sMoRTy71.com: DIY WiFi Antenna

Monday, February 21, 2005

I saw this article on HackADay yesterday and decided to give it a try. It is a really simple WiFi antenna that can be made out of some scrap cardboard and aluminun foil.

I have a 802.11g wireless router in my office in the basement. The one wireless client in the house is upstairs, so the signal strength isn't the greatest.

After printing out the template, cutting out some cardboard and gluing on some foil, I was able to take my wireless signal from "good" to "very good." I am going to tweak the positioning of the antenna and place another one on the antenna of the wireless NIC card to see if I can push the signal strength higher.

The antenna isn't the best-looking thing in the world; however, my router is in the basement where no one, except me, will ever see it.

Here are some photos of each step:
Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 (shown above)

¶ 9:56 AM

Comments:

Hey! I've seen it too! Even without entering your basement! :-)

posted by

themanwho : 9:27 PM

hey thanks for the upgrade now i get really good signal from your router
nothing wrong with a little free access and for you to pump up the signal

posted by

Dion : 8:47 PM

Thanks!!! it's great, really works.
I have to share my connection to a friend some floors under my aparment so the signal was low, we use some foil and cardboard and made some like you, but bigger and the connection is working better than ever.

posted by

Anonymous : 6:56 PM

I've tried this and it works brilliantly, thanks. Now I can watch porn on my laptop in bed :)

posted by

Anonymous : 3:18 AM

ha ha ha it really does work, i used a paper plate for my back, and covered the whole thing with aluminum foil, and it boosted my signal from a very low/low to a good/very good/ excellent.

posted by

Anonymous : 8:55 PM