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US Researchers Confirm WLAN Tuning With Aluminum Foil Works

Nov 9, 2017 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

If you want to improve your home Wi-Fi connection and look for tips on the Internet, sooner or later you will come across building instructions for passive WLAN amplifiers with aluminum foil.What some think is gimmick, researchers from the US have now demonstrated: The aluminum foil trick can work.

Aluminum Foil For WLAN

The scientists from Dartmouth University have investigated several Internet tuning tips for wireless routers in a research project . These included directional antennas, certain tinkering with aluminum foil, as well as the often recommended method of placing an empty beverage can behind the router. The researchers found that certain aluminum-shaped reflectors are actually suitable for improving reception quality. However, for such a WLAN amplifier to work, it requires a specific form that suits the respective premises.

The team led by Professor Xia Zhou developed a software that can be used to calculate the optimum shape for individual WLAN reflectors.The generated 3D model can then be printed at low cost with 3D printers and covered with aluminum foil. Properly placed on the router antennas, the WLAN signal can be bundled in such a way that it is 6 dB stronger in the desired range. In other directions it is attenuated by about 10 dB, which additionally protects its own access point against intruders.

Also Read: New York City Will now Have Free WiFi Kiosks

The team wants to present its results today at the Buildsys conference in the Netherlands .In the future, the research team wants to experiment with other materials that are supposed to enable dynamic shape adaptation. This would make more flexible amplifiers possible, which can be easily adapted by changing the room with the WLAN router, repositioning it or putting up new furniture. Even without an aluminum amplifier, however, you can get much more out of your home Wi-Fi hotspot with a few adjustments.

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