External Antenna for 2009 Mac Pro AE Card?

[xav8tor]

I love my 2009 Mac Pro, recently purchased new with the Airport Extreme wireless card preinstalled. It sits next to a 27 iMac I use as a monitor. The iMac connects to my network perfectly well, as does my Macbook Air when placed on the same desk, the point being, the problem isn't signal strength: the wireless reception of the AE card in the Pro just plain stinks! The iMac and Air get more than double the speed of the Mac Pro with the AE card. I searched for solutions but there appears to be no consensus on how to address the problem (lots of people do seem to have it), aside from getting a Mac compatible USB adapter. I've tried the powerline ethernet adapter too, which, perhaps due to old wiring and/or interference in the house, was not much of an improvement.

Does anyone know exactly what type connectors the card uses and the make/model of suitable external antennas known to have high gain? Also, if the antenna has different connectors, what adapters do I need? I've tried tech support and a few Mac centric vendors, and everyone seems baffled with no real answers.

Thanks in advance.

 

[ActionableMango]

I think the following mod is what you are asking for. Just connect the antenna(s) to the airport module instead of the bluetooth module.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1116546/

 

[xav8tor]

Nope. The Airport Extreme card is a different animal. It has three wireless antenna connectors but only two are apparently used. The Bt mod does give me an idea on a clean pass through for the cable, (that does help...thanks), but I need to know the connector type for the wireless, which cables and adapters I need, and the make/model of a great dual band antenna. I want one on a long cable so I can place it where I get max signal strength. I did read that the card is a 2x2 MIMO configuration if that helps.

Alternatively I would consider a fully Mac compatible card or USB adapter with HIGH power b/g/n. I'd really like to get the internal card to work well though. I've 18 mbps to the router, and via wireless get 14 on the iMac, 12 or so on the Air, but only 3 or 4 on the Mac Pro, all computers within three feet of each other.

Thanks again.