Wlan switch/routers for SOHO use internal RF switches and antennas as a part of the "automatic channel finding" feature. These are not advertised and few people realize what they are for. The internal antenna typically is much worse than the external one in gain and performance, and it cannot be directed or oriented if problems occur. Under some circumstances people's wlan connections suffer greatly from undesirable antenna switching which cannot be controlled by the user at all. Deletion of the RF switch sometimes brings relief.
This modification definitely voids your warranty. I assume no responsibility for any damage you cause by doing this.
The reward will be a router which is more stable under difficult conditions and does not randomly switch to the internal antenna as I caught mine doing in despite of automatic channel selection being turned off. I assume that the many WiFi capable phones in the neighborhood cause some of the switching, but I have no proof.
After this mod, do NOT use automatic channel selection, use a manually selected WiFi channel in the router setup page (one of 1-12 as available).
Images are self explaining: Removing the SC70-6 cased 6 pin chip is HARD. Be patient, use lots of solder or a hot air tool, and pick up the chip with tweezers, then clean the solder with solder wick and tidy up with Isopropyl Alcohol. Note that the antenna is a usual "rubber ducky" one, with the rubber part pulled off for a better view.
