I just ripped apart my WLAN card I bought for my laptop (Motorola 825G PCMIA) and I'm guessing the big silver strips on the tip of the card (the end that sticks out of the laptop), on both the top and bottom, are the antennae. However, I've got alot of wires, and I've been looking for a way to boost the signal from my wireless. I've read about the 'cantennas', but those only apply to cards with external antennas, or the routers themselves. I dont have a metal can anyway.

Anybody got any tips on how to wire it? there are 4 silver strips, 2 on top, 2 on bottom, each on opposite sides of the end of the card. My basic idea was to transform the metal I-beams in the roof into a giant antenna.

FYI Yes the card still works, it still picks up my wireless router when I plug it in inside and around the house.

You just can't run wires anywhere you want for a wireless antenna, there is an exact formula and science to building antenna's. (Very Precise measurements and component placement )

Unlike radio where the waves travel everywhere and through most stuff, wireless is microwave and waves tend to bounce instead of pass through...

Here are some Antenna ideas...

http://www.seattlewireless.net/AntennaHowTo

Indeed. Antenna theory and design are a field in and of itself.