Increase your wireless signal strength for free - With paper and tin foil
How many of you have a wireless router at home, but the signal to your computer or video game console upstairs is very weak. You could buy a range extender for about $60, or you could create your own for free with some paper and tin foil. The decision is up to you.
I stumbled across a website called Freeantennas dot com, which is a site containing a few ways to increase the range of your router with a home made antenna. The most popular design is the Ez-12 Parabolic Reflector. This will give you a 12dBi gain with one antenna, and a further increase can be expected if you use two. Compare this to a D-Link antenna that sells for about $54 and gives you a 7dBi gain. I think this makes it obvious that you are better off creating your own Ez-12 antenna.
To make this antenna, all you have to do is download and print the template that can be found here. You can resize the image in paint if you want to get a further signal boost. Print the document on card stock or acetate if you can. Then you simply open the six slots with scissors or an X-acto knife, glue tin foil to the back side of the reflector surface, and place the six tabs in the six slots. Once you are finished, you slip the antenna on your wireless router antenna and you’re ready to go.
For a full list of antennas check out Freeantennas dot com.
For even more ways to increase your wireless signal for free, check out one of my new posts here.
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Or instead of this you can just replace the firmware with DD-WRT and boost the power output. That is if your router is one of the hundreds of different routers they support…
I have DD-WRT on my linksys router, and while you can boost the signal, it’s not always in your best interest to do so. For one, boosting over a certain limit can break FCC guideline laws, as the signal from your router interferes with other devices.
This actually works quite well, in a room where I use to get “Very Low” to no connection at all…now gets “Good” to occasionally “Very Good” connection
This is most wonderful article
how can i increase my signal with no external antenna…i get wireless from my neighbor w/permission…what else can i do
I wanted to comment and thank the author, good stuff
Where exactly do I glue the tin foil? Which piece is the reflector surface?
The rectangular shape piece is the reflector surface. You are going to glue the tin foil to the side that does not have the freeantenna’s logo on it.
12dBi? nope. But it will give you a better and somewhat directional signal. You can also use aluminium window screen.