Get WiFi Antenna: Building Your Own

There are numerous WiFi antennas out on the market, but people who enjoy the challenge of build-it-yourself projects can always build their own antennas. To get WiFi antenna, you can get cans, such as coffee cans, Pringles cans, or even juice and food cans, but you have to make sure that the cans are smooth, or any ripples in the can may cause distortion to the WiFi signal.

Also, try to get long cans, since the longer the can, the better performance you will obtain. To get WiFi antenna using cans, you will also need an N-type Female Chassis-mount connector, which you will use to connect the cable from your wireless device and to solder on a wire, nuts and bolts to attach the connector to the can, and the wire.

There are numerous calculations involved in building your own WiFi antenna, especially for determining the best place to secure the N-type Female connector to the can: the calculations are based on the can's diameter and the frequency at which the antenna will operate, but sites such as www.turnpoint.net provide calculators to help you figure out the best position for the connector.

Alternatives to Get WiFi Antenna from Cans

For individuals who prefer methods to get WiFi antenna different from a can, there are other materials that they may purchase, and still build their own low-cost WiFi antennas. To get WiFi antenna that is directional, you will need a small, thumb-shaped USB wireless dongle; a TypeA-to-TypeA, male-to-female USB extension cable of enough length; and a mesh-covered dish, such as a wok, sieves, steamers, discarded DirectTV dishes, or mesh-covered umbrellas.

You can then attach the USB dongle to the apex of the mesh-covered dish, one end of the cable to the dongle, and the other end to your wireless device. Then you have to aim the dish to the remote antenna from which you are transmitting and receiving WiFi signals, and tune the dish by adjusting the position of the dongle. As is the case with can WiFi antennas, you can also find instructions in the Internet to explain in much more detail how to get WiFi antenna from these types of materials, for example: www.wikihow.com.

Benefits to Get WiFi Antenna of Your Own

There are many benefits to get WiFi antenna of your own, and the main one is to increase the range of your WiFi signal. For home-owners, this means a better reception in different parts of the house, particularly for people who own multi-story homes, or homes with structures that limit the WiFi range, for example, concrete walls in a basement or around a backyard. Although there are commercial WiFi antennas that serve the same purpose, do-it-yourself enthusiasts can build their own WiFi antenna at a fraction of the cost of a commercial one, and have fun in the process!