http://mybroadband.co.za/photos/showphoto.php?photo=3875&cat=2
I've been pulling my hair out over the past couple of days. I'm waiting for my DSL connection to be installed at my new premises and the internetlessness was unbearable. I thought to myself, no problem, I'll just connect to the net using my cell phone and my handy 3G connection only to find out none of the cellular operators have proper 3G coverage in my area. I'm able to get reception if i take my laptop to the kitchen and put my cell phone on the kitchen window sil but that's it. Needless to say it's not a very convenient option. I then started googling antenna boosters and all of that nonsense only to find out how expensive they are. I was looking at over R600 to get any sort of decent signal (adapter for my Nokia phone + antenna). Eventually after almost giving up hope and making little crappy paper antennae I had seen in the PC format last month I spotted my empty, lonely little trash can sitting on the floor and said to myself, hey! That could almost be a parabolic dish! lol
So here's your chance to try it out if you're having probs with data reception using your phone as a modem or you have one of the fancier 3G modems. Or even if you're just curious as to the efficacy of the wireless dust bin!!!
You'll need:
1x Small Curved Dustbin
1x Length of aluminium foil
1 Longish USB data cable for your modem/phone or alternatively you can just use a USB extender as this will help you with the placement.
Line the dustbin with the foil and plonk your phone/modem in! Then just experiment as to where is best to place your wifi bin and you're surfing!!! I'm no expert but i would assume this would work with the little usb wifi dongles aswell as it seems to concentrate the signal.
Just as a footnote I have even used this thing on the floor under my desk and it still gets full bars!!! I went from having a 2kb/s gprs connection to a full fledged 3.5G connection. My speedtests have gone up to 100KB/s using the wifi bin and I'm quite pleased.
Please feel free to comment on this ridiculous idea that worked for me!
EDIT: Just found this little speed testy thingy in another post and thought i'd post it to report my findings:
http://mybroadband.co.za/photos/showphoto.php?photo=3876&cat=2
EDIT2: PS. I've also found that the signal improves somewhat more if the phone/modem is not lying/leaning directly against the back of the bin. Try and get it to stand up a few centimeters away from the back, I just stood my phone up against a stapler.
I've been pulling my hair out over the past couple of days. I'm waiting for my DSL connection to be installed at my new premises and the internetlessness was unbearable. I thought to myself, no problem, I'll just connect to the net using my cell phone and my handy 3G connection only to find out none of the cellular operators have proper 3G coverage in my area. I'm able to get reception if i take my laptop to the kitchen and put my cell phone on the kitchen window sil but that's it. Needless to say it's not a very convenient option. I then started googling antenna boosters and all of that nonsense only to find out how expensive they are. I was looking at over R600 to get any sort of decent signal (adapter for my Nokia phone + antenna). Eventually after almost giving up hope and making little crappy paper antennae I had seen in the PC format last month I spotted my empty, lonely little trash can sitting on the floor and said to myself, hey! That could almost be a parabolic dish! lol
So here's your chance to try it out if you're having probs with data reception using your phone as a modem or you have one of the fancier 3G modems. Or even if you're just curious as to the efficacy of the wireless dust bin!!!
You'll need:
1x Small Curved Dustbin
1x Length of aluminium foil
1 Longish USB data cable for your modem/phone or alternatively you can just use a USB extender as this will help you with the placement.
Line the dustbin with the foil and plonk your phone/modem in! Then just experiment as to where is best to place your wifi bin and you're surfing!!! I'm no expert but i would assume this would work with the little usb wifi dongles aswell as it seems to concentrate the signal.
Just as a footnote I have even used this thing on the floor under my desk and it still gets full bars!!! I went from having a 2kb/s gprs connection to a full fledged 3.5G connection. My speedtests have gone up to 100KB/s using the wifi bin and I'm quite pleased.
Please feel free to comment on this ridiculous idea that worked for me!
EDIT: Just found this little speed testy thingy in another post and thought i'd post it to report my findings:
http://mybroadband.co.za/photos/showphoto.php?photo=3876&cat=2
EDIT2: PS. I've also found that the signal improves somewhat more if the phone/modem is not lying/leaning directly against the back of the bin. Try and get it to stand up a few centimeters away from the back, I just stood my phone up against a stapler.
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Unless it's the tinfoil that makes all the difference...