Cookie Cantenna

I was out on Y2K last night repairing my shared wireless connection when I remembered I had promised to do a post on its special directional antenna. This "cantenna," different from conventional omnidirectional antennas, focuses the receive (or broadcast) power in a narrow band rather than a full 360 degrees. With it I can zero in on wireless signals coming from several blocks away! When done right it can also be mounted on a standard camera tripod for the easiest setup and direction tweaking ever.

Its way cool, easy to build, very inexpensive (yes Big Spender), and the best part.... you get to eat COOKIES (yes COOKIES!) while you build!

Check it out here!
Better give it some mobility... Here is an eBay search for the cable. Remember: the longer the cable, the greater the signal loss, so modesty is golden here. I find about a 6' (72") cable works the best for mobility/performance.

Oh, quick note: In general, this is used with wireless cards with some sort of external wireless antenna connector (like most PCI desktop wireless adapters). Some laptops even have an external wireless antenna connection, but most do not. Even most USB adapters don't have them. Check your system out first, but even if you lack the connector, don't let that stop you from picking up a can of cookies anyways! That's where I'm headed!