Where is the wi-fi antenna in a laptop

I use a Toshiba Satellite A100-386 laptop, which has a Centrino Duo.

The wi-fi signal in the bedroom is very weak indeed. But I can get
usable reception with the laptop placed in some rather precarious
positions.
I was wondering where exactly the built-in wifi antenna is situated, so
that I can try and better position the laptop.
Is it in the lid? or in the base? If so, whereabouts? I've tried
twisting the laptop around while monitoring the results on Netstunmbler.

I've also tried using external wifi cards, either USB or PCMCIA. They
are all less sensitive than the laptop's built-in wifi receiver.
Is there any way of connecting an external wifi antenna onto this laptop?

Thanks

Salvador

The wi-fi antennae in my Toshiba 2455-S305 are two wires running vertically
(when the LCD is in a vertical position) behind the LCD. I don't have
built-in wireless so I have no way of comparing a built-in to my PCMCIA
wireless card. Seeing the length of the wires I can imagine that the
built-in could be much more sensitive.

Dan

"Salvador Freemanson" <> wrote in message
news:4733477b$0$5249$...
>I use a Toshiba Satellite A100-386 laptop, which has a Centrino Duo.
>
> The wi-fi signal in the bedroom is very weak indeed. But I can get usable
> reception with the laptop placed in some rather precarious positions.
> I was wondering where exactly the built-in wifi antenna is situated, so
> that I can try and better position the laptop.
> Is it in the lid? or in the base? If so, whereabouts? I've tried twisting
> the laptop around while monitoring the results on Netstunmbler.
>
> I've also tried using external wifi cards, either USB or PCMCIA. They are
> all less sensitive than the laptop's built-in wifi receiver.
> Is there any way of connecting an external wifi antenna onto this laptop?
>
> Thanks
>
> Salvador

Dan Dubosky wrote:
> The wi-fi antennae in my Toshiba 2455-S305 are two wires running vertically
> (when the LCD is in a vertical position) behind the LCD. I don't have
> built-in wireless so I have no way of comparing a built-in to my PCMCIA
> wireless card. Seeing the length of the wires I can imagine that the
> built-in could be much more sensitive.
>
> Dan
>
> "Salvador Freemanson" <> wrote in message
> news:4733477b$0$5249$...
>> I use a Toshiba Satellite A100-386 laptop, which has a Centrino Duo.
>>
>> The wi-fi signal in the bedroom is very weak indeed. But I can get usable
>> reception with the laptop placed in some rather precarious positions.
>> I was wondering where exactly the built-in wifi antenna is situated, so
>> that I can try and better position the laptop.
>> Is it in the lid? or in the base? If so, whereabouts? I've tried twisting
>> the laptop around while monitoring the results on Netstunmbler.
>>
>> I've also tried using external wifi cards, either USB or PCMCIA. They are
>> all less sensitive than the laptop's built-in wifi receiver.
>> Is there any way of connecting an external wifi antenna onto this laptop?
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>> Salvador
>
>
Not familiar with the specifics of that Toshiba but more laptops have
the antenna(s) in the lid. The actual antenna is only a couple of
centimeters in size. "L" shaped elements are popular.

Google < high gain WiFi antenna > and you'll see plenty of external
antennas -- both omni directional and very high gain directional
antennas. Biggest difficulty is matching them to either a WiFi card or
your internal WiFi chip.
hth -- pj

pj wrote:


> Google < high gain WiFi antenna > and you'll see plenty of external
> antennas -- both omni directional and very high gain directional
> antennas. Biggest difficulty is matching them to either a WiFi card or
> your internal WiFi chip.
> hth -- pj

But how can you connect an external antenna to the internal wifi chip?

S

Salvador Freemanson wrote:
> pj wrote:
>
>
>> Google < high gain WiFi antenna > and you'll see plenty of external
>> antennas -- both omni directional and very high gain directional
>> antennas. Biggest difficulty is matching them to either a WiFi card
>> or your internal WiFi chip.
>> hth -- pj
>
> But how can you connect an external antenna to the internal wifi chip?
>
> S
Have never played with a Toshiba. On the Thinkpad the antennas are
connected to the chip with short runs of 50ohm coax and a very small
coax connector (about 1.5 mm, outside diameter.)

I salvaged the coax and connector from a 'scrap' Thinkpad that the
company techs were using as a spare parts bin. Connected that to a
Pringles-can antenna and was in business. The Thinkpad antennas might
be phased in some manner -- I have no clue. Left one connected and that
seemed OK.
--
pj

Salvador Freemanson <> writes:

>I was wondering where exactly the built-in wifi antenna is situated, so
>that I can try and better position the laptop.
>Is it in the lid? or in the base? If so, whereabouts? I've tried
>twisting the laptop around while monitoring the results on Netstunmbler.

Does the manual say anything about this? I've got a Gateway laptop that
has two wireless antennas in the upper part of the display, and it says
that in the manual. I've also opened up a dead Compaq that put two
antennas in the "shoulders" on the base where the display hinge is
attached.

They do need to be somewhere that is outside the usual RFI shielding
that encloses the motherboard and most of the electronic parts.

Dave

pj <> writes:

>I salvaged the coax and connector from a 'scrap' Thinkpad that the
>company techs were using as a spare parts bin. Connected that to a
>Pringles-can antenna and was in business. The Thinkpad antennas might
>be phased in some manner -- I have no clue. Left one connected and that
>seemed OK.

More likely, the two antennas are used in a "diversity reception" setup -
the card uses whichever one provides the stronger signal at any given
time (this can change rapidly if the laptop is moving).

If your Pringles antenna produces a significantly stronger signal than
the builtin antenna, the card will choose to use it all the time.

Dave

The antenna is usually in the lid. The card is usually a mini-PCI card
in the base. You could connect an external antenna to the card instead
of the internal antenna.

Salvador Freemanson wrote:
> I use a Toshiba Satellite A100-386 laptop, which has a Centrino Duo.
>
> The wi-fi signal in the bedroom is very weak indeed. But I can get
> usable reception with the laptop placed in some rather precarious
> positions.
> I was wondering where exactly the built-in wifi antenna is situated, so
> that I can try and better position the laptop.
> Is it in the lid? or in the base? If so, whereabouts? I've tried
> twisting the laptop around while monitoring the results on Netstunmbler.
>
> I've also tried using external wifi cards, either USB or PCMCIA. They
> are all less sensitive than the laptop's built-in wifi receiver.
> Is there any way of connecting an external wifi antenna onto this laptop?
>
> Thanks
>
> Salvador

What type of antenna is on your router or wi-fi gateway? Try changing it's
position and check the signal level at the laptop. I find I get best
reception on my ThinkPad with the Linksys router antenna in a horizontal
position. Experiment for the best signal strength.


"Salvador Freemanson" <> wrote in message
news:4733477b$0$5249$...
>I use a Toshiba Satellite A100-386 laptop, which has a Centrino Duo.
>
> The wi-fi signal in the bedroom is very weak indeed. But I can get usable
> reception with the laptop placed in some rather precarious positions.
> I was wondering where exactly the built-in wifi antenna is situated, so
> that I can try and better position the laptop.
> Is it in the lid? or in the base? If so, whereabouts? I've tried twisting
> the laptop around while monitoring the results on Netstunmbler.
>
> I've also tried using external wifi cards, either USB or PCMCIA. They are
> all less sensitive than the laptop's built-in wifi receiver.
> Is there any way of connecting an external wifi antenna onto this laptop?
>
> Thanks
>
> Salvador