It will probably reflect some of the radiation. Wifi reception will be poorer behind the aluminium and possibly better in front.
A cheapskates version of a directional antenna.
Microwave Intensifies
Submitted 1 day ago by fossilesque@mander.xyz to science_memes@mander.xyz
https://mander.xyz/pictrs/image/50a63260-f097-417e-bb08-44a7581dd500.jpeg
Comments
zxqwas@lemmy.world 23 hours ago
raltoid@lemmy.world 20 hours ago
Indeed, although this type of thing was more common with older wifi generations, so I’m not surprised kids these days wont know.
We cut the top off an old beer can once, poked a hole and stuck it onto the antenna to get across a courtyard and have a stable download.
Mostly_Gristle@lemmy.world 19 hours ago
I remember like 15 or 20 years ago the popular thing was printable papercraft doohickeys that you’d cut out and glue together with aluminum foil on the backside that were like little satellite dishes that mounted on the antennas that were supposed to boost/aim your wifi signal. I gave them a try, but if they made a difference it wasn’t big enough to be noticeable.
Natanox@discuss.tchncs.de 20 hours ago
Reminds me of the diy antenna made out of copper wire, an empty CD spool and a single CD on its back. Those antennas could work as far as 1km if there was no obstruction, or 400m through light obstructions. It was awesome.
clot27@lemmy.zip 12 hours ago
We used to do this with antennas for tvs (those circular ones) It used to work in rains too
Clearwater@lemmy.world 20 hours ago
I unironically do something similar to this. In my area, the only options are a dogshit local WISP, Starlink/other satellite, or (where possible) cellular.
I am one of the “lucky” people who are able to use cell for my internet, however whether it’s the cell company having a craptastic network, software/hardware bugs on the my customer equipment, or a combination of both, there is only ONE cell tower I can connect to which yields a useful connection.
All other towers result in the equipment failing to connect to the tower, connecting but failing to get an internet connection, or only yielding download speeds 5Mbit of less.
I have found that by shoving sheet metal around my ISP’s equipment, I can quite easily block off the non-functional towers and ensure they’re never connected to. I don’t think speeds are any better, but it does help with reliability.
justme@lemmy.dbzer0.com 19 hours ago
I wonder if it’s not only boxing the other towers but also boring the signal to the one you are aiming at, because you put a big mirror behind
Clearwater@lemmy.world 7 hours ago
I have tried that. I have a dish taken from a directional WiFi antenna. When placed behind the gateway, it sometimes increases speeds, sometimes hurts speeds, and sometimes does nothing. I found it a bit too inconsistent, and a bit too ugly, to be used permanently. If I had a proper mounting solution, I might have gotten it tuned just right, however at that point I would rather just buy and mount external antennas to hook into the gateway.
However my exact deployment today doesn’t actually have anything behind the gateway. That is just because for my specific case, all the towers it can reach are within a roughly 90 degree field of view. To block the bad ones, I really only need to block off a few sections of the window it’s sitting near.
knightly@pawb.social 18 hours ago
Bothto some degree, realistically. I used an old collander as a signal reflector for a wifi dongle on the end of a USB extension cable and was able to boost the signal up to about 4x, or maybe half the range of the purpose-built and highly directional Yagi antenna I eventually bought to replace it.
roserose56@lemmy.ca 12 hours ago
I did this back in 2010-13, to get better internet in my house! It was a video from a youtube, where he used cereal box with aluminum.
cypherpunks@lemmy.ml 17 hours ago
Etterra@discuss.online 7 hours ago
I can’t tell if this is legit or an elaborate troll.
fartographer@lemmy.world 23 hours ago
Long live the Pringles cantenna
fullsquare@awful.systems 20 hours ago
[deleted]Pencilnoob@lemmy.world 17 hours ago
I once made one of these with a bigger can and mounted it on an old 10’ satellite dish. Managed to get Wi-Fi across several thousand yards without issue
Landless2029@lemmy.world 13 hours ago
Wardriving intensifies
Zerush@lemmy.ml 15 hours ago
I have put my router in a 4 m parabol antenna, with this the signal has also improved somewhat, it only prevents me from using the sofa that is next to the router.
fubarx@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Keeps out the conspiracy-based posts and only lets facts through.
three@lemmy.zip 1 day ago
Directs the wifi.
Geodad@lemmy.world 1 day ago
In all different direcrions…
Back in my day, we used a Pringles can.
MrJameGumb@lemmy.world 1 day ago
When I was a kid we would connect a coat hanger to the TV to the the news from 2 towns over
ZILtoid1991@lemmy.world 1 day ago
I used to steal Wi-Fi with an outdated Linux installation DVD.
three@lemmy.zip 1 day ago
Didn’t say anything about the effectiveness…
Tikiporch@lemmy.world 17 hours ago
Remember windsurfers? You put them on the single antenna of your old linsky router.
loomy@lemy.lol 1 day ago
uh, is this real?
Evilsandwichman@hexbear.net 23 hours ago
That is indeed a photograph of something someone has done
Etterra@discuss.online 23 hours ago
Not as effective as the anti-5G wire cages.
Glitterbomb@lemmy.world 13 hours ago
I stumbled onto these on Amazon last night actually. The user submitted video reviews are insane. I was screaming. I got to the head scarf that blocks the 5Gs and I had to stop.
EMF BLOCKING BASEBALL CAP
Etterra@discuss.online 12 hours ago
Oh that’s just magical lol
Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 1 day ago
if its thick enough the aluminum, will act as a faradays cage.
Evilsandwichman@hexbear.net 23 hours ago
Well maybe if the router would behave itself it wouldn’t find itself in a cage
middlemanSI@lemmy.world 23 hours ago
And double as a bomb shelter
apotheotic@beehaw.org 21 hours ago
Darkassassin07@lemmy.ca 1 day ago
Image
Goun@lemmy.ml 1 day ago
I sell fans, this is true
Darkassassin07@lemmy.ca 1 day ago
Makes download speeds great, but upload drops off a cliff
Redfox8@mander.xyz 14 hours ago
I sell the truth, that is my fan. Mits off! You now owe me $5.
Sterile_Technique@lemmy.world 1 day ago
…never stops buffering.
Gyroplast@pawb.social 22 hours ago
I still have a soft spot for troll physics. Needs more magnets, though.
YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today 19 hours ago
How do they work‽
agegamon@beehaw.org 8 hours ago
OnlyWififans 😳Aceticon@lemmy.dbzer0.com 14 hours ago
Yeah, but that makes the waves more choppy and stormlike which increases degradation of the equipment on the other side as the waves collide against it.
mindbleach@sh.itjust.works 8 hours ago
Anon accidentally recreates the Michelson-Morley experiment.
cmgvd3lw@discuss.tchncs.de 1 day ago
What astounds me is despite being a crappy drawing, the person drew that fan with proper perspective and proportion.
SuppenMartl@beehaw.org 10 hours ago
Ehm sure. Look the red waves in the lower picture are definitely longer. Voila!