Building a wi-fi “cantenna” is costly (over $30), because the connectors are $12 each. WTF.. do we really need these pricey N-type connectors? (www.amazon.com)

submitted 3 days ago by evenwicht@lemmy.sdf.org to c/sdfarc@lemmy.sdf.org

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Hope no one minds me being slightly off-topic in a relatively inactive group, but it’s the best fitting community I could find for the question.

I plan to build a directional wifi antenna using a can (aka the Pringles can antenna). I am baffled at how costly the connectors are. Why are the prices so high for a connector? Cantenna instructions always say to use an N-type connector. Is that really necessary? Coax cable connectors are a dime a dozen. Would those work?

Or what if I just strip the end of the coax cable to the right length and find a way to skip the connector and secure it to the can.. will that work?

Otherwise it’s ~$12 for the panel mount N connector + $10 for the connector that mates to it + $10 for the RP-SMA connector that attaches to the wi-fi AP. So over $30 for a home built wi-fi antenna. Fuck that.

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[-] RobotToaster@mander.xyz 1 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Try aliexpress, it's usually a lot cheaper for electronics parts.

You can probably buy a whole directional antenna on there cheaper than the cost of building one tbh.

this post was submitted on 17 May 2026

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