How To Build A High Gain USB WiFi Cantenna

Software used to test the Cantenna: inSSIDer, available for download here: http://www.metageek.net/products/inssider/

Website that will calculate all measurements you will use during construction:
http://www.turnpoint.net/wireless/cantennahowto.html

Can diameter: approximately 3.5 inches, measured from the open end of the can.

This video is the first follow up video to my previous "Wok Fy" video. This antenna is several times more effective and just as easy to build. I chose to use a USB adapter instead of an SMA type connection because this solution is far easier for most people to implement (everyone has a USB port nowadays).

If you are in a hurry, you can skip to the end and see the results. Conclusion: assuming that you make the correct calculations and measurements, this antenna is a great solution for your crappy WiFi reception. I hope you enjoy the video, please leave feedback and rate.

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• Wok-Fy
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[vineetmaan1]

how far can the range go ???

[Tim8242]

@vineetmaan1 From my back deck, I have a 1.2Km line of sight (LOS). I drove around the area first and logged all access points and their respective channels, RSSI's, GPS coordinates and plotted all data on a google maps satellite image of the surrounding area/test area. This allowed me to correctly position the antenna and select the best non-overlapping channel to establish a link on. @1.2Km, I was able to set up an ad-hoc network+ICS between my laptop and my desktop. I think it can go farther.

[novicebb]

Thanks for the video. Will start my project this week.

[Tim8242]

@novicebb I ended up mounting this on a cheap one dollar tripod, it makes positioning the darn thing much much easier. A few days ago I made another coffee cantenna, using the first can shown in the video at 0:44 (Same size but made out of a different material) and a Linksys cheap-o usb wifi network adapter. It was an Epic Fail. It might have been the aluminium ridges along the inside of the can that made the waveguide less than ideal.

[Tim8242]

According to my research, you actually **DO NOT** need to drink the coffee first, you can actually put it in a zip lock bag and save it for later.

[bbfx27]

someone had to much coffee

[Tim8242]

@bbfx27 lol just wait until I finish up the video that uses a pringles can. I eat all the pringles. You would think it would be easy, but I seriously almost vomited. Most people have very short attention spans and need to be constantly amused or they stop watching.

[Bodyskillz2011]

coffe makes me nervous and wifi signal is weak ohhhh

[novicebb]

Getting some of the items on Amazon now. Hope to get started this weekend. Going to the mountains of North Georgia next week and you cant get a signal in those area's without a decent boost weather Wi-fi or HDTV signals. SO good side project for an non nerd like myself.

I hope I can have some success

[Electroniko06]

Coffee!!

[incfellow]

I love Coffee & Wifi...lol