Not necessary with a directional antenna.
With 2.4GHz, you need to keep your lead length as short as possible, to avoid coax attenuation losses.
With 5GHz, you're fine for lead length to a few meters, but are working against the lower transmission distance of the transmitted signal.
If you're building your own "cantenna", a "Pringles" can is fine for 5GHz but, for 2.4GHz, you'll need a larger diameter can for decent gain.
The Internet is replete with sources for construction methods, and you are looking at less than 10-dollars to slap one together.
In any case, once you have a directional antenna, you simply mount it on a short tripod and connect it to your computer. While watching your available networks pane, you alter the rotation of the tripod until you get the maximum signal level for the network SSID you want, then alter the elevation of aim until the signal is at a maximum peak. Leave it there, and connect.
If DIY isn't your thing, then look at directional WiFi antennas on Amazon, or look through the Ubiquiti Networks catalogue.