hArTh said:
Just checking:
Centrino based laptops dont have external connectors for external wifi ants?
If so, could you chaps recommend a decent 802.1abg combo PCMIA card with a connector for an external ant?
What about USB ants? Could they be used to extend the range of a centrino based laptop?
Hiya
To answer you (in order):
No, as has been 'splained below Centrino laptops typically have a miniPCI card in the base connected to antennas (TX and diversity) in the screen by *really* thin wires ..and they're DAMN fiddly to deal with! I know cos I upgraded my hopeless Intel 11B card to a Senao ABG unit and it was a pain to do.
There IS, in fact, a PCMCIA (can't remember the acronym can you? *g*) card you can get: the Senao SL2511CD+EXT2, see
http://tinyurl.com/4837p (resolves the product page at senao.com) They're available from Miro Distribution. One caveat, it's an 11B card only -but it IS a possible answer ..and it's a brute (check the specs).
As to USB hardware, you don't seem to be in luck (that I've found in a cursory search) for one that can take an external antenna but for ABG action the Linksys WUSB54AG -see
http://tinyurl.com/4bh2d (linksys.com). As to signal/range boosting with it *shrug*, who knows- play and tell the rest of us? *g* One thing you could do is put the USB dongle on the end of a 3m extension cable (well within USB signalling specs (..it's 5m)) to get it above the heads of signal sapping meatbags ..who knows?
To bring daffy's post into it, you can (again from Miro) get a UFL to N-type (or SMA/f) cable that'd technically fit onto the card in the Centrino laptop you're thinking of butchering- certainly an interesting hack, but it'd render the unfortunate laptop rather less sleek!
