Systm #45: Practically Free DIY WiFi Antennas

Cut and past your way to better WiFi reception? It costs pennies and takes the fabrication skills of a kindergartner... then bend a 6dBi Omni and a 10dBi directional out of copper wire!

It's the infamous Ez-12 Parabolic Reflector, hosted at FreeAntennas.com.

Here's the EZ-12 template link.

Omnidirectional Antennas = radiate signal 360 degrees...

A panel mount or surface mount female N connector and 300mm of solid core copper is the heart of the Home-brew Compact 6dBi Collinear Antenna a slick e found on MartyBugs.net.

Directional Antennas = generally concentrates your WiFi in a single direction.

We went to the Seattle Wireless most excellent collection Antenna HowTo for the SardineCanAntenna a biquad you can build with or without an N-connector, at least at the antenna end! (just search WiFi Biquad to find a host of construction ideas!) You don't have to use a sardine can, just about anything will work as a reflector, even a pressed CD... it just needs to be metallic and around 150mm in diameter.

There are quite a few more WiFi antenna designs out there... these are just some of our faves!