That being said there is one major downfall with having a wireless connection. If you have it in another room the walls, bookshelves, and other objects can hamper your connection giving you a reduced signal. After some searching online I found some ways to boost my signal that are TOTALLY FREE. All you need is a little time and some basic arts and crafts skills. One thing I need to point out is that these only work if you have an actual antenna already attached to your PC or wireless router. There's also no guarentee that doing this will boost your wifi signal by much. For me I went from about 8 percent to between 40 to 60 percent, some of you out there are going to have better results depending on how you have things set up.
Tin Foil Method
What you need
- Tin foil
- About 30 seconds of your time
This is a super fast way to squeeze a little more signal juice out of your wifi connection. Simply take a large peice of tin foil, bend it in half and form it into a dish like shape that you place behind the antenna. This will turn it into a directional antenna that will force the signal in the general direction of your computer.
Pop Can
What you need
- 1 or more pop or beer cans depending on the number of antenna you have
- Scissors or a knife
- Tape
- Ruler and marker (Optional)
If you have any empty cans about simply wash them out and either cut the top or cut the can in half horizontially. If you cut the top off the can you need to make an additional hole in the bottom side of the can for the antenna to fit through. If yu cut the can in half depending on your set up you can cut a hole for the antenna in the bottom of the can or the back.
Once you have the holes cut, cover the sharp end with tape to prevent any wires and more importantly yourself from being cut. Slide the antenna into the second hole you created and point in the direction of either your PC or router. Remember if you cut the top of the can off you need to lay the can on it's side the wifi signal can get to the antenna.
Using a free template
- Antenna template (I have a pic of one at the bottom of this post that you can use)
- Tin Foil
- Glue or tape
- Scissors or knire
Simply download and print one of these templates (If you need it bigger you can change it on your computer to print off bigger), cut out the two parts of the antenna and cut all the slits. On the back of the square peice which will become the dish glue your tin foil to it. Once the glue is dry enough take the other peice and fit the tabs into the slots ensuring you glue or tape them to keep them in place. Then slide if over your antenna and point it in the direction you need it to be in.
Of these three I find the last one works the best, not sure why. Again results are going to vary depending on how your computer and where you live are set up.
