Losing the antenna of your wifi card isn’t uncommon. In fact, many users would be losing theirs at the time of writing this article. However, there are ways in which you can make your DIY antenna right from things available in your household. So, how to make a wifi antenna for your laptop?
- By using a paper clip antenna and replacing your previous one
- By making a directional soda can antenna
Here we come up with the 2 best ways about how to make a WiFi antenna for laptop with step by step guide.
2 Ways to Make a Wifi Antenna for Your Laptop
If you want to make a wifi antenna for your laptop so here we come up with the best 2 ways that you can follow to make a wifi antenna for your laptop.
1. Using Paper Clip Antenna
A paper clip is all metal. Therefore, you can use it to catch wifi signals from your router to your wifi card.
Here are the things you need.
Materials
- A ballpoint pen
- 2-inch paper clip
- Ruler
- Wire cutters
- Lighter
- Scissors
- Black tape – the one used to secure electronic components
Method
Step 1
Take the paper clip and straighten it out gently. Do not bend it over until the next step.
Step 2
An antenna is usually 60 mm to 61 mm long. Therefore, measure the paper clip and cut it right at 61 mm.
Step 3
Take the ruler once again and measure out about 19 mm. Bend the wire at 90 degrees right at that point to make the insertion point into the port.
Step 4
Take the pen and remove the cartridge from the inside. Make sure that it’s empty or you use a used pen.
Step 5
With the help of the wire cutter, snap at least 18 mm from the cartridge to use it as a cover for the new antenna.
Step 6
You’re supposed to cover the bent area of the antenna with the 18 mm cartridge. This part has to be at least a millimeter or so shorter than the bent-over part.
Step 7
With the help of the lighter, shrink the cartridge so that it fits perfectly into the paper clip. You can do that by holding the lighter below the cartridge.
Step 8
Wrap the tape around the whole structure you just made to isolate it from the environment. This will stop all sorts of interferences.
Step 9
Now take the paper clip antenna and insert it gently into the wifi port of your PC. Make sure that the paper clip and the connector pin connect well with one another, leaving very little space.
This is how you make a wifi antenna for your PC. However, this is mostly for desktops because it is supposed to be inserted into the wifi card or connector directly.
To be able to do this for your laptop, you’d have to buy an external WiFi dongle. But when you do that, why would you want to create a paper clip antenna? Just in case that breaks up in the future.
2. Using Soda Can
You could also use a soda can to make a directional wifi antenna that will, again, work best on external devices.
Your laptop’s internal components are very fragile. Therefore, opening it up and then tweaking its innards with these processes is only going to make things worse. So, unless you have problems with the external dongle you’ve bought for your laptop or desktop, I don’t recommend trying any of these methods.
Considering that your external dongle has broken, here’s how you can use a soda can to get things going.
Method
Step 1
Empty the soda can of all its contents if it’s not empty.
Step 2
Take a cutter and cut out the top side of the soda can. Be careful when using the cutter because you wouldn’t want to go to a hospital at this point. When you’ve scored around the top, use scissors to cut out any remaining parts. You’re supposed to cut things out as smoothly as possible.
Step 3
Clean the soda can from the inside with the help of regular dishwasher soap and leave it to dry out on its own.
Step 4
After it dries, place the can on a cloth or newspaper and make a hole at about 4 inches from the closed end with the help of a knife or a nail beaten into the point with a hammer. Please be careful enough to not use excessive force as it can damage the whole can.
Step 5
Use tape to secure the open end of the can. Then take a coaxial wire or cable and cut both ends with the help of a wire cutter.
Step 6
One of the ends of the wire goes into the hole you made into the soda can. Secure it with the help of tape.
Step 7
Take wire strippers and remove the outer insulation cover from the other end by 2 inches. You’ll see a clear or translucent sheath underneath. Do not remove it completely. Instead, use the wire strippers and remove the covering for about 1 inch to view the wires inside.
Step 8
The naked wires go into the wifi port of the wifi adapter (external). Solder the outer cover so that any part of the naked wire gets covered. You should also wrap the tape around this point to insulate it and not let the elements interfere.
Step 9
Plug the wifi adapter you just connected to the can into your laptop. The soda can will capture wi-fi signals of your router and then route them to your laptop via the adapter.
How do I increase the range of my laptop’s Wi-Fi?
Reduce as many obstructions as you can, moreover, placing your laptop inside concrete rooms can dampen your laptop’s WIFI signal range drastically, so get those windows open for both fresh air and WIFI signals.
How can I make my own WiFi for free?
Convenience your neighbor or your friend to lend you their WIFI password in order to use their Free WIFI, moreover, you can also use Free WIFI if you are located near corporates such as Hotels, restaurants and such.
How is Wi-Fi generated?
WIFI is generated by utilizing dual-radio waves which transmit and receives data, these radio waves are 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz respectively.
How to Make a WiFi Antenna for Laptop – Conclusion
Making a wifi antenna for a laptop is hard if you consider removing the internal parts or replacing them. That’s because those parts are small and if you meddle with them, you may mess up another part in their vicinity. Therefore, it’s better to buy an external wifi adapter. However, if you want to increase the power of that adapter, then follow the two methods I mentioned above. They will help route all the wifi signals to your laptop and that’s how you’ll get rid of unruly spikes and jitters.
