Wi-Fi/Building an antenna

Wi-Fi is a fantastic new gadget, but out of the box its reach is only about 50 to 100 meters. Fortunately it is possible to build your own antenna cheaply (less than 10 US dollars or euros) in an hour or two.

There are several approaches to building your own antenna:

• Cantenna - highly directional
• Parabolic mesh - moderately directional
• Coax Antenna - omnidirectional

Further reading

• Communication Systems/Antennas
• High quality and less expensive RF connectors
• High Freuency RF Connector & Adapter
• YU1AW 3D Corner Reflector Antenna 18dBi, Amos Antenna, OBELISK Sector Antenna, BiQuad Antenna and many more...
• *Brand New Wardriving dedicated site - Loads of great tutorials o how to build your very own cantenna, software downloads, forum + loads more!
• How To Build A Tin Can Waveguide WiFi Antenna Includes on-line design calculator.
• FreeAntennas.com "... so easy to make, tune, and install, and ... performs so well that it is foolish not to try one before electing to purchase a commercial antenna..."
  (If website down, use the Internet Archive)
  • Ez-10 Corner Reflector Super easy and cheap to make; excellent 10 dBi gain!
  • Ez-12 Parabolic Reflector Almost as easy and cheap to make; 9-12 dBi gain!
  • Deep Dish Cylindrical Parabolic Also easy and cheap; original project on this site.
• USB adaptors & DIY antenna = "Poor Man's WiFi"?, using (Chinese) parabolic cookware?! Although indeed rather a Feng Shui mix, performance is amazing, with ~15dB gain from a 12" (300mm) diam scoop & LOS ranges boosted to ~4km. Construction is a breeze- no difficult metal work. Using USB connectors means long cheap USB lossless cable runs are now possible too. Recommended!
• Omnidirectional Antenna made with coax cabling
• Do-It-Yourself Wireless Antenna Update Looking for inexpensive ways to increase the range of your wireless network? That and much more..
• Practical Answers on Maximizing Cantenna Performance Great Tips on Cantenna Use.
• High Gain Wireless LAN Antennas and Adapter Mods Excellent how-to for building antennas for long range connections.