Directional Wifi
If you want directional Wifi, you're going to need a USB Wifi adapter with an antenna connector, and an antenna. I recommend both a panel antenna and a "Yagi" antenna on a tripod.
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Using the internal wifi device and antenna on my laptop, I could only reach 2 (sometimes 3) wifi networks.
Using the external device with the omnidirectional antenna, I was able to reach a peak of 20 wifi networks. With the alfa panel antenna, I could reach a peak of 17. With the tripod Yagi antenna I got a peak of 22. There will be some variability depending on the antenna, and the direction you point it in, even with the omnidirectional antenna. Your omnidirectional antenna works best when it is oriented vertically.
I was able to fit everything except for the Yagi tripod antenna inside a typical sandwhich bag after folding the ends of the antennas. (They are designed to be folded.)
You will likely need to install the 3rd party drivers for the USB Wifi dongle onto Ubuntu. Preparation is key, you will want to install the drivers while you have a reliable internet connection and test before going out into the field without an internet connection. On your Ubuntu Host, click the Windows key on your keyboard, then type "About" and press enter.
Windows should install drivers automatically.
Plug your USB Wifi Adapter in, then click on "Software Updates" at the very bottom. It is important to plug the adapter in first, or it may not be noticed by the software updater.
Switch to the "Additional Drivers" tab. It may say "No additional drivers available." while it searches for new devices. If the adapter doesn't show up, close and re-open the Software Updater.
Click the "Using dkms source" radio button, and apply changes. You may be prompted for your password.
Rebooting may be necessary for the driver to take effect.
Once complete, go to the settings app, and switch to "Wi-Fi" in the sidebar. You will see it shows two Wifi devices, the external "Ralink RT2870/RT3070" which is the adapter we plugging in and the internal Wifi card which shows on my computer as "Realtek Wi-Fi". In the screenshot, the internal wifi is selected. The internal shows only three in range, and the older USB adapter I was using had six. The newer one I got that I recommend above got 15+ no matter what antenna I used.
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