Boost Your Wi-Fi Signal Using Only a Beer Can

First time accepted submitter AmyVernon writes with a small hack that "is supposed to boost signal strength by at least 2 to 4 bars," and which requires little more than a can of beer (or Orangina). She writes: "What you need: scissors, a utility knife, some adhesive putty and an empty beer can. The brand doesn't matter for the router, but I suppose it would be cooler looking if it were Asahi or Stella Artois than if it were Budweiser." Perhaps this will be added one day to my favorite (and very extensive!) list of low-budget Wi-Fi amplifying rigs.

Comments

Bars

[TarMil]

Since when is WiFi signal strength measured in bars? It's a pressure unit.

Re:Bars

[nacturation]

My iPad displays its WiFi signal strength in kilopascals, or you can change this in the settings to display millimeters of mercury.

Re:Bars

[pjt33]

Asking for figures to be given with units which actually make sense indicates competence, not arrogance. The arrogance, if any, is the submitter assuming that everyone uses the same software as them (boosting by "at least 2 to 4 bars" indicates that it can boost by more, which would be quite impressive with software where 4 bars is as high as it goes), but I think it's fairer to assume ignorance than arrogance.

Re:Bars

[Hognoxious]

The writer is likely a person that doesn't have much experience with WiFi technology

Or beer for that matter. I mean, Stella Artois?

First time accepted submitter? Hopefully the last time too.

Re:Bars

[Idarubicin]

Asking for figures to be given with units which actually make sense indicates competence, not arrogance....

Not really. For the person asking the question "Will this mean I can get reliable wifi in my bedroom now?" the qualitative experience of "I'm seeing two to four more bars" is a relatively meaningful unit. The little 'bar'-type displays of wifi signal strength, or battery life, or whatever other electronic property one might wish a consumer to be aware of virtually always have between 4 and 6 bars at full scale; one doesn't have to be familiar with a particular brand or device in order to interpret a 2-to-4-bar increase as significant-but-not-magical.

In contrast, saying "The reflector provided me with a 4 dB gain" isn't helpful to the average individual ("The router is how loud now?") and shrug-worthy to any competent electrical engineer ("Meh; that's about what I would have guessed. The gain is going to depend quite a bit on exactly how the can is placed and shaped - and on the design of my router - anyway; I'll just fiddle with mine until I get the best signal.")

Demanding precise measurements in technically-correct units characterizing a one-off device held together with Blu-Tack isn't an indication of competence, it's an indication of arrogance and pedantry.

And if you're not a redneck...

[Anonymous Coward]

you could run the freeantennas.com template through your printer, cut out the bits, glue them together, slap a bit of tin foil on the back, and off you go. It really takes less than ten minutes to make one. That's an easy 8..9dB extra gain.

The thing that's critical to beer can and paper-and-tinfoil construction is a reasonable parabolic shape and positioning the antenna at that parabole's focal point. Though a nice square angle will do too, but there again it's the focal point that does it.

News?

[nbetcher]

Haven't we known this since 802.11 came out? Pringles can, anyone?

Re:News?

[Anonymous Coward]

Yes, and no. If you cut up a pringles can and use it like this cut-up beer can, then yes. But the trick of the pringles can was that you could use it as a waveguide, or you could put a yagi inside it. It's pretty poor as a circular waveguide for 2.4GHz actually as it's too small; dunno about the yagi inside.

Building a good waveguide is a bit trickier than this. It starts with most materials expecting you to do all the horrible math yourself (it boils down to two constants, eventually, after you've fed the right formulae with the right parameters through wolfram alpha) or they give rules of thumb on not enough digits in the wrong measurements system. Or they use twice-converted stuff. And that's just for knowing where to stick the probe in the side of the can. What's much harder to find is information about what size & length the probe ought to be; the one study I could find was for 10GHz and it basically said "try a lot and see what works". Anyhow. I know all this because I spent weeks trying to understand just what was going on with waveguides.

A 1d parabola like this is far, far less complicated, and cheaper too. Print it out or cut it up and stick it over the 2dBi omni you already have. Not counting tools, a usable waveguide costs more in N-plug and pigtail already.

Re:Lameness and collateral lameness

[Anonymous Coward]

OTOH, amplified signal power in one direction = reduced noise for your neighbors in other directions. Granted, if you measure signal in "bars", it's safe to assume you know nothing about laying out a site for minimal interference, but for those who know and care, directional antennas of modest gain can be quite effective for making your home network work without tragedying up the commons.

Re:"cooler" with Stella Artois ?? WTF ??

[AtlantaSteve]

Last time I checked Stella Artois was a Belgian brand.

Yes... but why stand in the way of this kid's bizarre (and entertaining) self-hatred?

Re:Lameness and collateral lameness

[Anonymous Coward]

Obviously you're going to measure the maximum gain and adjust the power output to avoid exceeding the allowed EIRP. Then you'll still have better reception, and if the other side also uses a high-gain antenna pointed at your access point, you can each hear the other side better (because you lowered the received noise and increased the received signal), radiate less total power and create less noise for other Wifi users. That's what you're going to do, right?

Re:Even better...

[Fallingwater]

They indeed are. Sat dishes are fantastic for leeching wifi from a location where you can see half the city, because you can *literally* reach wherever you can see, but you'll have to move the dish around a lot. And if you live in a second-floor flat you won't be doing much leeching at all. Also keep in mind that you need to keep

Re:Even better...

[gomiam]

that you need to keep

Someone elbowed that sat dish again, didn't they? ;)

Re:Lameness and collateral lameness

[Hatta]

2. Amplified signal power in your direction == amplified noise for your neighbors in other directions.
3. This is probably illegal in many jurisdictions.

This isn't amplification. It's just a reflector.

Re:Beer booster

[HornWumpus]

That's an easy optimization problem.

Drink until they look good, continue feeding them beer until they think you look good. The problems are freeloaders (people better looking then you leaching your drunk girls), being 'too drunk to fuck', running out of money, STDs, rape issues and really really fat girls running your own game against you.