23:06:40 -0400, "Lee C. Carpenter" wrote in :

It is. And my wireless is locked as well. you'll have to prey on someone else.

Just in passing are your parents proud of the ammoral SOB they have loosed on society?

fundamentalism, fundamentally wrong.

You spelled "amoral" wrong.

All of the people who read/post in this newsgroup are 100% honest and would never ever do anything even close to illegal. Yeah sure!

As the owner of a home wireless network, why should I worry about someone stealing my wireless access? What is there for them to steal, other than them being "inside" my firewall?

On 18 Aug 2006 18:49:48 -0400, Chris F Clark wrote in :

  1. Your personal identity, including your financial accounts.
  2. Email addresses of all your friends, who then get spammed.
  3. Launching attacks on others that get traced back to you.
  4. Downloading illicit material that gets traced back to you.

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