[Antennas] Can we talk about WLAN antennas here?

[DavidE Benedict]

Can we talk about WLAN antennas here?

I don't see why not. I am a HAM...and we all learn good things here
regardless of area of application...right?

Well I had an old laptop which had a card which had an antenna jack to
extend the range. I used it with a smallantenna outside because I can then
connect to my nighborhood while inside my aluminum-siding home. The small
antenna I used was just to overcome the coax loss at 2.4 gigahertz.

FINALLY, THE QUESTION...
My new laptop has the same problem but no antenna jack to add an outside
antenna, so,... 
1) Has anyone ideas about how to boost the antenna in these new ones? I
suspect the antenna is in the flip-up screen's enclosure.

2) Maybe an antenna outside and an equivalent of an antenna inside and
near to the laptop?

Anyone tried to do this and perhaps been successful ...before I begin to
explore home made hardware answers?

David B.
Mobile in NW Oregon