Setting up a home Wi-Fi network is infuriating. Unless you live in a mansion the claimed 32-meter range of a standard router sounds as if it should be adequate. But every home has places with flaky coverage and they're usually just where you want to use your computer.
Before you rush out to buy a new router, signal booster or a more powerful antenna there are some cheap and simple tricks which could give you coverage where you need it.
The first thing to realise is that there's an almost endless list of objects that can interfere with Wi-Fi signals including walls, anything metal and electrical equipment. This particularly applies to items such as some cordless phones [correction: not DECT], microwaves and baby monitors which share its 2.4 GHz frequency. Move the router and these objects around and you may solve your problem.
If that doesn't work, you can make your Wi-Fi directional. It's not difficult to stop distributing your signal to the neighbours. The simplest method is to create a parabolic reflector for your router's aerial. It sounds complicated but is actually a project of Blue Peter simplicity.
Free Antennas offers a scientific template to download and print onto card. Cut, glue and cover with tinfoil and you've got a parabolic reflector to slip over your router's aerial.
If even that seems too much hassle almost anything curved and covered with foil will work, whether it's an old lampshade, plastic plate or anything that happens to be lying round the house. Of course, by making the signal directional you will reduce other areas of coverage. That may be a nuisance or it could improve your network security by making it harder for neighbours to nick your bandwidth.
They may be doing that using another hack based on the parabolic principle. This utilises a sieve, colander or other similar curved metal object. Just stick a wireless USB adapter in the middle so it resembles a miniature satellite TV dish with an extender cable attached to your PC.
Probably the best version incorporates an adjustable desk lamp - no bulb required. You can move this round until the strongest signal is found, then leave it pointing in that direction. Of course, if you use this method to "borrow" somebody else's broadband it's not exactly legal.
The other mechanical way to boost your Wi-Fi is with a bigger aerial. You can buy one which will set you back £20 or so. Alternatively you can follow these instructions to create a new antenna with a drinking straw and some copper wire. It does require some simple soldering.
Your comments (4) Click to add a new comment
paul
February 24th 2009
4. kd1s - apologies, it should have said "some cordless phones". That's been corrected.
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worldtvpc
February 24th 2009
3. gotta try some of these wi
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mjd420nova
February 23rd 2009
2. Using grounded foil pieces placed around router antennas can both enhance WIFI signals in areas of the home but also prevent signals from leaving the immediate premises. Many objects can interfere with signal propagation and foils can increase the signal quality to make up for this. Care must be taken to also reduce interference as this can also reduce the effectiveness of those same devices and render them useless in other areas.
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kd1s
February 23rd 2009
1. One correction. DECT phones operate on 1.9GHz. There are however cordless phones that are on the 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz bands.
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