Fun challenge for bored engineers

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Rikkitic

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#269723 4-Apr-2020 18:16

I have a friend isolating in a temporary rental with poor wi-fi. He can barely get a signal and has to place his laptop awkwardly to get it to work at all. It is weak and unreliable.

In the past I experimented with reflectors made of aluminum foil on curved cardboard to improve wi-fi signal to a dongle. This works to some extent with a dongle. The challenge is how do you do this with an entire laptop? Can anyone calculate the dimensions of a reflector that could be placed behind the computer? This is way over my head.

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#2454570 4-Apr-2020 18:32

You would need to know the laptops antenna placement. Perhaps put something on the accesspoint end if that has a stick antenna pointing towards the laptops location instead?

Richard rich.ms

Rikkitic

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#2454575 4-Apr-2020 18:37

Don't know anything about it. Probably just the landlady's router at the other end of the building. Anything would have to be at the laptop end.

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frankv

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#2454611 4-Apr-2020 19:28

The real answer is not to muck about with tinfoil reflectors and the like. It will never work well, and probably vary in performance with the temperature, humidity, position of the user's limbs, and phase of the moon.

Ask the landlady to move her router closer. Or install a pair of powerline modems to bring the signal to the laptop.

Rikkitic

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#2454628 4-Apr-2020 20:15

Thanks but moving the modem appears not to be doable. Don't know exactly why. I don't live there. Powerline devices and other nice toys are fine, but they need to be able to do this with what they have available. They are in lockdown, after all. I'm trying to see if there is a MacGyver solution to this.

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deadlyllama

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#2454630 4-Apr-2020 20:26

Where is the friend? Maybe someone could do a contactless drop off of some powerline gear or a USB wifi adapter?

kotuku4

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#2454667 4-Apr-2020 22:13

Usb extension cable to move the dongle higher or other better position?

SATTV

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#2454683 4-Apr-2020 22:41

What you are after is a windsurfer.

https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C5CHFA_enNZ801NZ802&q=windsurfer+wifi&tbm=isch&chips=q:windsurfer+wifi,g_1:template&usg=AI4_-kS3aYEW6Rch2KVIH7cVkLX3OFeroA&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiEzKyZvM7oAhUm6nMBHSfIAWMQgIoDKAF6BAgHEAU&biw=1280&bih=598

You will need a wifi dongle with an external antenna as this slips over the antenna.

Alternatively Wok fi

https://www.google.com/search?q=wok+fi&rlz=1C5CHFA_enNZ801NZ802&oq=wok+fi+&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l3.3734j0j9&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Basically you will need an external USB wifi adaptor, usb extension cable and a parabolic-esc cooking device, if you are really keen an upside down satellite dish.

John

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Rikkitic

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#2454814 5-Apr-2020 09:54

Thanks for the suggestions but those are all things he doesn't have. No dongle, no USB cable, no anything else. Just a laptop. The question is how to improve reception with just a laptop.

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gzt

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#2454826 5-Apr-2020 10:10

Using the number of bars or signal strength for an indication? Give it 5 minutes to settle down after making any changes. Here's some things to work through in no particular order.

Disconnect the laptop power supply see if there is a difference on battery only.

Move any obstructions or metal objects near the machine.

Turn off power supplies, printers etc not needed for a while.

Assuming it's on a desk, observe signal, rotate the machine 45 degrees, wait 5 min, observe signal, repeat.

Try different parts of the room with a similar method.

It's a marginal situation and you might just get the additional tiny percentage needed to make it work.

SATTV

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#2454827 5-Apr-2020 10:11

Rikkitic:

Thanks for the suggestions but those are all things he doesn't have. No dongle, no USB cable, no anything else. Just a laptop. The question is how to improve reception with just a laptop.

The only other solution is to move the laptop closer to the source of the wifi or move the wifi closer to the laptop.

Is there a spare wireless access point that could be used to extend the network?

Is the a wireless access point that could be put into bridge mode?

What is lying around that we could make use of?

I have used one of these in bridge mode before and it worked well.

https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/NRETPL0205/TP-Link-RE205-Dual-Band-AC750-Wi-Fi-Range-Extender

Would a long Ethernet cable be able to be used in the short term?

John

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Rikkitic

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#2454839 5-Apr-2020 10:35

I don't have full details of the set-up. I was just trying to find a way to help if I could. My understanding is that they are renting a flat adjoining a house and the router is in one part and they are in the other and reception is generally poor in all parts of their area. They have found hot spots where it is better, but all involve awkward positionings like balancing the laptop on the arm of a sofa and so forth. The person they are renting from is friendly but nobody has any technical know-how, so bridging and things like that are out. Also I assume they are isolating from each other. The question is just if there is any way to improve signal from their area using only materials they might have available. I have successfully built curved reflectors in the past with tin foil that worked on a single focal point (a dongle). I was just wondering if it was at all possible to do something similar with a whole laptop. I imagine a big curved cardboard structure lined with foil, or even a flat reflector, but I don't have specific know-how in this area. From what I am seeing here, apparently it isn't possible.

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hio77

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#2454840 5-Apr-2020 10:35

Might I offer a practical solution.

Have this friend take out there phone, tap on Hotspot and use that?
Given its a temporary rental probably not worth spending on gear...

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Any comments made are personal opinion and do not reflect directly on the position my current or past employers may have.

Rikkitic

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#2454849 5-Apr-2020 10:43

hio77: Might I offer a practical solution.

Have this friend take out there phone, tap on Hotspot and use that?
Given its a temporary rental probably not worth spending on gear...

That actually sounds interesting but I have never owned a phone and don't know how that works. What is involved in tethering?

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hio77

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#2454852 5-Apr-2020 10:45

Rikkitic:
hio77: Might I offer a practical solution.

Have this friend take out there phone, tap on Hotspot and use that?
Given its a temporary rental probably not worth spending on gear...

That actually sounds interesting but I have never owned a phone and don't know how that works. What is involved in tethering?

Swipe down. Tap Hotspot. Connect to the WiFi with password on phone. Use Internet.

It's designed to be really simple.

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Rikkitic

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#2454856 5-Apr-2020 10:53

Thanks. I will pass it on.

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