How-to extend the range of a wireless keyboard with a WiFi antenna
A common problem with keyboards of the wireless variety is their limited range, which tends to make them incompatible with media PC-type experiences. One unsuspecting punter to find this out the hard way is David Bue Pedersen, "a self-proclaimed freak, nerd and volunteer labrat" who purchased a combination wireless keyboard and trackball, only to find that the paltry two-meter effective range made operating his PC from the sofa impossible. In a eureka! moment, David recalled that certain types of 802.11 WiFi operated on the same frequency as wireless keyboards, and therefore boosting the signal should simply be a matter of soldering a standard WiFi antenna onto the keyboard's wireless receiver. Half an hour later and the signal (and Dave's ego) is boosted 400%, giving his wireless peripheral a 15-meter range.
[Via MAKE]
