DIY WIFI Antenna Reception Booster

Instruction for your very own WIFI antenna reception booster, the design is a parabolic trough antenna ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parabolic_trough ).

Simply download the PDF and cut out the template, a bit of 'pre-school' level assembling, aluminium foil and cotton glue all you need.

Note: The PDF is in A4 format, if you're printing in Letter format, remember to keep to the same aspect ratio, ideally use the 'fit to page' feature available on most printers. With that in mind, you should be able to scale up to a much larger version, on a A3 printer.

The image below shows the finished product.

Step 1: Another Example of a Finished Product.

Here's one done by a plucky 5 year old (Essential tools include a pair of safety scissors)

Step 2: Another Example of a Finished Product.

This one is made from a skinny plastic folder, cut from the template of a printout

Comments

[Ajay_Accent]

Sit infront of it and pray wifi signal will come from heaven? Most incomplete explanation ever

[Havadurumu15]

I tried the same method but it did not work very well.

[CherokeeN1]

I have been looking for this version of the template everywhere. All I could find was the ez.v2. I have found that this Parabolic works better than the fashionable Windsurfer ez.v2. Adding a reflector to the corners opposite of your WiFi access point helps. Both the Windsurfer v2 and corner reflectors can be found at http://www.freeantennas.com/ . I do not recommend the corner reflectors as a fashion accessory but the v2 if printed on the right color paper will help get the lady's

[candacewilliams626]

The print out from the free version doesn't match up? Have printed to scale but no luck?

[candacewilliams626]

help? idk where im going wrong.. i have printed the free download (fitted to page) and cannot get it to assemble. it seems that the folded part is too large for the porabolic curve.

[ChinaMike]

Well, this is all well and fine but...what the HECK do you DO WITH IT???? Just sit it in front of the laptop isn't going to do anything is it??? You have a cardboard cutout, you barely mention something about foil and some weird glue, and then NOTHING ELSE!

This is no help what so ever.

[oakironworker]

Look at the picture it says "through hole for antenna"

[escapefromyonkers]

it is very simple, you cover it with aluminum foil and wear it on your head, use a 2 pieces of string and a bow knot and tie it under your chin if it is windy.
Very machismo and always get a lot of extra seat space in the subway.

[DanT4]

I've used it to get 4G from the Martians, but reception was spotty from the Venusians. The nice lady in the white coat let me write down the words, though.

[gatnact]

And then Glue a cotton ball in each ear and duct tape them in place until the glue dries.

[jonnybo111]

or look at the template and read where it says Hole for Aerial

[dirtslayer]

very cool worked like a charm. used aluminum cans

[leigh.telles.7]

Fellow, felllow, fellow, i tried all and don't work, so do this ugly thing works or you telling false story.

[krarvi]

dear! i am facing a wifi signal reception problem, i am using a tp link router model wa7210n and hang on roof with pipe for long uses, but that signals are traveling on upper side , i cannot use with gud signals in down room.

[EricS2]

for those of you serious about making wifi antenna its gonna take some math you comcast makes it easy dont forget to * by velocity factor (copper wire =93-97%)

[Bayfielder]

I recommend using a good quality Tin-foil for any WiFi boosters like this one, the windsurfer, or anything similar.

If the foil rips easy, it's no good. I know that the thickness of the foil shouldn't affect it's reflection of the signal, but I observed my first attempts at making such boosters with the ones I used a heavy foil... too me it works better with a heavy foil. I think it's because cheap foil wrinkles up easy, and you need the foil smooth. I use shiny side towards the target (shiny side glued to the paper for most projects).

My very first attempt with the windsurfer made the signal worse (I blame a combo of cheap dollar store foil, and not getting the cuts and bends right). I made one with the foil on the inside and noticed you can tell if the arc is right if you shine a light on it and it all focuses evenly on the antenna. *You can print the design on bubble-jet/lazer transparency paper/plastic and it will turn out just as good (be it a nickel more in cost).

[mgalyean]

Here are picks of my humble wifi sharing setup. Be kind, it was a rush job. It is based on the same plans this instructible is. The noise floor around here is about -96dB, so the -73dB indicates a 23dB S/N ratio, which is respectable for a distance link. Without the parabola, the reading was in the mid to high 80s, so single digit S/N and very unreliable.

[mgalyean]

I used spray adhesive on stiff "cereal box" cardboard and stuck the foil the surface and smoothed it out. Then I cut out the panel with the foil on it after the adhesive cured a few minutes. I then mounted the entire apparatus inside a plastic bucket. The bucket sits upside down outside in the rain. I lose about 1dB because of the plastic bucket so am running 9-10dB gain typically.

[Plinko1]

Like this?

[VE6WTF]

I will bet you anything if you hooked an antenna analizer to this the SWR would be horrible. And the gain is probly non existant? When you work with SHF it tends to be really lossy So just hooking it up would lose half your signal. other than that.. Two simpathy stars. VE6WTF