Questions about a Cantenna...
 

I want to make one and it is not the construction that confuses me but how I may connect one to my computor.

I have an internal wifi modem in my laptop, which I feel is the problem.

The question: How can I connect a cantenna, such as the one described here, to my laptop which only has an ethernet and USB inputs? I want to use the USB inputs, preferably. Is it possible? What would I need to do so?

I'm sorry if this is an obvious question, but it has me baffled. Much thanks!

Unless you want to go through the trouble of programming a microcontroller to do the signal processing and conversions to usb, and then write your own device driver for the thing, and then a whole slew of other shit which most companies take months to complete, then you probably won't be able to get it done through USB.

However, there is the possibility that you can use the internal WiFi connector in your laptop. You will have to open it up, of course, and then see how that part works. I believe it is typical for a laptop to have antennae threaded through the case, and they are attached to the board with a simple MMCX connector. Since that site gives you directions in how to make a N-to-MMCX pigtail connector, you should be fine following those directions. As an aside, you can get a lot of the components you need for good prices as the following suppliers: Mouser, Digikey, and Jameco.

One thing you should note is that while the cantenna will get a pretty high gain for signals, signal degradation through the wire is pretty high, so the shorter a pigtail you use, the better a signal you will get.

Of the five laptops I've disassembled, four of them had an antenna inside the right side of the display case. Getting at that might prove difficult.

Well, he doesn't have to actually get to the antenna itself, just the MMCX connector on the motherboard/wireless card.

Ah, right. Never mind then.

Well, I can see clearly that I do have a MMC input that has gone unoticed for about two years now. Looking at the MMCX images I see on The Google it doesn't look as though it would fit in there... also since SD cards are supposed to go in that hole too :/

I also have a slot to stick extra shit into, like if I wanted an external wireless card for some reason. Could that be used in some way?

Anyway, thanks for the advice, I'll see what I can do from here :3