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How to increase your Wifi signal?! — Parallax Forums

How to increase your Wifi signal?!

UnknownUnknown
edited 2010-04-12 22:56 in General Discussion
How to increase your Wifi signal

Will this really work?· I haven't tried this but I have a 25 foot ethernet wire and I'm going to try it.

I'm wondering if it works, will there be any applications for any projects here?

Comments

  • Oldbitcollector (Jeff)Oldbitcollector (Jeff) Posts: 8,091
    edited 2010-04-11 04:09
    no... [noparse]:)[/noparse]

    But I've done some amazing stuff with a little foil.. It can be used for directing signals longer distances.
    (Pringles cans are fun for this too..)

    Fun video, but a spoof..

    OBC

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  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2010-04-11 20:03
    I remember when I was a teen, having just gotten into ham radio, there was an article in QST about a simple home-built device that used stepped conductors which, when installed between transmitter and antenna, was supposed to provide a power boost. Apparently, it was the electrical analog of narrowing a pipe to provide a more rapid flow. The article was based on work by a Swedish scientist named Loof Lirpa and was replete with illustrations and formulae to lend a scholarly flavor to the whole thing. I bought it hook, line, and sinker. When I told my uncle, who was my ham radio mentor at the time, that I was going to build one, he just laughed and told me to take another look at the Swedish guy's name. D'oh!

    -Phil

    BTW, I just realized that, by a really odd juxtaposition, my post in this thread, which may appear to apply the "Lirpa Principle" to sound, could also be taken as a spoof. It's not. It really works!

    Post Edited (Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)) : 4/11/2010 8:17:25 PM GMT
  • UnknownUnknown
    edited 2010-04-11 20:12
    I googled "infinite solutions mark erickson" and I found this article·from USA Today.··They basically make videos about gizmos that don't exist.

    Pair's satirical videos have 'Infinite Solutions' for comedy
  • Mike GreenMike Green Posts: 23,101
    edited 2010-04-11 20:17
    There are lots of ways to build better antennas than are usually supplied with a WiFi node, but you have to have some basic understanding of antennas and transmission lines, particularly since strange things happen with radio waves above a hundred MHz or so. 2.4GHz radio waves behave more like light than ordinary (LF / HF / VHF) radio waves.

    The ARRL has a variety of booklets on antennas, transmission lines, etc. that you can probably find in any good library. You should be able to find other material in the Wikipedia. Start with Antenna and go from there.
  • ScopeScope Posts: 417
    edited 2010-04-11 23:13
    This reminds me of the "cell phone popcorn poppers"
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,260
    edited 2010-04-12 20:53
    Don't allow a few bogus videos to make you closed-minded to the many wonderful things you can learn from others. I'm hovering as I type this, thanks to my new homemade Hover Shoes! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40S8G2ZuRpE

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    ·"If you build it, they will come."
  • HollyMinkowskiHollyMinkowski Posts: 1,398
    edited 2010-04-12 21:49
    That video is funny, must have been an April fool gag.

    There are several cheap ways to get great wifi range.

    Maximum range requires a USB wifi dongle connected to
    a feedpoint antenna such as a simple biquad. Mount the biquad
    at the feed point of an old direct tv or dish network dish and
    aim at the horizon. These dishes look like they are aimed toward the
    ground when they are pointed at the horizon...google for
    details on how to mount and aim these things. I recommend a half watt
    USB dongle like the great one made by alfa...you can find these on
    ebay. You can get about 26db gain with a small dish system like this.
    You can go over 30db if you do the same thing with an old tvro
    dish of 8 to 16ft diameter....the world wifi record is held by a system
    like this using a 12ft tvro dish. (people will give you those old giant dish
    antennas just to be rid of them) You need a wifi dongle with an rpsma jack
    to feed the biquad.

    The reason a USB wifi adapter is better than an internal network card
    is that feedline cable at this frequency is very lossy! Better to have the
    2ghz receiver and transmitter right at the feedpoint and use a good
    quality long USB cable to connect to the PC....large conductors and
    good shielding.

    A good boost can be had by mounting a cheap $5-10 USB wifi dongle in front
    of something like a wok pan. Just google for directions. An old
    tin can will also give a good boost if you mount the USB dongle in just the right spot.

    There are many websites with directions for all of this, just google.
    webp1120021va9.jpg
    shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3907.m38.l1313&_nkw=alfa+wifi&_sacat=See-All-Categories

    Post Edited (HollyMinkowski) : 4/12/2010 10:01:55 PM GMT
  • MikerocontrollerMikerocontroller Posts: 310
    edited 2010-04-12 22:48
    When you're done hacking WiFi· why not try this VCR hack............http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oggNcjzTc4
  • CannibalRoboticsCannibalRobotics Posts: 535
    edited 2010-04-12 22:56
    Do you know what this means???

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