How to Boost Your Home WiFi Signal | Windsurfer Antenna
At this point most people probably have Wifi in their homes, which is essentially a cordless connection to the Internet. You can connect to WiFi with any device that has a wireless internet connection – a smartphone, tablet, video game console, cable set-top box, blu-ray, computer, etc. But, sadly Wifi signal is limited to how close you are to your WiFi router. If you’re like me and have an area in your house where you get a poor WiFi signal, here’s a simple and inexpensive hack you can do to boost your WiFi signal and connect better and faster.
Like it? Repin it and try it later!
In my house our “dead zone” is two bedrooms on the extreme opposite end from where my WiFi router is located. When I started working from home, my husband promised me he would rewire the cable line and move the router to a more central location to help distribute the WiFi signal better. Fast forward 6 months later, and the router is still where it has always been. So, I took matters into my own hands and tried this lifehack!
“The Windsurfer Parabola Antenna“
Supplies Needed:
- Printable template for the Do It Yourself Wifi Antenna Booster
- Glue stick
- Aluminum foil
- Scissors
- File folder or cereal box
- Box cutter or Exacto knife (not necessary, but helpful)
- Tape
Instructions:
We’ve added step-by-step instructions here, but please see our friends at How to build your own Windsurfer Antenna for instructions and photos that might help explain if you need it.
- PRINT your Wifi Antenna Booster template (click link)
- PASTE printed Wifi Antenna Booster template onto a cardboard cereal box or folder, side by side
- PASTE tinfoil to the other side of the cardboard
- CUT OUT the template being careful not to cut off the tabs, then CUT along the 6 slotted lines, and CUT a small hole in the two spots of the rounded template
- TAPE the edges with clear (“Scotch”) tape
- ASSEMBLE by fitting the tabs from round template (word side out) into the 6 cut slots of the rectangular template (foil side out)
- PUT your Wifi Antenna Booster on your wireless router and voila! you have improved your Wifi signal
Total Time Spent: about 10 minutes
Cost: FREE, since I had all the supplies on hand. I suggest you borrow any supplies you need from a friend or neighbor if you do not have all the things listed above. Someone has a glue stick to lend!
How it’s done: I pinned this on Pinterest a while ago from LifeHacker. The original LifeHacker article for the antenna was too detailed for me. It had links to a site that explained why it boosted the signal and it had graphs and math. Ummm…yeah. I had no idea what any of that meant. All the math I need to know is Parabola + Tin Foil = more WIFI. But for those who would like to know the science behind the antenna, the article very informative.
Just kidding, here how it’s really done: For someone less mathematically inclined, you may want to check out RC Helimenace who has instructions on How to build your own Windsurfer Antenna. These are straight forward and anyone could follow. I highly recommend them!
Conclusion: Does it work? YES! Don’t expect spectacular, mind-blowing results. But, for the investment and time spent I am impressed. I saw a marked increase in my WiFi signal. I now get a steady one to two bars (out of a possible 3 bars) on all my devices in those back two bedrooms. Not perfect, but an improvement. It is enough for my late night Pinteresting before falling asleep!