Bluetooth and Wifi run on the same frequency in what regards networks and incidentally is the Wifi frequency that is most compatible with IoT devices. This makes a long-range Wifi device useful and, given that we have already enhanced a Bluetooth dongle, this guide does something similar by enhancing the Wifi range of an Apple Airport device.

The Airport is easy to disassemble but be weary that the bottom part is held in place using a slice of rubber that will eventually rot and will have to be ripped out. Once the bottom rubber cap is removed, four holes with screws around the perimeter of the device are revealed with one extra hole in the middle of the Airport device to hold it all together. After removing the five screws, the bottom part can be pulled out and the Airport PCB will be revealed.

With the PCB flipped around, four antenna connectors are revealed, labeled "AP1" through to "AP4" on a Broadcom Wifi dual card with the number BCM394331PCIEDUAL. As it turns out, the four different slots are, in order from left to right, "AP1" for only then the next two labeled "AP2" and "AP3" for and transmissions and the last one, labeled "AP4" for only transmissions.

Using a "sunhans" amplifier that was used previously to extend the range of a Bluetooth dongle, the fourth connector on the Apple Airport wifi device, corresponding to the network, is removed and then pulled out on the exterior of the Airport in order to create a connection point for external antenna using an RP-SMA connector. Ultimately, the antenna will be connected to the "sunhans" amplifier and then to a larger antenna.

The tricky part was to drill a hole that would not create problems for the other hardware that has to be fitted inside the case. It seems that on the back, aligned with the Ethernet ports, there is a small aperture that seems designed for an anti-theft device (?) that can be used to drill a hole and fit an RP-SMA connector instead. The cable is then pulled around the PCB and connected to the fourth slot on the BCM Wifi PCIe card with the old antenna just being bent and sticky-taped to the bottom metal panel of the Airport device.

Using an antenna connector, the "sunhans" amplifier is connected to the Airport device. The amplifier itself is fitted on top of the Aiport with some hot melt glue to hold it down onto the shell. The front view is pretty as well, with both the Airport LED and "sunhans" amplifier lighting up once they are powered on.

It is easy to determine whether the amplification works because the "sunhans" amplifier will flicker orange and green once the signal is amplified.

During testing, it seemed that the amplifier almost doubled the range of the Wifi network. The very same rooms that would have half the signal now were at full signal and the distance to the house seemed to double as well.