I'd also attach the antenna to the AP. It makes more sense to have the good antenna on a device that first is stationary, becuase usually the antenna itself is also meant to be mounted. Another reason for that is because you would try find the best location for it so that other devices can get the optimal connection to it. Also, if it were the other way around you would have to use a special antenna for every PC you use, which would be far more expensive.
A special antenna can improve your connection, but you'll have to find the best location for it by try and error. Also, if there is a lot of metal in the walls of the floors, this will decrease the reception and then a special antenna will also have it's problems. What you should also try is to use different channels until you have found the one which best suits you. And make sure you don't have too many other electrical appliances nearby which could cause an impact, like wireless phones, microwaves etc.
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by: kronostmPosted on 2005-08-19 at 13:03:12ID: 14712483
normally it shouldn't matter which wireless device has the external antenna connected to, but in this particular case, the AP is recommended to have the antenna , because the only way I know you can attacha an antenna to a wireless USB device is to open it up, cut the cabling on the board and attach two wires and then the antenna. This will introduce parasite impedance however, so go with a 5 to 7dbm gain antenna on the AP side and it should work. Different levels in a building means obstacles(floors), which is not good at all with 2.4GHz frequency. A few tens of meters in distance however should be close enough for a 6dbm antenna to cover, even through walls.