Wifi Aerial+ Aluminum Foil = McGuyver Computing
Filed under: Internet, Tech — Malcolm Owen @ 1:45 pm
So, for the last few months, I’ve been frustrated with my networking situation. Thanks to the locations of my computers and the cable modem (i.e. opposite ends of the house, don’t ask), I’m forced into using Wifi. That in itself isn’t that bad, except when you consider my Macbook not having any problems at all, yet my PC has bad signal and noise issues. My 54Mbps connection constantly goes lower, and for gaming this is not a good thing to happen.
I was close to buying a new aerial, when the latest episode of Systm gave me some inspiration…
This week’s Systm was all about long distance wireless networking, and although most of the show involves technical talk about signal movements and mathematical stuff, they also mentioned about some sort of parabolic antenna shield type things that you could make for yourself out of some tin foil, cardboard, glue and some time. This weird device concentrates the signal in a specific direction, instead of absolutely everywhere, thereby strengthening the signal.
Great idea, except that I’m too lazy to do all of that, and there’s not enough space under my desk to do that anyway. Would it work if I just taped the foil to the aerial instead? I went to the kitchen, got some foil and tape, and applied it liberally to the antenna on the wifi card…
Yes, really, I did apply foil to the aerial. It’s at the back of the computer, so who in their right mind will care what it looks like when they can’t see it?
Anyway, I powered on the machine to see what the results were. I was worried that the foil might end up reflecting the signal back into itself constantly, shielding it, but this didn’t happen. What did happen was this…
Originally, the signal and noise levels were at the same levels, around the -70 bDm mark. This was bad. Now, it’s nice and steady, with the noise being less noticeable, and the signal greatly improving.
Now, I wonder if doing the same to the wireless router would make that signal go higher…