Most of the hits to my blog seem to come from searches about the Windsurfer Antenna booster for wireless antennas. People gravitate toward those posts. I have to admit I'm a big fan of the Windsurfer Antenna. It makes a tremendous difference in distance and signal quality on my router. When I add it to a desktop pc, the pc is able to pick up many nearby signals in the neighborhood. If I use the Hawking Technologies signal booster, it triples the signals strength, and even more access points show up. Here's a little video I found on making the antenna:
Free* WIFI Booster - The funniest videos are a click away
So far, that video has done the best instruction job. I followed the advice on the video, and used a glue stick. Makes a big difference. I do a few things different:
- I make the entire thing before I put the foil on. After I've finished constructing the booster, I glue-stick the back, and roll it on the shiny side of the foil. This seems to make the putting the unit together a lot easier.
- I use a box-cutter to cut out the antenna, and cut the slits in the backing.
- I cut the pole-slits before I put the booster together. It's not easy to cut those when it's already together.
Once you get the thing together, if you can get the antenna up high, it makes a difference. I've had to actually put some desktop units on top of the desk. Doing so has save some FreekBox customers from the necessity to pay for internet. Don't worry; they were in an apartment where the wireless was offered. I think.
6 comments:
Having struggled through arts and crafts in grammar school, I had no stomach for cutting and pasting; so I merely took a square of foil and Scotch taped it to the antenna. Voila, five bars on the third floor(modem on ground level--cable guys fault).
The Windsurfer is a parabolic antenna. From what little I understand about math and antennas, the layout is mathematically designed to the wavelength the radio uses. But, if what you did is working, the math doesn't really matter. Like the T-Shirt says, "English Major: YOU do the math"
I've made myself a set, and to my amazement, it works beyond my expectations! My wireless router is on the second floor of my house tucked in a corner, and my laptop is situated in the opposite adjacent corner in the basement. At best I would get 2bars of reception, but consistent with only one bar.
After making those "windsurfer" antennas I'm getting a consistent 4bars of reception!
This is great! I've been looking at expensive aerials and routers but this fixed my problem for free in 5 minutes flat! Went from 0-1 bars upstairs in our 6 bedroom house to 4/5 bars! Thanks :-)
All I have to say is bravo to the creator of this invention and hopefully I will get to make one of my own as well!
-Kelly
At first when I printed the template out it was rather small and did pretty much nothing. Then I decided to go bigger still didn't do much for me. I took the smaller one I first made and placed it on my wi-fi antenna of my wireless card point it downward angle and now I get excellent range with in 4-5 bars.
And to think I was thinking of wasting money on an extender. HA! and HA! Again. I'm so glad this thing actually works for me
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