What to pay for?
Often a user complaint when buying a Wi-Fi antenna extension antenna will be a cost complaint: for what to pay $ 25?
A typical W-Fi antenna extension cable is a common computer cable with two USB connectors at the ends, dad and mom. The modem itself may be pricked for $ 25, the mentioned question arises in the head as the logic of reasoning lasts. Dad and Mom, between them is a regular wire. ..
Causes of poor signal reception
Home network
Why lengthening is required? More often, other things in the house have a host, a computer that distributes to those who wish( with an access code) the Internet. Usually, the family rejoices at the opportunity to receive a built-in laptop board through the internal Wi-Fi antenna of the grid, but there is a younger one who lives at the far end and does not reach the distribution.
Objective reasons are:
- the presence of a large number of concrete and brick walls in the signal path;
- nearby microwave;
- bad location transmitting Wi-Fi antenna.
There are obstacles on the way of the wave, interferences - in addition the modem is sometimes located on the back of the system unit. A brief list of reasons for the lack of a network or permanent cliffs is presented, which makes it hard for you to think about how to lengthen the reception of a Wi-Fi signal from an antenna.
Public network
HRTP severely limits the power of the transmitters - the network must be registered with the equipment and obtained licenses, in addition, the electromagnetic background of urban settlements should be left normal.
Therefore, a Wi-Fi network subscriber is sitting and unsuccessfully trying to enter a username and password in his own apartment. It is useless to complain about the provider, only fulfilling the prescribed standards, but it is permissible to move the modem to a window or balcony, and the network will begin to function.
These are the main reasons that make people pay $ 25 for a Wi-Fi antenna extension. For the sake of justice, it is worth noting that the length of the USB cable does not worsen the reception conditions. The modem receives and amplifies the waves independently and autonomously; it can safely work at a considerable distance from the personal computer, regularly transmitting and receiving packets.
Remote Passive Wi-Fi Antenna
Fabrication of
The first solution to the problem is a directional antenna for enhancing passive Wi-Fi. The gain is achieved by the radiation pattern, and the connecting wire is not provided for too long. Options for frequencies 2.4-2.485 GHz.
The Wi-Fi antenna resonator will be a special-shaped figure made of wire with a diameter of 1.5-2.5 mm. You will need to bend two squares, with a total angle. The process begins with him. The main condition is that the inner side is 29 mm, the size of the outer one depends on the diameter of the wire. The result is an eight with straight( 90 degrees) angles. The end is trimmed and gently soldered to the beginning.
In the neck of the eight, two corners meet:
- Where the end connects to the beginning.
- Where the wire goes to a new square.
These two corners should not touch - these are the points from which the signal is taken. Future mount points will need to be carefully tinned.
The Wi-Fi reflector of the antenna is, for example, a PCB board with one-sided foiling, any piece of hardware of a similar size. A hole is drilled in the center, sufficient for the RG-6U coaxial cable. As a result, the resonator is at a distance of 1.5 cm from the reflector.
To ensure the conditions will need a power element. A thin-walled plastic cylinder with a length of 2 cm is quite suitable. Crosses of hollows under the wire with a diameter of 2 mm are sawn in it crosswise.
Build:
- The cable is passed from the non-folded side, coming out on the opposite side.
- A hollow cylinder is put on the cable.
- The screen and the core are soldered to the neck of the eight.
- Just inside the cable, the cable is pulled back, pressing the resonator and the plastic power element tightly against the board.
- Nether fill with liquid nails, sealant, any similar composition, resistant to moisture. We'll have to make sure that the resonator maintains parallelism to the reflector.
After drying Wi-Fi antenna is ready for use.
Using
Three options are known, according to which the introduction of a homemade antenna is carried out:
- Wi-Fi modem;
- access point;
- laptop.
Warning! The actions below are given as recommendations to the reader to follow at your own risk. But handy visitors will succeed!
Modem flash drive
More often at home there is a small modem in the form of a flash drive. It will have to open. To make it clear: inside the modem there is a flawed mini-antenna, you need to connect the assembled one to its inputs.
The cover is removed with a thin screwdriver, knife or scalpel, starting from the USB connector towards the top. Gently, without pressure, you hear a click.
Inside two miniature connectors, carefully covered with paper. Protection needs to be removed. If you place the modem with a USB connector to yourself and look at the top, the connection is made to the left connector, you cannot touch the right one.
It is easy to see that considerable skill is required to connect the coax. It is hardly possible to get the original picdale, it's time to be smart.
To the above, we add that the coaxial cable is not made long, otherwise the desired effect of using a directional antenna will disappear.
The directional pattern turns in different directions until a satisfactory signal level at the receiving side is obtained. By the way, on the receiving side. It also uses the described antenna, possibly with greater efficiency.
The other side of the
Receiver home network is usually a laptop. Inside the case is a receiving module Wi-Fi. It is located right under the lid, there is no need to disassemble the laptop completely. The mentioned module:
- is large enough;
- is provided with explanatory notes on what it is;
- has a pair of inputs, the main Main and an additional Aux.
Without a connector, it is better not to continue. Just screw the cover into place, find the required part, then continue. Subsequent actions are obvious: the connector is mounted on a coax with the antenna, and reassemble and test. Difficulty - to bring the cord out.
Reception conditions should be noticeably improved. The method is quite applicable to any antennas, including self-made. Try using a spire router by attaching it to a laptop. A true craftsman is able to bring the socket of the connector to the case so that the process of using an external antenna becomes civilized.
Access Point
It is enough to find the connector, connect a homemade antenna instead of the existing spire. This will allow you to choose the direction and get the gain.
Active Wi-Fi antennas
Choosing an
chip There are access points on the market, but there are no antennas with signal amplification like those found for TVs. The Wi-Fi antenna is assembled on a UHF chip for the 2.4 GHz frequency, as for example VMMK-2403.
The amplifier body is equipped with input and output connectors, legs for power supply. The cost of the chip is 4 $.Caring manufacturer forgot to specify the main thing - the limiting parameters of climatic factors. It is strongly recommended to avoid using the product in the cold, rain, etc.
According to the typical use design, the input( from a Wi-Fi antenna) and output connectors are designed to work with RC-50 cables and are galvanically decoupled with 100 pF capacitors connected to the equipment.
A voltage of +3 V is supplied from the output path through a choke with an inductance of 15 nH.Two 100 pF and 0.1 μF capacitors are connected in parallel to filter the supply circuit. You will need to ground the corresponding chassis connector.
The example relates to a frequency of 3.5 GHz, but it is easy to recalculate the filter resistance for a band with a 2.4 GHz boundary. In this scheme, the cable for an analog video camera is appropriate. Choose a 50 ohm coaxial model.
The Wi-Fi antenna booster is located as close as possible to the receiving point, ideally close to it. As mentioned above, the manufacturer did not provide data on climatic conditions. This means that the chip is designed to work exclusively in a warm server room, away from roofs and other convenient places to house the antenna.
Recommendations for assembling an
Before amplifying a signal, you need to assemble, test, and reconcile a Wi-Fi antenna. The cable used is RK-50, this fact discards some of the amateur constructions.
Testing takes place under milder conditions, closer to the reception site. It is necessary to determine the limit of the capabilities of the antenna without an amplifier. This is useful for assessing the effectiveness of the microcircuit( note the author - being a radio engineer, I cannot predict the future, but I’ll say for sure: the circuit should work).
The amplifier is now mounted as close as possible to the antenna. Power 3 V. .. or help out Duracell. In the future, it is recommended to consider where to extract the desired voltage.
The standard power supply of the PC system unit includes three voltages:
- 3.3 V;
- 5V;
- 12 V.
According to the VMMK-2403 specification, the microcircuit can work with a power source up to 10 V, the main thing is not to connect it to 12 V. By the way, 12 V and 5 V are bipolar. The land is usually black, and 3.3 V is orange. It will help to avoid the error of a standard or sophisticated tester. Separate coolers of the personal computer work from the required voltage. If you take the old processor fan and cut off the string, you get the right thing.
Receive and Transmit
Two directional antennas are manufactured for receiving and transmitting and are placed directly above each other. Amplifiers are switched on by both paths in opposite directions, with the received power being divided in half, partially radiating into space. This scheme is not suitable for closed spaces, as it will begin to receive its own reflected signal. It is permissible to correct the situation by selecting the path gains: there is a chance that one of the directions does not require much gain.
But a professional switcher costs more than $ 100.The gain in price is obvious.
P.S.: There is a chance that the second antenna of the laptop, the own antenna of the flash modem, will pull in one direction without an amplifier. Experiment.
Enhanced Wi-Fi antenna will certainly provide excellent reception. .. if the user is handy.
