Wireless Can-tenna

[FarEast]

Directional Antenna.

Outline:

Having seen these for sale at various shops I decided to save a lot of money and build one of these for my home wireless network and what with the clamp down on the misuse of work e-mail, internet and other utilities given to the employees for work related use rather than personal use I decided to build my own so that I could be a shinning example of how to beat the system and to gain maximum bragging rights at work before anyone else in the IT dept. thought of it.

I set out by reading up on wireless networks and protecting them from “War Drivers” or illegal usage and hacking and found directional aerials more secure than omni-directional aerials as the directional aerials only have a area coverage of 30 rather than 360. Also it meant that the signal would be more focused and stronger than an omni-directional. Any way with a bit of research you can work out what’s best for your needs, so lets get on with what you need and how to build it!

First off you will need to find out what aerial connections your wireless router uses whether it be TNC or SMA (Most Linksys and Cisco are TNC while DLink and Netgear tend to be SMA) But it’s best to check with your manufacture if your not sure about what connector it uses.

Ok the First thing you need to do is find a can ….yes that right a can! Now the bigger the can the better! You’re looking for a can at least 3 inches in diameter and 11 inches long, again the bigger the better. For this Job I selected a can of Pineapple pieces that I emptied into a bowl and eat while building the Antenna. Yummy! (If you use a pet food can I don’t recommend doing the same!)

Ok now on to the other bits and pieces, you will need to buy:

Pigtail cable with an N-male and the connector
(This is to attach to your access point at the other. Now remember to make note of your TNC or SMA socket on your access point it male or female as this will save you both money and a unwanted journey back to where you bought the cable!)
N-type chassis socket
12 Gauge Copper Wire
Solder and other bits and pieces

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/9646/DSC01594Small.JPG

Method

The first thing you should do is remove the contense of your can and either eat it or give it to any pets you might have lying around! And then wash it out. You may even wish to remove the label but as this is a ghetto mod you might opt to have “Chunky Chops” or what ever brand you decided on as your wireless logo! The next thing to do is to either punch or drill a hole for the N-type chassis socket, I drilled mine as I didn’t want to run the risk of denting my can.

Now before you make that hole you will have to work out where to put it.

Can Diameter:

3 3¹/8 3²/8 3³/8 34/8 3⅞ 3⅝ 3⅞ 4
Distance from bottom of can
3⅞ 2⅞ 24/8 2²/8 2 2 1⅞ 16/8 16/8
Length of Can
11²/8 86/8 74/8 66/8 6²/8 5⅞ 54/8 5³/8 5¹/8

All measurements are in inches

Once you have marked where your N-type chassis socket will go make your hole just big enough for it to go through.

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/9893/DSC01600Small.JPG

Now the next thing to do is to cut a piece of 12 Gauge Copper Wire to 1¹/8 of an inch I used a pencil sharpener to make one end into a point….. Don’t ask me why! Just looks good! And then solder it into the N-type chassis socket.

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/7531/DSC01597Small.JPG

Now to affix it you can use a strong bonding agent like super glue, Screw it into place or solder it. It should now look like this:

http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/2660/DSC01605Small.JPG

Now basically you have your finished antenna although you will need to mount it on to something! I used an old Logitech web camera mount.

The other thing you can do is make it look more professional if you don’t like the ghetto look.

I bought some blue sheet plastic and cut a piece to the dimensions of the can and also removed a notch for where the N-type chassis socket joins the can.

http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/1830/DSC01602Small.JPG

[FarEast]

I then used a very strong bonding agent to join it to the can and held it in place with rubber bands and left it in a warm place over night and also the next day to make sure I had a good bond.

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/4800/DSC01604Small.JPG

Then once it was all set, I put it onto the tripod from the web camera and added a few stickers that I carefully pealed of an old Linksys router I had lying about….. You can see why I chose that blue now can’t you!

Ta Da! The finished piece!

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/5625/DSC01608Small.JPG

Now all that’s left to do is to remove one of the antenna off the back of the wireless router and to attach the other end of the pigtail lead and you can enjoy a longer wireless connection distance and a stronger signal!

[FarEast]

This was posted for "fccdj" in regards to his post Here (http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=2711612#post2711612)

I did this mod about 6 months ago and never got round to posting it on the forums and his post inspired me to finish writting it up.

Oh yeah I forgot it gave me an extra 3 mile coverage on my network without LOS and 8 with LOS. Perfect for the offices I work at as long as i'm not in the basement or in the center of the building!

[SpaceRangerJoe]

This is awesomely awesome. I want to try this here, but I'm afraid there is to many trees. A friend of mine in his apartment a few blocks away is stuck with dial up, even though his laptop has a wireless card. He is to far away from the school's access points to pick up a signal, and can't afford cable. I wanted to try to use one of the wireless routers in the house and do this, since I'm sitting pretty on a 100Mbit line here. For routers with 2 antenna, do I just need to disconnect 1 of them, or should I only have the can line plugged in? Does the access point on the remote side need to have a similar directional antenna as well?

Again, this is a kickin rad mod. Well done. :thup:

[FarEast]

well you can have one antenna as the omni-directional aerial for your home wirless and then disconnect the other and fit the directional antenna pointing at your freinds PC.... you have 30 degrees of focused signal so perfect alignment isn't required.

[suicidalmole]

now theres a true, do-it-yourself mod. awesome job FarEast.

[fletch]

Good job :D I've been meaning to try one of these out - great how-to

[chkptcharlie]

niiiice

[GOD Macktruck]

that's awesome.

i dont have a use for something like that now, but i'll definately remember this in the future.

: ) :

[Alexia]

Originally posted by FarEast
well you can have one antenna as the omni-directional aerial for your home wirless and then disconnect the other and fit the directional antenna pointing at your freinds PC.... you have 30 degrees of focused signal so perfect alignment isn't required.

Cantennas are great! :D My setup is straight line of sight. I have my cantenna mounted on an old PrimeStar satellite dish and can reach up to ten miles max, usually around six because of obstacles. :eek:

[chkptcharlie]

seeing that is making me wanna get a laptop... just so i'll have use for it ;)

or so i can lan good with the guy down the way.

[madcow235]

6miles :O That means i can build one on my roof and use my computer at school. BADASS. To bad i dont have a laptop

[SpaceRangerJoe]

Would I need to put a similar antenna on my friends computer in order for this to work, or would it be fine without it?

Also, there is a fair amount of tree cover, as well as some buildings that would be in the way, unless I could mount this on top of a pole or something. Do you think it would still work alright?

[FarEast]

nope mine is sat ontop of my router right now so it is beaming a signal through 2 walls (1 internal, 1 external) there are houses in the way and i still get a strong signal at the closest office i work at ...3-miles away.

[SpaceRangerJoe]

That is so awesome it makes me want to pee myself :D.

[OCMunkee]

Everyone's saying "I dont have a laptop"
I've got a half cantenna job on my desktop PC, I could only find the connector to go to the card, but I couldn't find the connectors to put through the can, so currently I have a wire going from the wireless card to the chassis of my PC, and it actually works okay.

It's so impossible to find decent electronics parts here, 'specially considering I can't even drive anywhere *tear*.
FarEast, any ideas where I'd get the chassis connector to put into the can?

[FarEast]

First of all i will need to know what connector you require... as different cards or routers have differnet outputs, once i know i can locate one for you....if your unsure tell me what brand and model card you are using and i can take it from there.

[RangerJoe]

im just wondering, how would one set it up on the receiving computer. i dont know much about wireless networks, but i do not understand how that part works...

[FarEast]

you don't really need it on the receiving end...... although that would make a damn strong connection! remember all arials receive and transmit so you could remove the ariall off the PCI wireless card and attach a can anntena aimed at your can-anttena. (Can you say fried birds?)

If your asking about connection settings then he will need to join your wireless network.

[penquissciguy]

Could you post where you got the information for the location of the can hole? Thanks.

Ken

[FarEast]

I can't remember where I got it from .... It was in a word file that I strated writing around 6 months back... if you need the measurments converting let me know.

[-=Ambush=-]

Hey what speed are you getting with that?

Anything decent, as in 1/2-2mbs?

If so dang! I may need to get me some campell's soup in the near-future. :p

[FarEast]

My router uses 54Mbps wireless networking so it's capable of running at those speeds, But my Pocket computers CFII wireless adapter is only 11Mbps. At the closest office I get between 4-6Mbps but that is because there is no antenna on it.

[penquissciguy]

I found the calculations on the web, so I'm set. Hope to order up the parts for one of these soon.

Ken

[FarEast]

Originally posted by penquissciguy
I found the calculations on the web, so I'm set. Hope to order up the parts for one of these soon.

Ken

Great news...... once you have it built post some pics.... maybe we can get a Can-Tenna gallary going! :D

[SpaceRangerJoe]

Originally posted by penquissciguy
I found the calculations on the web

Link?

[penquissciguy]

Here's one with an online calculator.

http://www.turnpoint.net/wireless/cantennahowto.html

Ken

[Yuriman]

Uhh, am I missing something?? What does this plug into, a standard wireless pci card? Do you unscrew the antenna thats on it and put this on? Sorry for my lack of knowlege, but a wireless network has been out of my budget.

[FarEast]

The can-anttena would attach to either the wireless network router or the PCI card. The attachment that you connect the pigtail lead to should have the same connector as your PCI card or Router.

Mine is N-type but there are 3 differnet types that I am aware of.

[Alex_Knight]

Hope thsi link works.


http://www.glocktalk.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=223970&highlight=antennas



I did the pringles thing.


If you tune it right, it's exceptionally tight. :D :D :D

[funzie]

Is there a list of PCMCIA cards that has connections for the pigtail? Ive never been able to connect to my campus wireless network, so with a small home made cantenna these problems would definetely be solved.

[FarEast]

no the pigtail is just the cable it's the type of connector at the end that matters. IF you go to the manufactuters website it will tell you the type of connector the card uses. As i i said there are 3 types I know of TNC (Linksys, Cisco), SMA (Netgear, D-Link) or Lucent (Buffalo) these might change depending on product but the manufactures tend to stick to the same type throught the range but double check.

[OKJEFF4]

Hmm, my new lappy has built in antennas. I guess I have to do some crazy solder hack job to do this. Any tips?

[funzie]

Well I found this, http://johnvu.net/blog/archives/000117.php for us stuck with the sucky D-Link card. Now I need to figure out which connector it is.

[Kendan]

Originally posted by OKJEFF4
Hmm, my new lappy has built in antennas. I guess I have to do some crazy solder hack job to do this. Any tips?

The built ins are just mini pci cards with two antena ports that connect to the antena that goes around the screen.

And the wireless cards need different pigtails than the wireless routers. A good place to find them is www.fab-corp.com

[chkptcharlie]

so i wonder what would happen if i used the spare sattelite dish instead of a can..... hmmmm. wonder if it'd be worth my time finding out.

[Alexia]

Originally posted by chkptcharlie
so i wonder what would happen if i used the spare sattelite dish instead of a can..... hmmmm. wonder if it'd be worth my time finding out.

The thing about this is that it concentrates the singal. It pure line of sight. A cantenna alone will give you lee-way on where you are in front of it. To do the satellite method, you have to have on dish on each end.

[SpaceRangerJoe]

For use with the satelite dish, you still need something to "aim" the signal towards the dish. Something like a cantenna. I saw an article a while back where someone put the can on the arm that stick out the front of the dish, then aimed it towards the milddle of the dish. Something like that could work, but might be harder to aim it properly.

[chkptcharlie]

ahh. gotya.

[Alexia]

Originally posted by SpaceRangerJoe
For use with the satelite dish, you still need something to "aim" the signal towards the dish. Something like a cantenna. I saw an article a while back where someone put the can on the arm that stick out the front of the dish, then aimed it towards the milddle of the dish. Something like that could work, but might be harder to aim it properly.

Check out one of my earlier posts, that is what I did. :)

[Como]

question: how far, rooftop to rooftop, could 2 80211b prigles ca-ntennas work? i'm moving into town soon and have some friends that would be willing to do this with me...possilby a triagle? is there a way to set up 2 can-tannas on a single acess point?

howabout a local signal AND a directed one? i'd like ot only buy one acess point, and mayube boost the individual signals for it...maybe 2 or 3 directed signals to people and my local one for when i get a laptop.

[Alexia]

Originally posted by Como
question: how far, rooftop to rooftop, could 2 80211b prigles ca-ntennas work? i'm moving into town soon and have some friends that would be willing to do this with me...possilby a triagle? is there a way to set up 2 can-tannas on a single acess point?

howabout a local signal AND a directed one? i'd like ot only buy one acess point, and mayube boost the individual signals for it...maybe 2 or 3 directed signals to people and my local one for when i get a laptop.

I know you can do this with Linksys. You can tell their individual antennas to send, recieve, or do both. Set them to both, hook the cantenna up to one then a regular or omni-directional antenna to the other spot.

[OKJEFF4]

Hmm, and Ad-Hoc triangle. That's tricky ish right there. Maybe some of those military boosters from HyperlinkTech will work. Try it.

[Como]

military stuff = money

como = no money :)

como = no military stuff :(

i trangle would be a later project, i'd like ot start with a 2 way can to can network...to play LANS on. (dialup makes internet play = poo)

my friend has a linksys 802.11b wireless/wired router. ifi set both antennas to both, then attatched one to a can, then did the same at my house, how far could i get a signal? (we're moving to that town soon and i'm hoping it will be in range)

[chkptcharlie]

i'd also like to pitch in the question of how much does the signal fluctuate during periods of weather(thunderstorms or rain)?

[FarEast]

LOL to be honest i have never really checked that... although durring the humid season the range is reduced by about a mile or two...... anyone living in this part of the world will understand why.

[unreal]

well beats the system to a pulp but now needs to make it look nice and pretty.. lol

[FarEast]

UH?

sorry that doesn't make much sence

[Alex_Knight]

Originally posted by Como
question: how far, rooftop to rooftop, could 2 80211b prigles ca-ntennas work? i'm moving into town soon and have some friends that would be willing to do this with me...possilby a triagle? is there a way to set up 2 can-tannas on a single acess point?



My personal maximum is about 2 miles with the pringles cantenna and a somewaht obscured line of sight. . Although I'm fairly confident that a wave guide cantenna would probably go further.

I took advantage of the fresnal zone to clear tree obstacles.

The polarization thing is a little tricky. Make sure your antennas match.

The trick is the alignment. It takes a minimum of 2 people and a bit of patience.

There are plans on the web that show you how to use a Primestar reflector with your wave guide. This helps to focus your signal and limit your VSWR.

Trevor Marshall has a great web site for this stuff: http://www.trevormarshall.com

The problem with setting up two antennas on a single AP with amplification is that your loss of signal is essentially half, depending upon: (Check FCC rules for amplified signal issues in the unlicenced 802.11 band.)

1. Length of cable to the splitter.
2. Length of pig tail to the antenna.

It probably would work fairly well if you mounted the AP on the roof with the antennas using really short pig tails. The use ethernet for the long run. Again, Trevor Marshall has some good info on his site about this stuff.


Good Luck

[Mark620]

Originally posted by FarEast
you don't really need it on the receiving end....

But for this to work the recieving ends transmitter has to get a signal back to the originating transmitter. I do not understand how it is possible that your Pocket computers CFII wireless adapter has the power to transmit back without its own Directional Antenna.

[OKJEFF4]

I think that the cantenna on the transmission end recieves the signal back. Maybe a cantenna can send AND recieve.

[FarEast]

Of course it can! (No pun intended) Think about it guys If your antenna can only send or recieve you would need two antenna on everything wireless......antenna can recieve and send.

[su root]

One of my projects for Wireless Technologies class was to build a Waveguide antenna (Cantenna).

Our group decided to go all-out, and custom build it. We got our hands on some galvanized piping, capped one end, and built it to within a few millimeters of the 2.4GHz wave specifications. Unfortunately, we havn't had a chance to test it yet (the first card we tried was broken, and the second one we tried had a faulty pigtail :(). Although not exactly cheap, we expect that this one will get a better signal than using another can, which would not be built as closely to specifications.

http://ocimg.blackpacket.net/Cantenna/dsc03733.jpg
http://ocimg.blackpacket.net/Cantenna/dsc03732.jpg
More Photos.. (http://ocimg.blackpacket.net/Cantenna)

[Clean_Baldy]

bumping this interesting post...

I have highspeed internet, and i use land lines for everything. If I wanted to move a computer, but don't have wireless in my house... can I get a PCI card, and build an antenna and steal my neighbors wireless? I live in the suburbs, where everyone has wireless. I get a very low signal/no signal from someone around me on my laptop, so I know wireless is close, and not protected with WEP.

I can easily make this antenna... and I have access to a PCI wireless card. Should I do this to get wireless?

[su root]

bumping this interesting post...

I have highspeed internet, and i use land lines for everything. If I wanted to move a computer, but don't have wireless in my house... can I get a PCI card, and build an antenna and steal my neighbors wireless? I live in the suburbs, where everyone has wireless. I get a very low signal/no signal from someone around me on my laptop, so I know wireless is close, and not protected with WEP.

I can easily make this antenna... and I have access to a PCI wireless card. Should I do this to get wireless?
Stealing neighbor's wireless = bad. Just buy your own router.. they're getting cheap nowadays.

[Xenocide]

thread from the dead!

kill it

[techun]

so this can send it a mile or two..or more?! man..why don't they make routers with their own cans on them? if u saw routers with ranges in feet..and then one in miles...it might draw someone's attention

[Leviathan41]

Don't steal your neighbors internet. . .

Besides, I don't even think you can talk about that here. . .

[Clean_Baldy]

I have high speed in the house already, as does everyone... so, its technically not "stealing"

Its more like using their bandwidth over their router, instead of mine :)

The only reason I am even considering it, is because I want to make this neat little antenna, and actually have it work...


You guys didn't answer what I was really trying to ask... Will this work?

[FarEast]

I have high speed in the house already, as does everyone... so, its technically not "stealing"

Its more like using their bandwidth over their router, instead of mine :)
?

Regardless of what you think it's very illegal ,theft or hijacking of network resourses or airtime could land you in a whole pile of trouble, I frequently scan for intruders on my network and wouldn't think twice about reporting such abuse.


The only reason I am even considering it, is because I want to make this neat little antenna, and actually have it work...

Then do what others have stated BUY THE ROUTER.


You guys didn't answer what I was really trying to ask... Will this work?

Of course it does ...... I wouldn't have written a walk through otherwise :bang head

[FarEast]

so this can send it a mile or two..or more?! man..why don't they make routers with their own cans on them? if u saw routers with ranges in feet..and then one in miles...it might draw someone's attention

They do ...... just not in your local PC store and the ranges are huge as well as the price you will have to pay for the product.

[Leviathan41]

Its more like using their bandwidth over their router, instead of mine :)

That's the definition of stealing. . .

That's like saying, "I already have a car, but I am going to use my neighbor's car without asking them instead of mine."

[Gongo56]

so what how much does a wall affect distance... like if i had to send a signal through 10 regular housewalls, some glass, little bit of steel, some piping.. i should still get a good signal about half a mile away?

[syberspy9]

that is SO COOL!
i hear about using a tin can but you made it look great.

[LutaWicasa]

If there is any more discussion of theft/illegal activities...this thread will be history, along with a vacation or two from these forums being handed out.

This will be the only warning regarding this.

[OLMI]

Holy crap! I had no idea something like this was so simple. Good idea, and thanks! :D

[Daewood]

man that is so sweet my friend about a mile away has no internet but a wireless router and he cant afford internet so i think i might build this and let him have some internet speed...

[FarEast]

If there is any more discussion of theft/illegal activities...this thread will be history, along with a vacation or two from these forums being handed out.

This will be the only warning regarding this.

hmmm rather than Killing the thread that is informative and offers a walk through on how to build the thing, Why not just delete the offending posts? That way the law abiding users here don't miss out on something that adds to our community.

[syberspy9]

Yes i agree FarEast but there should be no discussion of theft/illegal activities here and he is right about that.

(with that said the best thing to do would be to edit the post and put a warning at the top of the thread in big red font.

i got Eobard to do this for my DvD back up sticky.

Come on guys lets keep it clean.


very cool thread!

[PLOBBY]

Omg this is awesome!...Is there a certain disntance the hole needs to be away from the top and bottomn?

[su root]

Omg this is awesome!...Is there a certain disntance the hole needs to be away from the top and bottomn?
Yeah, needs to be a specific ratio between:
a) the 2.4GHz wave and the length of the can (and the diameter)
b) the 2.4GHz wave and the distance from the back of the can to the wire, and height of the wire.

Here's a bookmark dump from when we did the project... we actually broke it down to millimeters, and shaped our own can right to the 2.4GHz wave specs, as mentioned in the first link here:
http://www.saunalahti.fi/elepal/antenna2calc.php
http://www.turnpoint.net/wireless/cantennahowto.html
http://www.seattlewireless.net/index.cgi/BuildingYagiAntennas
http://www.andrewhakman.dhs.org/yagi/
http://www.wwc.edu/~frohro/Airport/Primestar/Primestar.html
http://www.wifi-shootout.com/

If you want a better signal, try using the satelite dish add-on, or using the ribbed pole (iirc it's called a 'driven element'?), which amplifies the signal.. real yagi's have them, and they help out the signal quite a bit.

[PLOBBY]

Yeah, needs to be a specific ratio between:
a) the 2.4GHz wave and the length of the can (and the diameter)
b) the 2.4GHz wave and the distance from the back of the can to the wire, and height of the wire.

Here's a bookmark dump from when we did the project... we actually broke it down to millimeters, and shaped our own can right to the 2.4GHz wave specs, as mentioned in the first link here:
http://www.saunalahti.fi/elepal/antenna2calc.php
http://www.turnpoint.net/wireless/cantennahowto.html
http://www.seattlewireless.net/index.cgi/BuildingYagiAntennas
http://www.andrewhakman.dhs.org/yagi/
http://www.wwc.edu/~frohro/Airport/Primestar/Primestar.html
http://www.wifi-shootout.com/

If you want a better signal, try using the satelite dish add-on, or using the ribbed pole (iirc it's called a 'driven element'?), which amplifies the signal.. real yagi's have them, and they help out the signal quite a bit.


thanks for the info.

[tom10167]

Holy crap!

I HAVE NO IDEA what's going on in this thread!

I feel like such a moron! :(

[FarEast]

su root .... great post...maybe we should get this one stickyed somewhere?

[PLOBBY]

Hey guys. I was wondering if this is possible. Well i have this can and just found out it was cardboard on the inside thinking it was aluminum but the bottom of the can is only aluminum. Am i still able to use this? I mean a pringles container is cardboard too or whatever...Any help would be appreciated.

[Pro*Banshee]

Can't wait for the first cancer reports when people use two satelite dishes. *considers pile of them in garage, looks at neighbors house accross creek*

It feels.....warm....."Hey Mikey! Start getting files off of the network!"
*cooks to death in the way of 2.4 GHz networking signals*

[SpaceRangerJoe]

Can't wait for the first cancer reports when people use two satelite dishes. *considers pile of them in garage, looks at neighbors house accross creek*
Thanks to my brother, I have recently acquired this (http://www.personal.utulsa.edu/~christopher-deverges/images/dish.jpg). I dont know exactly what I'm going to do with it just yet, but I want to do something with wireless ethernet. I just need to find a place to put it...

The scale is a little off on that, but the dish is roughly 12 feet in diameter. That should make aiming the signal a little easier. Of course my parents said they would disown me if I stuck it in their backyard.

[Pro*Banshee]

So you want to go hunting?

*scans sky and looks for flock of birds, boots up laptop then starts to download mp3's*

but with that dish...I'm guessing 20 miles wouldnt be out of the question (thats transmitting). I think there's a practical limit to how much gain a dish can add though, right?

[Gongo56]

i thought i read that dishes required a dish on the other end

[SpaceRangerJoe]

For maximum effectiveness, you would need some sort of dish or directional antenna on both ends. I really have no idea what I'm going to do with that dish. Since I don't have a place to put it (I live in an apartment!), there's no good way to use it for anything. What I am more interested in though, is getting 2 direct tv dishes or something like that, and using them. If I stick a little heatsink and fan on my router for cooling, I should be able to double the transmitter power without any serious problems, or so I understand. I think the default for most wireless routers is between 24 and 28 milliwatts. Not a whole heck of a lot of power. That, along with a dish at both ends should be plenty to get a signal the 9 or so miles to my friends house.

On the other hand, I have seen a 1 watt amplifier for 2.4ghz signals. It was only like $300 I think. That, along with some good antennas would send a signal a LONG way. Of course, then I would have a deal with the FCC... That might not be fun.

[Sumcrazyguy21]

I went to a local radio shack and could not find the connectord i needed !!!!!!!! PLEASE does anyone know where to get the connector pieces to adapt on to the router and to the wire??? Should i try a different RATSHACK? Also u think it would be possible to hook up into a CB base station anntena? :)

[su root]

I went to a local radio shack and could not find the connectord i needed !!!!!!!! PLEASE does anyone know where to get the connector pieces to adapt on to the router and to the wire??? Should i try a different RATSHACK? Also u think it would be possible to hook up into a CB base station anntena? :)
By law, the connectors on these wireless adaptors must be proprietary, so that consumers must buy the specific antennas that are rated for it. Your best bet is an electronic parts store. You will need to find the name of the connector.. for example, cisco uses Reverse-TNC's. You could try a CB antenna, but I'm not sure how well that would work... it's made for a completely different frequency range (although, it may be a standard dipole at the heart of it).

You could also try ripping apart an existing antenna, but you will be destroying a perfectly good antenna (and will have nothing to fall back on should your modding fail)

[Sumcrazyguy21]

Where to i get the conectors from pigtail to router? I went into a local radio shcack and they said they didnt have them??? Should i try a different Radio shack? Or do i need to find somewhere else? "In the US"

[Sumcrazyguy21]

Woops didnt see my post thought server lost it sorry for re-post... :)

[su root]

Where to i get the conectors from pigtail to router? I went into a local radio shcack and they said they didnt have them??? Should i try a different Radio shack? Or do i need to find somewhere else? "In the US"
As I said, the connectors are proprietary, you will need to go somewhere other than radio shack to get them... see if there are any *real* electronics stores in your area.. ones that have all of the weird connectors that no-one has ever seen before.

[Kendan]

http://www.fab-corp.com/

[tenchi86]

Ok this is going to sound dumb I have no idea about really anything wireless. First off any recommendations on a good router, I would need both the recieving and transmiting parts. Also both need to work on desktops. Thanks for any help.

[TekeTorvo]

When MaximumPC did the Cantenna write up, they put in Bold letters how illegal this was. Just thought I would pass this on.

[su root]

When MaximumPC did the Cantenna write up, they put in Bold letters how illegal this was. Just thought I would pass this on.
It's only illegal if you overpower it beyond FCC/CIRA regulations. Custom antennas aren't illegal. There is one section of the regulations that states that the antenna connectors must be proprietary. This is to make it difficult for inexperienced people to make custom antennas. If you go to the trouble of finding the proprietary connectors, you should be able to understand the power ratios and regulations, and do a little figuring to make sure your cantenna doesn't exceed the maximum broadcast power output.

However, it's very unlikely that you'll have the FCC/CIRA kicking down your door because you are 10mW over the limit because you didn't do any of the calculations, or miscalculated.

[techun]

maybe if you talk to your neighbor you're getting it from and explain it they might let you? if not it's illegal, might be anyway, not sure

[TekeTorvo]

My appologies. It wasn't MaximumPC. It was PC Modder. The BOLD letters says, "It's against the law to attach a non-FCC-approved antenna to your access point. Build at your own risk if you still decide cantenna is the route you want to go". A can may be FDA approved, but I doubt it is FCC approved.

I agree it is very unlikely anyone will ever beat down your door. It is illegal though, and I am making sure people know that. What they do with that info is not my concern.

[RangerJoe]

We tried to set this up, but I think you have to ground the connector to the can.

That and you cant really solder an aluminum can to a steel connector...

[lilxvietxboi]

Hum 30 degree angle of sight. 30*12 = 360. Would it be possible to build a omni directional cantenna(From multiple cantennas - 12)?! Would love to have access to my computer in my car while on the road or at my friends house where they don't have broadband!

[demortey]

just put togather a cannontenna...its pretty massive..all my physics finally payed off..i calculated wavelengths yay!! anyways heres sum pics, i dont know how well it works, or if it even works because i havent hooked it up yet. still waitin on sum RPTNC connectors i got off ebay. and yes...its on a telescope stand pointing out my window. the cd is there to show you how big the barrel is, and a shot of my really bad riviting job...i was in a handicapped mood today and couldnt get em straight

peace

[su root]

just put togather a cannontenna...its pretty massive..all my physics finally payed off..i calculated wavelengths yay!! anyways heres sum pics, i dont know how well it works, or if it even works because i havent hooked it up yet. still waitin on sum RPTNC connectors i got off ebay. and yes...its on a telescope stand pointing out my window. the cd is there to show you how big the barrel is, and a shot of my really bad riviting job...i was in a handicapped mood today and couldnt get em straight

peace
Looks nice... but it's very long.... most people just use 3/4 wavelength, but I guess it should work on any quarter wavelength. Did you build it for a specific channel, or just for the 2.4 GHz range in general?

[demortey]

just 2.4 ghz...it should do any channel but i really didnt take channels into consideration..its 3 wavelength long, should be alrite tho..if it doesnt work i have lots more metal and bnc connectors. im planning on doing some expirimenting. i want it to reach my gramparents house which is about 3 miles from here because they only have dialup which is really slow...im rambelling...

peace

[demortey]

i have a question about the wire inside on teh end of the BNC or N or whatever coaxial connector you so choose...how do you determine how long that wire is to be, and can anyone paintbrush up a wavepattern that would be in teh can, im a little confused as to where the wave pattern would start...does it look like a sine wave, cosine wave or what...that would help alot

peace

[Oroka Sempai]

I share a wireless connection with a friend, who lives in the same apartment building as I do, but he gets a really weak signal. I dont want to put a can-tenna on my router, as I connect to the router too, from a completely difftent direction. Is it possible to put a can-tenna on his system and improve his signal, or do I have to be beaming it right at him from my router?

[demortey]

if your router has 2 antennas have 1 can and 1 normal, or get onea those antenna thigns, not sure what there called at the moment, but they go in all directions

[demortey]

thats what im thinkin of...if you already have a signal but its weak you should get away with something like that NP

[demortey]

wow...im retarded today...heres the link to taht antenna that i forgot to send in one of my last 3 posts
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=61816&item=5787413867&rd=1

im goin 2 sleep...for everyoens sake

peace

[Oroka Sempai]

Wow, that is a great price for a omni-directional antenna. Proably be cheaper to buy that than build a can-tenna!

::edit::
I take all that back. I now know why he is selling those items for so cheap... he is making a mint on the shipping. He wants $25usd to ship to Canada via USPS! :bang head :shrug:

[demortey]

haha, yea...just check on ebay and see...a friend picked one up fer 25 bucks with shippin n everything..if i see n e thin ill let u no

[lukeman89]

hmm i have a question about this. is there a way to take an idea like this and maybe make a cell phone signal booster? my house is kind of a deadspot as far as cell phones go, its the only place i've been to where i get 0-1 bars all the time. and its my HOUSE!! its so frustrating. all those creative minds out there, get to work! :p

[demortey]

those antenna booster things dont work as well as they say, but i gained an extra bar in my lowest signal area

http://www.wirelessguide.org/accessories/antennas.htm

they also have other antennas on that site, they're prolly easy enough to make

[su root]

wow...im retarded today...heres the link to taht antenna that i forgot to send in one of my last 3 posts
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=61816&item=5787413867&rd=1

im goin 2 sleep...for everyoens sake

peace
A cantenna is a home-made yagi, not an omni.
Cell towers generally use a bunch of omni's for connection to cell users, and high-gain yagi's for point to point links

[demortey]

A cantenna is a home-made yagi, not an omni.
Cell towers generally use a bunch of omni's for connection to cell users, and high-gain yagi's for point to point links

im a bit confused...are you correcting me...or just saying that as an fyi

[su root]

Bit of both. If you were looking to build a cantenna(yagi), but bought a omni instead, then you aren't getting the same thing.. omni and yagi antennas are built for two different purposes.

Yagi has a higher gain, and is used for point-to-point links between two locations. Omni have a lower gain, and are used to cover a larger amount of area.

The example I used was a cell tower. 4 Omni antennas are generally used, one in each direction, to connect to subscribers. Each of these omnis has about a 90 degree yield, which allows them to spread the signal over a wide area. The Yagi on the cell tower has a much more focused signal and is used to connect to cell towers that are farther away.

If you were looking to build a point to point link and bought an omni, then notice that they are not the same thing, and your link will not be able to go as far due to the lower gain.

[demortey]

ok...im a bit confused about the actual purpose of a cantenna now...i could put it on my router and point it at a friends house and be able to pick up the signal there provided everything works? my cantenna isnt working very well...probably becasue it has too long of a waveguide

also...does anybody know what the wave pattern inside the cantenna would be? and how long that wire inside should be?

thanks

[su root]

Point to point connections is what the cantenna is for. Omnis are for connecting users that are a fair distance away within a certain area, and dipoles (what comes with your router) is for connecting users that are close any direction.

I dumped these bookmarks on an earlier page, but here they are again:
http://www.saunalahti.fi/elepal/antenna2calc.php
http://www.turnpoint.net/wireless/cantennahowto.html
http://www.seattlewireless.net/inde...ingYagiAntennas
http://www.andrewhakman.dhs.org/yagi/
http://www.wwc.edu/~frohro/Airport/.../Primestar.html
http://www.wifi-shootout.com/

In there you will find all the calculations that you need in order to build it, including can length and the transmitter height.

[Weezynin3r]

Thanks for the all the links su root! I definatly have to build one of these cantennas. I get a signal strenght of "low" currently on my 802.11b linksys network.

[soundfx4]

Oh god, I tried this and it did not work well. I followed the specifications exactly and it worked, but not well at all. The result was worse then my omni antenna. I'm not trying this again for a long time. Don't mean to discourage anyone, I'm just sharing my experiance. :(

[theKramer]

Hi.
Does the can for this "Cantenna" have to be made of metal, or can a plastic container be used.
I have been finding it difficult to find a metal can, however I have plenty of plastic containers that I could use instead.
Thoughts?????
Thx.

[EmAn]

it would have to be a metal can as to focus the signal... a plastic container is similar to what is protecting the copper antenna on your router.. it does not focus the signal

once i can get some things together i plan to build and shoot it down to my friends house on the other side of the neighborhood ~.5 miles

[eternaljammer]

Wow, I m=ust invest the time to put one of these together everyone agree's it is worth it.

[soundfx4]

Wow, I m=ust invest the time to put one of these together everyone agree's it is worth it.

careful though, I tried and it failed. A lot of time waisted for me, but if you get it working, it should be well worth it.

Ok, it wasn't that much time, just enough to discourage me for a while.

[SINNISTER]

What kind of range do get from one of these

[Ninth]

Theoretically you could get a better effect making a small cantenna, and pointing it at an eliptical reflecting dish, but for that you would basically need to custom make the dish knowing exactly where you were shooting it down to a few feet, and/or having a recieving dish, which would be very difficult...

-considers the possibilities-