Linksys Wireless G USB antenna.
Hacking the Linksys Compact Wireless-G USB adapter model WUSB54CC to connect an external antenna. (10/24/2008)
Back in 2006, I did purchase a Linksys wireless USB adapter to get better signal on my notebook. The fisrt one that I purchased, didn't even got any signal of my router (three rooms away), I went back to the store and the solution that the store employee gave me was to replace it. So I got another one, exactly the same model.
I got not good signal with the new one. The signal that I got with notebook's built-in wireless adapter was better than the USB WUSB54CC adapter. So, I decided it may need an external antenna.
After opening the USB adapter, I found the tiny "antenna". I guess that was the problem why an USB adapter doesn't have good signal regardless "Wireless G get twice the range than 802.11b" as the manufacturers indicates.
I took the antenna from an old wireless card... when I say old, I mean; really old. Please don't ask me from where I took the antenna because I don't even remember the name of the device. I guess some old cellphones have similar antennas and can be used.
After taking the antena from another device, I did a "quick and dirty" soldering work to attach it. One wire from the antenna is connected the the ground and the middle one is connected to the antenna.
Some people recomends to cut the internal antenna to allow the external one to provide better signal, but I didn't do that because I wanted to revert the process in case it doesn't work.
Basically, this is how easy was to install the external antena to the USB wireless adapter. After doing this, I made my own
Homemade WiFi Lid Antenna,
getting more than 13dB gain.
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