How to attach Linksys high gain antenna to laptop?

[ForceMajeur]

Ive got a Linksys 7dbi high gain antenna with an SMA connector. Is there a way that I can hard wire this antenna to my TOSHIBA Satellite laptop without too much soldering or mess so that I can make a reliable connection? Has this been done before? Thanks for any and all ideas.

 

[nweaver]

you will likely get WORSE signal unless you know what you are doing. The Antenna in laptops is pretty decently tuned. You should go with a PCMCIA card if you want to do this.

As an FYI, every connector in the chain is worth between .5 and 1 Db of signal loss, and low quality cable will degrade signal quickly as well.

 

[VisionxOrb]

you can get a u.fl ( I think thats the connecter anyway ) to sma pigtail, install the pigtail on your mini pci card and drill a hole on the back or side of ur laptop and put the sma connector there. there also a nice little snap on mount that connects to your lcd monitor so the antenna mounts up as high as possible and not block by the pc and lets you bend the antenna down when you put the computer in to your bag.

While your at it you might as well put in a hipower longrange mini-pci card

like http://www.netgate.com/product_info.php?cPath=26_34&products_id=279

Ive got one in my laptop and even using the built in antenna it made a world of differance.

Here is the laptop monitor mount I was talking about, you can put ur 7db on it also
http://www.netgate.com/product_info.php?cPath=23_33&products_id=188

 

[ForceMajeur]

Thank you. Any tips on brand/source for a quality PCMCIA/SMA card? Also, what is the native gain now on the TOSHIBA notebook?. I read somewhere that the TOSHIBA wireless antenna is built into the LCD frame. Thanks again.

 

[VisionxOrb]

Originally posted by: ForceMajeur
Thank you. Any tips on brand/source for a quality PCMCIA/SMA card? Also, what is the native gain now on the TOSHIBA notebook?. I read somewhere that the TOSHIBA wireless antenna is built into the LCD frame. Thanks again.

you could get one of these
http://www.fab-corp.com/product.php?productid=16208&cat=266&page=1

and get the laptop mount that has the mmcx connecter on the end of the pigtail