You'd probably be better off with an antenna on your computer. The problem is likely that you can see the AP from your computer, but that the computer's card built-in antenna is not getting sufficient signal back to the AP. Putting an antenna of some kind on your laptop to give it some gain other than .3 gain or whatever it might have would be a good bet.
If the transmit power levels are the same for the AP and the client and if the receiver sensitivity is the same (if both come from the same company that is the likely answer to both questions) then the path is symmetrical and both ends should see approximately the same signal-to-noise ratio. Improving the antenna at either end will improve the link margins.
One advantage of directional antennas is that they reduce noise admittance from sources off-axis from the antenna main lobe. Something to think about if there are multiple APs in the area.
--
Brian Lloyd 6501 Red Hook Plaza, Suite 201 [EMAIL PROTECTED] St. Thomas, VI 00802 +1.340.998.9447 - voice +1.360.838.9669 - fax GMT-4
-- general wireless list, a bawug thing <http://www.bawug.org/> [un]subscribe: http://lists.bawug.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless
