How to Modify a Wireless External Antenna
- 1). Unplug all cables attached to the wireless router. Place a sheet of newspaper on a table to protect the surface. Place the wireless router on the newspaper so that the back side that has the vertically placed antenna is facing you.
- 2). Clamp the jaws of the pliers around the ring surrounding the base of the external antenna. Loosen the ring surrounding the base by twisting the pliers counter-clockwise. Unscrew the ring with your fingers. Pull the cover rod off the antenna wire element with your fingers.
- 3). Measure up two inches from the base of the external antenna. Cut the antenna wire element at the two-inch mark with the scissors. Dispose of the cut-off element in the trash.
- 4). Cut off the end of the antenna port on the pigtail N adapter with the scissors. Cut a two-inch slit in the outer insulation with the utility knife. Separate the two wires. Strip a half-inch of insulation off each end with the wire strippers.
- 5). Heat up the soldering iron for five minutes. Solder the positive (+) labeled exposed end of the wire that was just stripped to the end of the wire element. Let the solder cool for two minutes. Solder the negative (-) labeled exposed end of the wire just stripped to the base of the antenna. Let the solder cool for two minutes.
- 6). Unplug the soldering iron. Wrap strips of duct tape around the ends of the two wires to secure them to the wire element and the base of the antenna.
- 7). Plug the other end of the pigtail N adapter into the antenna port on the base of the 2.4 GHz antenna rod. Stand the antenna rod as far away from the wireless router as the cable will allow.
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