I have 18 WIFI cards, this is my best wifi receiption ever

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TomKroscavage · #1 Post by **TomKroscavage** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 2:53 pm

My T23 was freezing up every time I picked it up. I found that the NIC card was the problem, so when I had the computer apart I added a tlink tl-wn660g minipci card. It has an atheos ar5005gs chipset and it interferes with the NIC card so I replaced the NIC daughter card with a pcmcia card. I drilled two 1/4" holes with a small bit then a unibit (important) between the modem jack and the video out I mounted a U.FL to rp-sma pigtail in that spot added an antenna and my reception went through the roof. I'm sure the good grounding in that spot made a difference.

#2 Post by **rkawakami** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 3:14 pm

Great job! If you have any pictures or additional details, please post them here.

For the people who may have a problem visualizing where this is:

http://www.rkawakami.net/images/t23_bac ... ntenna.jpg (20KB)

The view is from the front side of the laptop looking towards the back. This is on a base that has been totally taken apart (LCD panel and motherboard have been removed).

#3 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 4:29 pm

It sounded very mumbo-jumbo to me until I saw what this adapter looked like: http://jefatech.zoovy.com/product/UFLRPSMA6
That sounds like a terrific solution for non-wifi equipped laptops.
Question: does not the external antenna interfere with the laptop-lid?

TomKroscavage · #4 Post by **TomKroscavage** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 7:15 pm

It seems the battery was making the system freeze up and not the NIC, but I like the idea of the Wifi inside and the NIC in the PCMCIA slot. The onboard NIC and the ar5005 chip don't mix well and is the subject of another thread

Hi rkawakami. I didn't get pictures before I buttoned up my T23. I did not expect the reception to be so good, but thanks for the atta boy. To give you an idea of how good the reception is I have a netgear WG511T, and with Net Stumbler it picks up two signals. My Buffalo AirStation with external antenna picks up three signals. The rest of my cards pick up only one. This set up picks up 14 signals, 9 of them in the green. My quest for good WIFI finally bore fruit

#5 Post by **rkawakami** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 7:36 pm

I understand how the external antenna can be just as effective than the factory internal ones (if not more). I did an install like you have just done for your T23 on one of my 600X systems. Documented here in this thread from last year:

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=25953

It's still my favorite 600X system. I also tried installing an antenna inside the lid of another 600X but the reception is pretty bad. Since there doesn't seem to be any area on the sides of the T2x to mount an RP-SMA antenna jack (my preferred arrangement), I've been looking for factory-equipped wireless models and experimenting with under-the-keyboard antennas. My reason for a side-mount antenna is so that it does not interfere with the use of a docking station.

TomKroscavage · #6 Post by **TomKroscavage** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 7:43 pm

realblackstuff wrote:Question: does not the external antenna interfere with the laptop-lid?

No the lid works perfect, but the antennas are hard to get on because the connectors are so close. The antennas have 6 foot cords. I use only one antenna the second one does not seem to help.

#7 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 2:19 am

For doing it a next time, would it not be more convenient to replace the serial port with these pigtail connectors?
Would the wires from it be long enough to reach the connectors on the mini-card from the serial port location?
There seems to be very little space between video port and RJ45 jack.

#8 Post by **rkawakami** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 2:58 am

Spirit-1776 wrote:I use only one antenna the second one does not seem to help.

If you have connected pigtails to both the MAIN and AUX antenna jacks on the MiniPCI card, then that makes sense. A circuit on the wireless card selects the strongest signal from the two antenna inputs. Since you are using external antennas, and both are presumably the same type, there won't be that much difference between the two to notice.

realblackstuff wrote:<snip>... would it not be more convenient to replace the serial port with these pigtail connectors?

Probably not. You would have to unsolder the serial connector from the I/O board. Granted, the hole in the case to mount the pigtail connection is already done for you (it may need some enlarging). Besides, you would lose that capability (a serial port). The distance from the MiniPCI card to either spot is about the same, so a 6"-8" pigtail is about all you would need.

alex.wave · #9 Post by **alex.wave** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 10:22 am

if i'm not missing something, could you not remove the ethernet port on the back of the machine and use that? actually...just realised, this would be in the way when using a standard docking station?

#10 Post by **rkawakami** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 10:37 am

Actually, if you install the antenna jack anyplace on the back panel it will interfere with a docking station. Just to clarify... I'm talking about an RP-SMA jack; other types might allow the system to fit on a docking station but you would still have to remove the antenna.

#11 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 1:13 pm

you would lose that capability (a serial port).

When was the last time you used a serial port?
Since the PS/2 mouse and internal/USB modems I have not touched that port in probably 5-6 years, who needs it?

#12 Post by **rkawakami** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 1:29 pm

realblackstuff wrote:When was the last time you used a serial port?

Two days ago

. Besides hooking up some old programming interfaces which rely on RS-232, I have a GPS unit which operates off that port and have been known to use it to communicate with a Sun workstation.

Serial ports are not just for mice

.

richp · #13 Post by **richp** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 9:44 am

realblackstuff wrote:
you would lose that capability (a serial port).
When was the last time you used a serial port?
Since the PS/2 mouse and internal/USB modems I have not touched that port in probably 5-6 years, who needs it?

A serial port in my case was a reason I picked up a T in the first place. I do alot of work with cisco and juniper stuff so it was a major issue. Same with suns, serials are not just for mice and modems...

TomKroscavage · #14 Post by **TomKroscavage** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 12:53 am

The pigtail I used will not fit in the Serial port, but I would like to find a better place for the antenna. I may want to use my dock.

Temetka · #15 Post by **Temetka** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 1:01 am

I sued the serial port on my T23 to talk to Cisco gear all the time.

Too bad my T41p does not have one. A simple USB to serial adapter solved that issue.

Serial is more important (to me) and the parallel port.

#16 Post by **rkawakami** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 1:46 am

Temetka wrote:I sued the serial port on my T23 to talk to Cisco gear all the time.

Who's your lawyer?

(Getting back at you for Bill)

Temetka · #17 Post by **Temetka** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 2:43 pm

Gah!

Karma!

TomKroscavage · #18 Post by **TomKroscavage** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 10:25 pm

Has anyone ever used a mmcx connector for a project like this?

TomKroscavage · #19 Post by **TomKroscavage** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 9:32 am

Heres what I did on my X22
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=48919

I have 18 WIFI cards, this is my best wifi receiption ever

I have 18 WIFI cards, this is my best wifi receiption ever

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