When roaming around the UK (and Touring in France) I've sometimes struggled with mobile Internet signal. I've had to sit outside of the caravan in the cold, just to download email.

I've tried a few different ways of boosting signal, one of the easiest was to just fix a USB modem onto a two meter USB extension, wrap it in a plastic bag and fix it to the top of the pole of the freeview antenna on the caravan.

If you have a modem with an external socket then you have the option of adding antennas with various gain and a directional antenna will allow for the strongest signal once you have located the direction of the nearest mast.

Getting a WiFi enabled modem (or 3G enabled router) will enable you to place the device in the strongest signal area and allow you to connect via WiFi. However, you are still reliant on the strength of the antenna when in a weak signal area and sticking a router on the roof may not be an option. The battery powered MiFi devices are extremely handy if you want to connect an iTouch, PSP or any mobile device that only uses WiFi.

In the pics above, the PCMCIA card is the most versatile for me. It is self powered, fits flush in the laptop and allows a multitude of antennas (pic shows a 2.8 dBi Panorama antenna). Unfortunately smaller laptops and netbooks don't come with PCMCIA slots these days. The USB modem with a USB extension and an antenna socket would be a pretty powerful combination - especially with a 5dB 3G mag mount antenna.

The pictures include:

• Huawei E156G USB modem with antenna socket (works in D100 router)
• 2.8dB 3G laptop antenna with Huawei plug
• Sierra Wireless AirCard 850 Quadband PC Card
• ZTE MF627 USB modem (no antenna)
• Huawei D100 WiFi router (thanks to @Documentally)

(photos taken, manipulated and post written and uploaded with the iPhone)