USB 802.11b adapter with external antenna anyone?

**cyjad** · 11-27-2003, 05:45 AM

Does anyone know of a specific brand of USB 802.11b adapter that supports the use of an external antenna that can be mounted outside the vehicle? Most I have seen have the antenna built.

**Laidback** · 11-27-2003, 05:54 AM

Originally Posted by cyjad

Does anyone know of a specific brand of USB 802.11b adapter that supports the use of an external antenna that can be mounted outside the vehicle? Most I have seen have the antenna built.

Um, wrong forum, try this - http://forums.netstumbler.com/
There's more info there than you could ever need!

**bill_best** · 11-27-2003, 12:21 PM

I just did a bit of research on 802.11b cards and antennas..

Best 802.11b PCMCIA card Senao SL-2511CD PLUS EXT2

Best external antenna for vehicle mounting 8 dBi Magnetic Mount Omni Antenna

The best price I found for the Senao card is $75 at

http://www.netgate.com/NL2511.html or http://www.hautespot.net/products/onlinecatalog.html

The antenna can be found at http://www.hyperlinktech.com/web/hg2409mgu.php

There is also a cheaper and more sturdy 5 dBi antenna at
http://www.hyperlinktech.com/web/hg2405mgu.php

Took me a few hours to read about all the info, but it was worth it. If I keep reading about new stuff like this I'm never going to get anything done! 8)

Bill.

**Laidback** · 11-27-2003, 01:19 PM

Originally Posted by bill_best

I just did a bit of research on 802.11b cards and antennas..

Best 802.11b PCMCIA card Senao SL-2511CD PLUS EXT2

Best external antenna for vehicle mounting 8 dBi Magnetic Mount Omni Antenna

The best price I found for the Senao card is $75 at

http://www.netgate.com/NL2511.html or http://www.hautespot.net/products/onlinecatalog.html

The antenna can be found at http://www.hyperlinktech.com/web/hg2409mgu.php

There is also a cheaper and more sturdy 5 dBi antenna at
http://www.hyperlinktech.com/web/hg2405mgu.php

Took me a few hours to read about all the info, but it was worth it. If I keep reading about new stuff like this I'm never going to get anything done! 8)

Bill.

Hmmm, the Senao does sound good! I wonder how it compares with the Horizon D2D thingy? http://forums.netstumbler.com/showth...&highlight=D2D Maybe better as there's no external antenna connection on the Horizon!

**wizardPC** · 11-27-2003, 04:00 PM

the Orinoco USB client adapters are actually USB->PCMCIA adapters with PCMCIA Orinoco cards, surrounded by a big plastic enclosure. Break open the enclosure, and there is an antenna connector on the card

**NS98GSR** · 12-02-2003, 11:14 PM

are the 802.11 antennas wired a specific way? couldn't you just attach it to you car's radio antenna?

**smack** · 12-02-2003, 11:31 PM

An FM Broadcast-band antenna and 802.11b antenna are vastly different - the wavelength of a tuned 802.11b antenna is about 1/24 that of the FM BCB (100MHz) - and typically the 802.11b antennas are constructed to have much more gain than a simple 1/4-wave antenna like the FM antenna is. Most antennas, especially those the transmit as well as receive, are tuned over a narrow frequency range - typically only a few percent of the carrier frequency.