ANTENNA JACKS
Guide to add antennae to external & internal wireless network cards
WIRELESS CONNECTORS COMPATIBILITY LIST
by manufacturer & part number
PHOTOS OF CONNECTORS
See bottom-left
of page for solutions for
internal wireless cards
Antenna Jacks
Some wireless cards have an antenna jack, for plugging in an external antenna to boost your signal.
The internal antennas have good range, up to about 300 feet for Orinoco cards (depending on whether you have direct line of sight to the Wireless Access Point, in which case the range may be two miles (3 kilometers), approximately.
If the distance to the Wireless Access Point’s antenna is more
than 300 feet, you should consider getting a card with an
antenna jack, and also get an external antenna. Without an external
antenna, you may have issues with the signal fading out sometimes.
Protect your Jack & Connector
MC is the standard type of antenna jack of Orinoco cards and all related cards, co-branded cards, etc. MMCX is the standard type of antenna jack of Senao, Engenius, Ubiquiti and Cisco cards as well as a few other brands. RP-MMCX is the jack of Zcomax, SMC and a few other brands
MC and MMCX jacks and connectors are very small, therefore
Vulnerable to damage unless properly protected.
ADVANTAGES of RP-SMA CONNECTOR vs. MC & MMCX:
The connector is about 5x larger in diameter (10mm vs. 2mm),
and is a threaded connection. Advantages:
1. Extension cables can be used as needed, so that the
Cable length fits the need in any particular situation.
2. It has much higher resiliency against wear.
MC & MMCX connectors will actually break after a lot of plugging in,
pulling out, and the strain from the cable being tugged in day
to day use.
3. Less loss of gain with the RP-SMA because of the
threaded connection and the lack of wear. The RP-SMA
antenna/adapter-solution will maintain it’s functional integrity
much better and over a very long period of time, compared
to the antennas that simply have an MC connection.
These adapters for MC or MMCX can be semi-permanently bonded to the
card, reducing stress on the fragile MC/MMCX connector, so that you
can remove & reattach the antenna as often as you wish without causing
damage to the fragile connector.
The MC or MMCX end can be permanently bonded to the jack
(using silicon cement) or semi-permanently (using velcro). The adapter
thereby provides a second, more durable antenna connector (RP-SMA) with
the capability to add/remove the external antenna with a screw on/off
connector, rather than using the (much smaller) plug-in/out
connector (MC) that is susceptible to damage over time.
Velcro strips and “coins” cut to perfectly fit your card, and
hold the MC or MMCX connector and jack together, so that movement, wear and tear will be significantly reduced.
ANTENNA JACK INSTRUCTIONS FOR PCMCIA / CARDBUS
The antenna jack is at the end of the card that sticks out from the laptop/notebook. It is covered by a small, round plastic cover (twice the size of a pin head). The small plastic cover must be removed to expose and use the jack. It can be removed with a small, sharp object, such as a needle.
Below: The adapter solution: MC to RP-SMA, mounted to a card with velcro pieces. On the right is a pigtail (antenna lead or extension cable) with RP-SMA (male) connector, connected to the threaded RP-SMA (female) connector of the adapter:
ORINOCO CARD WITH MC JACK & ADAPTER TO RP-SMA
NOTES:
SENAO CARD has a primary jack and a secondary jack:
See also:
Comparison table of cards with antenna jack information
and comparison of various other technical specifications
INTERNAL LAPTOP WIRELESS CARDS 
Attach an
external antenna
to your
internal mini-PCI
wireless card
Pigtail / adapter:
Enables you to attach any of the antennas in our eBay store that have an RP-SMA(male) connector or a N(female) connector.
Extend range by attaching a well-positioned, long-range antenna: Antenna options are within the listing for this adapter.
Another solution (photo at right): To add an external antenna and increase gain: Our USB clients with an RP-SMA connector: In this case, you would disable your internal wireless card and use the USB client, attaching an external antenna with RP-SMA(male) connector.
LMR100A and LMR200 low loss cables
It is best to have the shortest cable that will serve your needs, since some
signal strength is lost in the antenna cable.
Signal loss per meter:
LMR100A cable: 1.28dBi of loss/meter
LMR200 cable: 0.54dBi of loss/meter
Antenna cables in our store have cable type equivalent to LMR100A
or higher, in quality and signal-loss per meter. Most of our cables of 2-meters or more are
made from cable equivalent to LMR200 in quality and signal-loss per meter. The higher
quality of the cable of our cables translates into lower sigal loss / better performance.
RG174 cable (which you may see in competitor’s offerings) is much lower in quality than
the thinnest cables that we use for 1-meter-cables and shorter (LMR100A-equivalent).
PHOTOS OF CONNECTORS: Alphabetical order
MC JACK
MC
On left: Right-angle MC connector
On right: Card with MC jack.
Connector is about twice the diameter of a pin-head
MMCX 
Connector is a little larger than MC
N-Female
N-Male
Largest of the connectors, N is about twice the size of RP-TNC
RP-SMA male
RP-SMA and SMA are the same size:
Much smaller than RP-TNC
Note: No pin
RP-SMA female
Note the pin
SMA male
Much smaller than RP-TNC
Note the pin
RP-TNC Male
Looks like N-male but smaller
RP-TNC Female
RP-SMA T-CONNECTOR:
Join two antenna cables to one RP-SMA connection
This RP-SMA T-connector has a male connector on a single-connection end, and has two female RP-SMA connectors: Enables connection of two
N-T Connector
PIGTAIL CABLE / ADAPTER: RP-SMA (male) CONNECTOR TO N (male)
10 inch cable (25 cm)
| One end has a standard RP-TNC connector and the other end has a standard N-male connector.
Provided with 10 inch (25 cm) cable (“pigtail”) Compliant with 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b The N (male) end of this adapter/pigtail fits many cantennas and other antennas |
| RP-TNC Connector fits Cisco & LinkSys wireless routers and all other items that have a RP-TNC connector and/or N-connector:
Gender of RP-TNC (Reverse Polarity [RP] TNC) & N connectors is counter-intuitive:
|
PIGTAIL CABLE / ADAPTER: MMCX CONNECTOR TO N male
MMCX connector fits these WiFi cards: Senao/Engenius, Ubiquiti, others
1.5 meter cable (5 feet)
| One end has the standard Orinoco MMCX Card connector and the other end has a standard N-male connector.
MMCX end of this adapter/pigtail fits the antenna jack of the wireless cards . The cable of this adapter is 1.5 meters long (5 feet). Cable type is LMR100A, which is a low-loss, flexible cable. The N end of this adapter/pigtail fits many cantennas and other antennas |
|
COMPATIBILITY |
| MMCX connector is compatible with (fits) all WiFi cards with MMCX antenna jack:
|
PIGTAIL CABLE: SMA Male TO RP-SMA Male
(for antenna / aerial)
48 centimeter (19 inches) low-loss cable
| One end has an SMA (male) connector and the other end has an RP-SMA (male) connector
The RP-SMA male end can connect to wireless access points, bridges and cards in the compatibility list immediately below this section. The cable is 48 centimeters long (19 inches). Cable type is CDF100, which is a low-loss, very flexible cable. Also available in these lengths: 1m, 2m, 3m, 6m, 9m (m=meter): See links below |
|
COMPATIBILITY |
| RP-SMA connector fits items that have a (female) RP-SMA (Reverse Polarity [RP] SMA) jack/connector. RP-SMA = Reverse Polarity SMA
SMA connector fits items that have a (female) SMA jack/connector. Gender of SMA refers to the pins inside–not the threads: SMA male has threads on inside
|
MAGNETIC BASE FOR DIPOLE / OMNI ANTENNAS
Fits antennas with RP-SMA male connector
PIGTAIL to RP-SMA(m) connector: Has 1.5 meter cable (5 ft)
| Magnetic Mount antenna base very firmly attaches to metal surface – at a height or
Position where it can pick up more access points.
Base-top has an RP-SMA female connector, which fits 9dbi dipole/omni antennas such as the one pictured at the right side of this page: The RP-SMA gender refers to the pins inside–not the threads. RP-SMA female has threads on outside.
The end of the 1.5-meter pigtail-cable has an RP-SMA(male) connector. Cable is a low-loss, very flexible cable (loss-per-meter is equivalent to LMR100A). Most PCI wireless cards (for desktop PCs) have an RP-SMA female jack. |
At right:
9dbi dipole / omni antenna with male RP-SMA connector, which fits this base) |
 |
COMPATIBILITY AND GENDER DETERMINATION
| Connector on the base fits antennas that have a male RP-SMA (Reverse Polarity [RP] SMA) jack/connector. |
|
| Connector on the pigtail fits items that have a female RP-SMA (Reverse Polarity [RP] SMA) jack/connector. RP-SMA = Reverse Polarity |
antenna cables with RP-SMA (male) connectors. Expand your coverage or reception area by having two antennas instead of one!
RP-SMA GENDER IS COUNTER-INTUITIVE in two ways:
Please observe picture & note it is correct. (1) The gender is referring to the pins inside–not the threads. RP-SMA male has threads on inside. (2) “RP” stands for reverse polarization – the pins are female when they appear to be male, and vice versa.
Reverse polarization: “RP”
Connectors with “RP” in the name are further complicated by the “reverse polarization” (RP):
The pins are female when they appear to be male, and vice versa.
If the documentation refers to the connector as “reverse ____”:
This is the same as RP-____ (e.g, “reverse SMA” = RP-SMA)
A Note About Reverse Polarity (RP) / Reverse Gender Connectors And Adapters
Reverse Polarity/Reverse Gender connectors satisfy FCC Regulation 15 by switching dielectrics and pins/contacts between genders. For example, a Reverse Gender Male consists of a male body, however, the dielectric and contact are female. Basically, an RP female will look like a standard male, and an RP male will look like a standard female. Reverse Polarity connectors and adapters will not mate with standard coaxial connectors. To attempt to do so will damage the connector.
