well, i'm assuming you have a CardBus (PCMCIA Card) or a built-in wireless adapter then? If such is the case, I have tried using aluminum cans cut in half, cupped around the PCMCIA card, and aimed at the wireless access point to no measurable effect. I personally use a USB card with the cord any time I am in a weird spot (I own both USB and PCMCIA card & 2 laptops) and the PCMCIA when I know I will have a clear signal.

Unfortunately, using the bus as a receiver isn't gonna happen. RF (radio frequency) transmits at specific wavelengths (literally the measurement of the invisible wave, peak to valley, in fractions of meters). Which in turn necessitates a specific length of antenna to catch that wave. In a crystal radio, the length of the antenna is set, but the frequency changes (how many waves, peak to peak/valley to valley in hertz, cycles/second). Your wireless all works with RF. The antenna is inside, all coiled up, but a very specific length.

This is where I get fuzzy... A new antenna can be created, it had to be set to a base length set to a factor of the original wavelength. If the originating signal was .5m for instance, antennas of .5m, 1m, 1.5m, 2m, etc. could be used. That could be incorrect, but it is the right general idea.

Short of cracking the case of the card or the computer itself and getting into some serious antenna mods (and if you're that hardcore I know I saw one that added a coax adapter to a PCMCIA card, I can find it and send a link) you be better off with the corded USB adapter. I can move mine to either side of my RV, out the window, with a USB extension I could go even further, mount it on the roof even. And the adapter I got cost 50-60 at freakin walmart. It's an N-class with MIMO.

J