Wifi range extender: 5 bars for 50 cents

With just a wire, a wood screw, and a drinking straw you can go MacGyver on your PC's WiFi and make yourself an omnidirectional "range extender" antenna, similar to what you'd find in the store for $30. There isn't a lot of talk about the reasoning behind the antenna design... it's just a straight duplicate of what's in the commercial product.

WIFI Range Extender Antenna - Link


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Posted by: ggrk on November 24, 2007 at 4:49 AM

To make the extender antenna the wire used must be made of copper *without* any plastic coating. The plastic on a wire alters the velocity factor of the wire and detunes the antenna. An antenna made from a plastic coated wire will be shorter in length than a plain one. The efficiency will also be reduced.


Posted by: Anonymous on December 2, 2007 at 7:10 AM

Isn't it a porn image on the bottom right corner in the last sequence ?
I was distracted by it and looking at it closely reveals to me what seem to be a girl on top of a guy... or it's just me :)


Posted by: Anonymous on December 30, 2007 at 2:58 PM

nice one... mcgyver...lol...


Posted by: Sridhar on April 1, 2008 at 5:30 AM

Tried and works like a charm. Tip. I found it difficult to make a perfect coil (final result did not have any geometrical shape) using a wood screw. I used a stirrer instead, its diameter was around ½ of the drinking straw, and after making the required turns stretched the coil a bit (to ensure the coils do not touch adjacent turns).


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