Summary
Visually, the upgraded Nintendo looks impressive — at least if you are a wireless geek. Seeing the external antenna mounted on the Wii just brings a smile to our faces. However, we were shocked by the apparent lack of increase in signal strength. We suspect that the loss associated with the length of the pigtail and the additional connectors nullified any increase offered by the 5dBi antenna. However, a more powerful signal could be obtained by simply using a more powerful 8dBi, 12dBi or even 15dBi antenna. So, if this modification is something you wish to perform, be sure to consider this in your component selection. Regardless, the overall outcome of the modification was a positive in our opinion. Without significantly changing the signal quality, our Wii now sports an external antenna that looks like it just might belong there!
See how to disassemble your Wii, including a teardown video, with Seth's article Wii Exposed: Wiinternals, Wii-motes, and a Teardown Wiideo.