# Mussels makes some crappy wifi cantennas!



## Mussels (May 16, 2013)

Since people love summaries, i can give my preliminary results here:

1. anything 'parabolic' will work better than random crap like pringles cans, or pineapple tins. THE SHAPE MATTERS.

2. those takeaway containers lids ARE metal. go figure.

3. No matter what you do, a weak adaptor will remain a weak adaptor. If you want to boost wifi, dont neglect the three important parts: Adaptor, antenna, takeaway container lids.



So to make a long, boring work night less boring me and a co-worker decided two things.


1. we want to set up a long range wifi network

2. we want to make stupid, passive wifi boosters the cheapest and easiest way possible.


I figured i'd document my findings and designs, so that people can laugh/join in.


Current design ideas/equipment:

1. Metal 3KG pineapple tin. first attempt will be 'cantenna' style, second will be to hacksaw it in half and make it somewhat parabolic.

2. aluminium foil take-away containers (rectangles should work, yeah? )

3. "metallic" take away lids

4. Empty coke/pepsi cans with cutouts (anyone mature enough to use scissors should be able to achieve this one)


I will be using a freeware program called "wirelessnetview" for results, since its easy to read and gives average signal strength %'s


Photos of the equipment:



























short USB extension forced into the hole in the tin
















This is the arts and craft version, and its quite simple: bend the "foil" lid, use tape to make it stay bent, and either stick it to, or sit it behind, the aerial.


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## Mussels (May 16, 2013)

this post reserved for results of future designs


test 1: crappy nano adpator, without external aerial







same adaptor, generic 'high gain' 5db aerial (common on more expensive routers)
My neighbours router makes an appearance here.






same adaptor, shoved up the butt of a pineapple tin (the connection was very loose)
This taught me that the tin was simply too thick for connecting this way. i need to get the USB stick inside the can as one good wiggle made them fall apart.






Take away-Fi
This one was very fussy with the angle it needed, but it did cut out the signal from the neighbours - this could be used to reduce interference from other devices on the same channel.






Pine-Fi:

tricky to keep pointed straight (you know, its a tin. so it kept rolling around and waving the aerial all over the place)
worked well however, and much more durable than the foil container. lots of blutack was needed to hold the USB in place and cover up all the sharp edges you get when you bang a screwdriver into tin to make a hole.





Now for a windowsill test:

Nano + 5dbi, up against window





nano + 5dbi + takeaway tin
Looks like a 4% boost to 'adams' to the loss of everything else, facing straight at the window. this kinda gives away what direction that house is in.







Same test, pointed to the left:





to the right:





and ass-backwards






The results of those clearly show you can expect a 5-10% difference in the angle of your cantenna, and that putting it backwards is a dumb idea.

Arts and Witchcraft: (the stick taped lid design)

Facing out:
Well, i guess we have a clear winner :/





to see if it made a difference, i stuck a second lid in there as well to make it taller, and this is the result:
.... 2 more networks? sweet!





backwards:
zero impact on the regular networks, but notice how the 'foreign' networks no longer appear? despite the dubious metallic content, this seems to actually work to reduce interference.





if at first you dont succeed, try again.

If at first you succeed, DO IT AGAIN BUT BIGGER:





so in conclusion:
Nano adaptor + huge aerial + 2 take away "foil" lids = even more networks, and the difference between a non usable signal, and a workable one. The adams network is actually a friend of mine and i *can* connect with this setup and have reliable internet (<10ms ping to his router)






Now i cracked out a bigger wifi adaptor, the most powerful i have right now with a detachable aerial:









(forgot to test this adaptor without the lids. can do later)

so ummm.... *holy shit*






i also have a chinese wifi adaptor + panel antenna all in one, which blows my fancy work out of the water to net me this:




(its about 2/3 the height of the huge omnidirectional)


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## m1dg3t (May 16, 2013)

With all the WiFi you steal i am curious what took you this long?


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## d1nky (May 16, 2013)

im turning off my wifi, it wont be long before hes got a satelite rigged up and stealing peoples in the UK lol


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## m1dg3t (May 16, 2013)

d1nky said:


> im turning off my wifi, it wont be long before hes got a satelite rigged up and stealing peoples in the UK lol





This Mussels we talkin' aboot! He'll just hack your LAN and turn your WiFi back on


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## Frick (May 16, 2013)

Pringles can.


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## d1nky (May 16, 2013)

he couldnt get through my LAN its full of porn, malware and other hackers haha!


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## Mussels (May 16, 2013)

images of the first aerials are up.


oh and the co-worker i mentioned actually is getting a satellite dish on his roof to try and reach my place :/


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## corneyboy (May 16, 2013)

Just cos we can...


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## Mussels (May 16, 2013)

so you know, going from 2 networks to 16 is somewhat considered an 'improvement'

(and 0% on a known network to 70%)


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## Sasqui (May 16, 2013)

Mussels said:


> so you know, going from 2 networks to 16 is somewhat considered an 'improvement'



Hell yea!


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## Mussels (May 16, 2013)

i technically cheated by using multiple adaptors and aerials, but the silly lids boosted all of them slightly. to some, that 10-15% increase (15% to 18% is about a 15% increase) from what might as well be a free piece of paper could be the difference between no network and a workable network to some.

hell, you can even do the opposite and guide it so that your dirty neighbours cant mooch off it.


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## remixedcat (May 16, 2013)

All the poor ppl in Detroit just noticed this thread and are gonna leach off mussles


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## Mussels (May 16, 2013)

remixedcat said:


> All the poor ppl in Detroit just noticed this thread and are gonna leach off mussles



pity they dont have amped wireless routers. i'd have far stronger signals. be a shame if somebody hacked them and went to didney worl with all the wiffies.


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## jsfitz54 (May 16, 2013)

To Mussels:

I'm aimin this at your house now.


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## Mussels (May 16, 2013)

jsfitz54 said:


> To Mussels:
> 
> I'm aimin this at your house now.
> 
> http://img.techpowerup.org/130516/Capture068-20130516-103836.jpg



you're gunna need a bigger wifi dongle.


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## Sasqui (May 16, 2013)




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## Wrigleyvillain (May 16, 2013)

Mussels makin crappy wifi cantennas..._in the ghetttooooo_..._*in the ghetttooooooo*_....


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## Easy Rhino (May 16, 2013)

that is pretty awesome! thanks for sharing.


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## Random Murderer (May 16, 2013)

Mussels said:


> pity they dont have amped wireless routers. i'd have far stronger signals. be a shame if somebody hacked them and went to didney worl with all the wiffies.








This thread gave me a good laugh. Thanks, Mussels.


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## d1nky (May 16, 2013)

yea this thread didnt go as intended.....hijacked! but i actually did wee a lil bit! 

@sasqui pmsl!


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## jsfitz54 (May 16, 2013)

Wrigleyvillain said:


> Mussels makin crappy wifi cantennas...in the ghetttooooo...in the ghetttooooooo....



Yes, we can now pick up Elvis.

elvis presley - in the ghetto - YouTube


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## MyTechAddiction (May 16, 2013)

Hello Mussels
Is This one big enough for some free internet?
All I need now is a cheap usb dongle.Right?


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## Frick (May 16, 2013)

MyTechAddiction said:


> Is This one big enough for some free internet?
> http://scienceblogs.com/startswithabang/files/2012/08/Wolsczan_ao014_300.jpeg



That doesn't pick up WiFi, just agents.


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## Wrigleyvillain (May 16, 2013)

They can definitely steal their neighbor's wifi no prob with that thing.


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## d1nky (May 16, 2013)

^^^ that person doesnt have neighbours hence the wifi antenna hahahaha


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## Mussels (May 16, 2013)

not to ruin your jokes, but i did kinda prove that no matter what aerial you use, a powerful transmitter and sensitive receiver are requirements.


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## jsfitz54 (May 16, 2013)

I'm appreciative.
I've been tweaking a friends setup and this helps with ideas.
Found this today:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005UBNJ48/?tag=tec06d-20


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## remixedcat (May 16, 2013)

Mussels said:


> not to ruin your jokes, but i did kinda prove that no matter what aerial you use, a powerful transmitter and sensitive receiver are requirements.



Yep and it's a pity that a lot of people don't have high power routers like AMPED WIRELESS! or EXTREME NETWORKS!!!!!


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## TheoneandonlyMrK (May 16, 2013)

Very thorough mussels im impressed enough to go straight to the Chinese on the way home , foods a bonus but I need me some lids.


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## mlee49 (May 16, 2013)

Whats the point of all this?  To pick up more WiFi hotspots?

I get the fact that you can add a tin can and get better reception, but why don't you just go and make your own?  I designed a 2.4GHz Helical Antenna that has approximately 15 dBi of Gain compared to your puny 5-7 dBi(even with the 3 dB from the backplate).  I made it out of PVC pipe, wire, a 1'x1' aluminum sheet, and some wire. You'd have to test it to make sure it hit the operating frequency, but it only cost about $50 and you could easily pick up wifi over a mile away.




Mussels said:


> not to ruin your jokes, but i did kinda prove that no matter what aerial you use, a powerful transmitter and sensitive receiver are requirements.



Good luck with that, the most manufacturers use the max power rating of 30 dBm or 1W, which is the FCC standard for ISM band.  As for the receiver, sensitivity will only matter when your signal is bottoming out the noise floor. With a better antenna you effectively bring the signal level up, thus offsetting the sensitivity factor.  

Source: I'm an RF Engineer.


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## Frick (May 16, 2013)

mlee49 said:


> Whats the point of all this?  To pick up more WiFi hotspots?



Gheetttooooooo and $50 is tons of money.

But seriously do a Pringles can.


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## Jetster (May 16, 2013)

I don't think your neighbor has a clue what your up too


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## TheoneandonlyMrK (May 16, 2013)

mlee49 said:


> Whats the point of all this?  To pick up more WiFi hotspots?
> 
> I get the fact that you can add a tin can and get better reception, but why don't you just go and make your own?  I designed a 2.4GHz Helical Antenna that has approximately 15 dBi of Gain compared to your puny 5-7 dBi(even with the 3 dB from the backplate).  I made it out of PVC pipe, wire, a 1'x1' aluminum sheet, and some wire. You'd have to test it to make sure it hit the operating frequency, but it only cost about $50 and you could easily pick up wifi over a mile away.
> 
> ...



So show us your aerial already smart ass.


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## MyTechAddiction (May 16, 2013)

Show us the antenna


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## Athlonite (May 17, 2013)

I've used the Pineapple tin to make an Directional aerial for a mate and his back neighbour roughly 75mtrs away it works well for that sort of thing as does the Pringle's can it's just a matter of getting them lined up for the best point to point wifi


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## remixedcat (May 17, 2013)

I am gonna show AMPED WIRELESS! this thread. Wonder what they will say.


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## Mussels (May 17, 2013)

jsfitz54 said:


> I'm appreciative.
> I've been tweaking a friends setup and this helps with ideas.
> Found this today:
> http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005UBNJ48/?tag=tec06d-20



thats a rebadged alfa aerial. they cost about half as much, and a lot of people are saying they arent doing as good as a 5dbi omni


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## Mussels (May 17, 2013)

mlee49 said:


> Whats the point of all this?  To pick up more WiFi hotspots?



to see what ANYONE can do to get an improvement. an idiot proof design, that anyone can make with no time or effort.






mlee49 said:


> Good luck with that, the most manufacturers use the max power rating of 30 dBm or 1W, which is the FCC standard for ISM band.  As for the receiver, sensitivity will only matter when your signal is bottoming out the noise floor. With a better antenna you effectively bring the signal level up, thus offsetting the sensitivity factor.
> 
> Source: I'm an RF Engineer.



the adaptors i used are 150ma (nano), 500ma(black dual aerial), and 680ma (the big white panel, advertised 6800mw but thats fake).

got a 1W alfa coming in the mail, and theres a 2W version out now as well (but its got driver issues at present)

i said in the first post (as an edit) that you really need a good adaptor AND a good aerial to get results - and this is just a way to improve on any normal aerial you have, without spending money


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## remixedcat (May 17, 2013)

OMG Amped allready was working on those and they sent me this to beta test and here's mine!!!:


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## mlee49 (May 17, 2013)

theoneandonlymrk said:


> So show us your aerial already smart ass.



Just in case you want to check my math:

















Also, here's some references on other good 2.4GHz home made antennas:

Helical:
http://helix.remco.tk/

Yagi:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-to-Build-WIFI-24GHz-Yagi-Antenna/

Biconical or Bowtie:
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1328260

All of those can be made from everyday supplies, the Bowtie is the easiest as it's tuning is almost nill to get it to operate at the center frequency.  Plus it can have up to 11 dBi of Gain and will beat most patch antennas. 

Oh, I'm not trying to be a smartass.  When half of the forum shows up to help a member talk about a Power Supply or Case suggestion nobody's a smartass in that scenario.  I enjoy Antenna design and have a great career with them, so what if I post about something I love.


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## Mussels (May 17, 2013)

they involve more than stickytape and things i can steal from work, so they arent as easy as my designs.


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## mlee49 (May 17, 2013)

Mussels said:


> they involve more than stickytape and things i can steal from work, so they arent as easy as my designs.



But they are better 

The bowtie one can be made out of a coat hanger and a piece of metal from a cookie sheet.  Soldering would be recommended, but you could 'rig' it.


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## xxdozer322 (May 17, 2013)

Lol sooo awesome, had me LOLing so hard.


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## Mussels (May 17, 2013)

so, does anyone have any other crappy designs you can make in under a minute they feel like recommending?


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## m1dg3t (May 17, 2013)

Mussels said:


> to see what ANYONE can do to get an improvement. an idiot proof



If i have access to it, it's NOT idiot proof! 



Mussels said:


> so, does anyone have any other crappy designs you can make in under a minute they feel like recommending?



An empty crisps/chip bag? Collapsible, portable, lightweight?


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## n0tiert (May 17, 2013)

Mussels said:


> so, does anyone have any other crappy designs you can make in under a minute they feel like recommending?












atleast do not take milwaukee's best, taste like sewer water


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## de.das.dude (May 17, 2013)

crappy antennas are crappy.


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## theonedub (May 17, 2013)

Wrap a plastic colander with tin foil and use as parabolic dish. Yes, I've done it before and yes it works well. However, nothing I messed with before works better than the wireless adapter I have now (same black one you have, second to last- with 2 high gain antennas).


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## jsfitz54 (May 17, 2013)

Mussels said:


> thats a rebadged alfa aerial. they cost about half as much, and a lot of people are saying they arent doing as good as a 5dbi omni



Any other recommendations on stock antenna parts?  I have a beauty/cosmetic issue involved as well.  Which of the 3 antennas should be replaced? One? Two? All?
Friends Asus RT-AC66U, swapped stock 5dbi antennas for 9dbi.

His house has two additions with the router in a rear upstairs 2nd floor family room which is loft like in that it has a half wall with roof line pitch.  The dead spot is the first addition: far outside wall, single level,  TV is picture mounted.  When the TV was stand mounted it picked up a signal.

Router placement is limited as phone service is included as well.  The router is mostly above the roofline of the other original parts of the house.  Signal issue has always been an issue to the room in question and the front part of the house.


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## Mussels (May 18, 2013)

jsfitz54 said:


> Any other recommendations on stock antenna parts?  I have a beauty/cosmetic issue involved as well.  Which of the 3 antennas should be replaced? One? Two? All?
> Friends Asus RT-AC66U, swapped stock 5dbi antennas for 9dbi.
> 
> His house has two additions with the router in a rear upstairs 2nd floor family room which is loft like in that it has a half wall with roof line pitch.  The dead spot is the first addition: far outside wall, single level,  TV is picture mounted.  When the TV was stand mounted it picked up a signal.
> ...



set up a repeater, or use directional antennas from those parts of the house. no matter what you do in that situation you'll have deadspots from omnidirectional aerials on the router.


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## remixedcat (May 18, 2013)

Replace all the antennas!!!


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## Mussels (May 22, 2013)

small update:

the 1W alfa arrived today, and with the omnidirectional aerial its already boosted my signal significantly.

Generic Dual aerial thing:

Adams: 68% -> 92%
9446E6: 76% -> 88%



so in all seriousness, if you want good wifi... start with a good adaptor. THEN work on silly aerial tweaks.


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## jsfitz54 (May 22, 2013)

Mussels said:


> small update:
> 
> the 1W alfa arrived today, and with the omnidirectional aerial its already boosted my signal significantly.



Is this the one?
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000QYGNKQ/?tag=tec06d-20


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## Mussels (May 22, 2013)

jsfitz54 said:


> Is this the one?
> http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000QYGNKQ/?tag=tec06d-20



thats the one.


tried with a bunch of aerials, but i get no real gains using anything better than the provided 5db. its pretty well matched to the adaptor.


short version: good power, range. second best adaptor i've ever used (the white panel is better in almost every way). biggest problem, i'm only seeing about 400KB/s over a network with this adaptor, whereas the big white one manages about 1.2MB/s (54g network). its still a good step up from the dual aerial kinamax i tried earlier.


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## Deleted member 24505 (May 22, 2013)

What make is the Chinese one with the squarial?


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## TheoneandonlyMrK (May 22, 2013)

mlee49 said:


> Just in case you want to check my math:
> 
> http://img.techpowerup.org/130516/design1.png
> 
> ...



I nearly started neg then. Deep breath. 

Right there was a joke thing at the end of my comment dude it was a light hearted jibe wherein I asked you to show a pic, text can seam harsh but no insult was intended and you're input is useful and helpful chears for the links .


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## Mussels (May 23, 2013)

tigger said:


> What make is the Chinese one with the squarial?



kinamax ts-9900


its specs are clearly faked/exaggerated, but its a solid adaptor in every aspect. Its only downside is no external aerial, you're stuck with the directional panel it comes with.


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## Mussels (May 23, 2013)

i left the kinamax squarial scanning overnight...


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## Mussels (May 26, 2013)

trying out a new (crappy) design today with more of the foil lids.


instead of doing them horizontal, i'm trying vertical - they'll be smaller, which shouldnt be a problem with an omni aerial. then i'll try two rows of them veritcal, and see if a larger or smaller area helps.


using the signal 'adams' for comparison (i've got clear line of sight and i know the people there).

This time around i went for 20+ 'samples' and used the average.


1W Alfa w/ 10db omni huge ass aerial: 74%

+ 2 horizontal lids: 77% (admittedly this one was assembled... poorly)

+ 3 vertical lids: 79%

+ 6 lids 68% XD i'm assuiming the fact it has no smooth curves and is instead lumpy pieces stapled together unevenly is a bad thing


what i learned: covering the height of the aerial helps, but it needs to be a smooth curve.


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## jsfitz54 (May 27, 2013)

Mussels said:


> 2 horizontal lids: 77% (admittedly this one was assembled... poorly)
> 
> 3 vertical lids: 79%
> 
> ...



Would you mind posting pictures?  By "covering the height" you mean going beyond the tip?


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## FreedomEclipse (May 27, 2013)

If your findings are any good, I may need to order me some takeaway...


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## Steevo (May 27, 2013)

Look here noob.

Take the "cm" of the frequency you are looking to use and create a parabola with the "cm" as the "radius" of the parabola or "dish" to the antenna then place the "antenna" in the center or "focal point" of the parabola.


13cm for 2.4Ghz


Convert the satanic "cm" into a real measurement like inches, which are totally factual and real, not like the imaginary meter and associated units...... come out with 5.1 and we can then create this reflection "dish". 


I am totally going to patent the idea. So making this now is a breach of my IP and I will vigorously protect my research here!!!!


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## Mussels (May 29, 2013)

Steevo said:


> Look here noob.
> 
> Take the "cm" of the frequency you are looking to use and create a parabola with the "cm" as the "radius" of the parabola or "dish" to the antenna then place the "antenna" in the center or "focal point" of the parabola.
> 
> ...





i have no idea what you just said.


IM MAKING THIS CRAP OUT OF RUBBISH AND YOU THINK I KNOW WHAT IM DOING?!?!?!??


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## jsfitz54 (May 29, 2013)

Mussels said:


> i have no idea what you just said.
> 
> 
> IM MAKING THIS CRAP OUT OF RUBBISH AND YOU THINK I KNOW WHAT IM DOING?!?!?!??



I don't know if this was aimed at you but (EDIT:Steevo's) comment was rude and incomplete.  I thought that maybe FreedomEclipse or I was the target of (EDIT: Steevo's) comment.

In any event, I like this post.  It's useful, shows what can be achieved (on a budget) and your documenting your data which helps everyone.

Have a nice day!


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## Mussels (May 29, 2013)

jsfitz54 said:


> I don't know if this was aimed at you but the comment was rude and incomplete.  I thought that maybe FreedomEclipse or I was the target of the comment.
> 
> In any event, I like this post.  It's useful, shows what can be achieved (on a budget) and your documenting your data which helps everyone.
> 
> Have a nice day!





aimed at steevo. he was using numbers and stuff.


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## jsfitz54 (May 29, 2013)

Mussels said:


> aimed at steevo. he was using numbers and stuff.



I meant Steevo. Not you.

I can do math too: (2+2=4) (aimed at Steevo)

Maybe Steevo was trying to be comical with the intellectual rights thing. But as presented, I don't see any patents forthcoming.  Maybe if Steevo elaborated this idea with tables, pictures and diagrams we could see if his ideas are workable.


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## Random Murderer (May 29, 2013)

Guys, Steevo was not intentionally being rude, that post had sarcasm written all over it. That being said, sift through the crap and there's some good info there.

Mussels, why are all the pictures you posted upside-down?



Mussels said:


> i have no idea what you just said.
> IM MAKING THIS CRAP OUT OF RUBBISH AND YOU THINK I KNOW WHAT IM DOING?!?!?!??



That's getting sigged...


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## jsfitz54 (May 29, 2013)

Random Murderer said:


> Guys, Steevo was not intentionally being rude, that post had sarcasm written all over it. That being said, sift through the crap and there's some good info there.



If it were not for the opening line, which sets the tone, I would agree.

The problem is print media and not knowing a guy's brand of humor.

Steevo has always given solid advice so I hope he takes my comments in jest.

Satanic numbers, noooooooo -/----.


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## Steevo (May 29, 2013)

Yes. The answers to all of life's questions is here.


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## Random Murderer (May 29, 2013)

jsfitz54 said:


> If it were not for the opening line, which sets the tone, I would agree.
> 
> The problem is print media and not knowing a guy's brand of humor.
> 
> Steevo has always given solid advice so I hope he takes my comments in jest.



Steevo and Mussels have jabbed each other back and forth for years, I've seen it before and I'm sure this won't be the last time. I suspect that's where the "noob" comes from. His second line is a bit incoherent, but is still informative. Then he has the line about "Convert the satanic "cm" into a real measurement like inches, which are totally factual and real, not like the imaginary meter and associated units" and that's where I lost it and realized he was trolling 
At any rate, re-read his post, have a good chuckle, and let's get back on track.

Mussels, have you tried using the take-out lids for shielding only? As in placing the "metallic" side away from the antenna and covering the side the antenna is on with some aluminium foil? Shiny side toward the antenna, not the dull side. I don't know if that would make a difference, but it seems like the shiny side would "reflect" the signal better without "diffusing" it.

EDIT: Steevo trolled us again
A .gif that does NOTHING!


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## Mussels (May 29, 2013)

i've played with it as shielding, and all it does is cuts out a signal from one direction.


its useful if you're in a congested area and want to reduce interference, or keep unwanted guests off your router.


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## Random Murderer (May 29, 2013)

Mussels said:


> i've played with it as shielding, and all it does is cuts out a signal from one direction.
> 
> 
> its useful if you're in a congested area and want to reduce interference, or keep unwanted guests off your router.



Right, but you could still use it as a backing for a better material is where I was coming from.


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## Mussels (May 29, 2013)

Random Murderer said:


> Right, but you could still use it as a backing for a better material is where I was coming from.



well thats true. i could set them up in a nice 'dish' and then stickytape some al foil over it. i wont because that shit annoys me, but i could.


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## Steevo (May 29, 2013)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wavelength
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parabolic_reflector
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parabolic_antenna


Seriously, a parabola with a 5.1" radius will provide the best results.


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## jsfitz54 (May 29, 2013)

Question: with regards to the tv issue I brought up previously, with a picture mount, could a narrow parabola shield behind the tv (lined up with the internal adapter) help gain reception?

Samsung: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0078LN0K6/?tag=tec06d-20

Would I be wasting time trying due to such a narrow curve? (math not right)

I think the repeater would be the solid way to go but in theme of trying to do more with less, what do you think?


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## Mussels (May 29, 2013)

ok so all this math stuff is new to me. explain whta you mean about the distance/size of the parabola properly and i'll test it out.


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## mlee49 (May 29, 2013)

jsfitz54 said:


> *Question: with regards to the tv issue I brought up previously, with a picture mount, could a narrow parabola shield behind the tv (lined up with the internal adapter) help gain reception?
> *
> I think the repeater would be the solid way to go but in theme of trying to do more with less, what do you think?



A standard backplane can increase the gain by as much as Half the power or 3 dB. Your parabola might help direct the internal antenna's reception towards the router, but the difficult part is isolating the internal antenna.  

You might get away with changing out one of the antennas on the router to a directional one and pointing it at the TV for a better connection.




Mussels said:


> ok so all this math stuff is new to me. explain whta you mean about the distance/size of the parabola properly and i'll test it out.



Here's one that is easy enough:

http://www.freeantennas.com/projects/template2/

http://www.freeantennas.com/projects/template/


More on the Parabola: http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Parabola.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parabolic_reflector


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## Steevo (May 29, 2013)

The wavelength of the frequency should be the the distance to the phase center of the antenna from the reflective surface in a arc equidistant from said point.


Or, if the center of your antenna is the center of the circle the distance to the reflector should be equal to the wavelength of the frequency used to reflect and create a focal point of energy in the antenna. Much like using a parabola to light something with sunlight by focusing a larger cross section of the energy radiated by the WAP you will increase signal level.


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## Mussels (May 29, 2013)

Steevo said:


> The wavelength of the frequency should be the the distance to the phase center of the antenna from the reflective surface in a arc equidistant from said point.
> 
> 
> Or, if the center of your antenna is the center of the circle the distance to the reflector should be equal to the wavelength of the frequency used to reflect and create a focal point of energy in the antenna. Much like using a parabola to light something with sunlight by focusing a larger cross section of the energy radiated by the WAP you will increase signal level.



stop speaking alien.


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## Steevo (May 29, 2013)

Cut 10.2 inches of aluminum foil. Tape the ends to a piece of paper. Cut two or four bamboo skewers to 5.1 inches, less half the thickness of the antenna. Tape or glue the skewers to the antenna and the corners of the foil on the paper so that it forms a half circle.


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## jsfitz54 (May 29, 2013)

mlee49 said:


> A standard backplane can increase the gain by as much as Half the power or 3 dB. Your parabola might help direct the internal antenna's reception towards the router, but the difficult part is isolating the internal antenna.
> 
> You might get away with changing out one of the antennas on the router to a directional one and pointing it at the TV for a better connection.



The new router was able to provide signal to the tv (for the first time) when it was stand mounted approx. 2 feet from the wall.  When picture mounted, slightly higher, it lost signal.

Router: ASUS RT-AC66U

Room has always been an issue.  I changed the Tx power from stock 80mW (no reception) to 175mW on both bands (worked while stand mounted).  Max is 200mW.

Also changed stock 5dbi antennas for 9dbi ones.

I assume the wireless adapter is located on the logic board of the tv but am not sure.


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## mlee49 (May 29, 2013)

Most likely, so it sounds like the antenna on the TV is just getting grounded by the wall. 

Is there any room to move it away from the wall?  Even 5 inches could help at 2.4GHz.


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## Ahhzz (May 29, 2013)

Mussels said:


> you're gunna need a bigger wifi dongle.



that's what she said.....





what?!  Someone had to say it....


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## jsfitz54 (May 29, 2013)

mlee49 said:


> Most likely, so it sounds like the antenna on the TV is just getting grounded by the wall.
> 
> Is there any room to move it away from the wall? Even 5 inches could help at 2.4GHz.



A change of TV mount might work.  Will have to try when he is home (abroad currently).  Thanks for the tips.

The picture mount I gave my friend was almost free.  A bad bait and switch from an Amazon seller that I lost the mailing cost on(had to fight for refund of purchase price).
Bad taste in my mouth so I gave it away.


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## Ahhzz (May 29, 2013)

jsfitz54 said:


> Is this the one?
> http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000QYGNKQ/?tag=tec06d-20



I like how they say "...- for Wardriving "....


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## FreedomEclipse (Jun 4, 2013)

I made my own 'parabolic' out of some old cardboard packaging from Amazon, all i needed was tin foil and some tape. sadly I didnt obtain the results that I wanted. It didnt make the signal any stronger and ive positioned it right behind the antenna's on my AmpedWireless repeater. I'll probably play about with the positioning a little more and see if it helps..


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## remixedcat (Jun 5, 2013)

Really AMPED WIRELESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Geofrancis (Jun 5, 2013)

I have used and abused every piece of wifi hardware out there for research into building a wireless isp. when i first started my quest i built a 1 mile wifi connection between me and a friends house. this was back when very few people had wifi so there was very little interference from other routers so with just a pair of routers with ddwrt @ 100mw and some cheap Chinese 14dbi panel antennas i was able to get a stable 2mb connection. this lasted for about 6 months before the speed started dipping to 1mb during the day then cutting out intermittently due to the popularity of wireless routers the noise leval was just going up and up until it was unusable. then i started playing with the cheap 1W 2.4ghz bidirectional amplifier. it helped slightly but it had the problem of amplifying interference so it still dropped out now and again. then i started looking into the ubiquiti 5ghz 300mbit routers(nanostation, Bullet, RocketM5). these things are amazing 100mbit stable at over a mile! and also has a built in RF spectrum analyzer for finding interference. 
the wifi adapters i have used for testing long range setups are the Alfa 500mw usb adapter, ubiquiti Airstation 1W usb and my laptop currently has a 400mw PCIe Ubiquiti SR-71E  so anything my laptop can pick up i can connect to. i want to build this 






i bet i get funny looks getting the bus with it.....


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## mlee49 (Jun 5, 2013)

This is what you need:


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## SaltyFish (Jun 20, 2013)

Anyone tried re-purposing an old satellite dish?

http://www.skifactz.com/wifi/wifi_dish.htm


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## n0tiert (Jun 20, 2013)

Geofrancis said:


> http://img.engadget.com/common/images/8312965763230518.JPG?0.15513966423837589.jpg
> 
> i bet i get funny looks getting the bus with it.....



this looks more like ghostbusters to me


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## D007 (Jun 20, 2013)

Mussels said:


> stop speaking alien.


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## Mussels (Jun 22, 2013)

SaltyFish said:


> Anyone tried re-purposing an old satellite dish?
> 
> http://www.skifactz.com/wifi/wifi_dish.htm
> 
> http://i.imgur.com/r6vI74p.jpg



yes, but im saving the photos for when i have real internet to kick the stupid up in this thread another notch.


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## a_ump (Jun 22, 2013)

didn't feel like going through 4 pages so here's mah question.

I have wifi but my router/modem is on one side of my house and my room is completely on the other side of it. I get enough internet for my laptop to pick up 1 or 2 bars, but my smartphone struggles to keep connected to my network. 

Would building one of those design idea's behind my router/modem's antenna help the signal? Since its an omni-directional antenna i thought maybe putting a metal shroud between the Ant and the wall would help bounce the signal more towards my side of the house


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## mlee49 (Jun 22, 2013)

a_ump said:


> didn't feel like going through 4 pages so here's mah question.
> 
> I have wifi but my router/modem is on one side of my house and my room is completely on the other side of it. I get enough internet for my laptop to pick up 1 or 2 bars, but my smartphone struggles to keep connected to my network.
> 
> Would building one of those design idea's behind my router/modem's antenna help the signal? Since its an omni-directional antenna i thought maybe putting a metal shroud between the Ant and the wall would help bounce the signal more towards my side of the house



Yes, directing the antenna(s) will help.  I posted a couple links on simple ways to create a 'reflector' on omni-directional antennas.


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## BiggieShady (Jun 22, 2013)

Steevo said:


> The wavelength of the frequency should be the the distance to the phase center of the antenna from the reflective surface in a arc equidistant from said point.





Mussels said:


> stop speaking alien.





wavelength = the speed of light / (2.4 gigahertz) = 12.4913524 centimeters

If frequency is 2.4 GHz, best results are when receiver is at focal point of a curved reflective surface which focal distance is 12.4913524 centimeters.

... if I remember alien math correctly


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## FreedomEclipse (Aug 23, 2013)

Speaking of dodgy ass antenna's I had a bit of extra money to throw around and i purchased 






and






for shits and giggles testing with my AmpedWireless SR1000

I also picked up a really really cheap small yagi antenna off ebay but that was just beyond terrible.

I have to say that the flat panel antenna is definitely serving me better the the long omni one.


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## Geofrancis (Aug 23, 2013)

FreedomEclipse said:


> Speaking of dodgy ass antenna's I had a bit of extra money to throw around and i purchased
> 
> http://www.81am.com/webshaper/pcm/pictures/Networking/tp-link/TL-ANT2414A.jpg
> 
> ...




That tp link omni is a nice antenna I have one Hooked to a 1w ubiquiti Bullet2HP on the top of a block of flats and I can connect with my iphone 1/4 mile every direction. But the problem with it is it also gets interference from every direction so it's not ideal for urban environments. I'm going to me moving to a pair of mimo radios with diversity and 2 antennas each to try and get around the problem.


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## FreedomEclipse (Aug 23, 2013)

The problem is - If i stick the omni on a long pole outside my garden - people will get suspicious of what im doing lol. I dont think the police here take unauthorised wireless network usage seriously here but it will still turn some heads if people see it sticking out of the ground - Its always about being discreet to avoid attention.

I'll definitely have a little fun with it though.


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## Geofrancis (Aug 23, 2013)

FreedomEclipse said:


> The problem is - If i stick the omni on a long pole outside my garden - people will get suspicious of what im doing lol. I dont think the police here take unauthorised wireless network usage seriously here but it will still turn some heads if people see it sticking out of the ground - Its always about being discreet to avoid attention.
> 
> I'll definitely have a little fun with it though.



Just make sure it's up high I find people never look up.


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## remixedcat (Aug 23, 2013)

make it look like nic cage.


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## FreedomEclipse (Aug 23, 2013)

remixedcat said:


> make it look like nic cage.



I never wanted any of this....


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## Mussels (Aug 24, 2013)

tell them its an aerial for your 3G internet and no one will bat an eyelid.


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