We love a good life hack, but while getting OS X running on a PC or an iOS jailbreak is great and all, some people think a little more tenaciously. Case in point, the step-by-step guide and video tutorial below demonstrates how you can create a Wi-Fi signal booster using just an aluminum beer can. Yep, you read that right!
Although the idea of using a beer can sounds the most ridiculous, and hence has the most shock value when being touted as a Wi-Fi signal booster, you could, of course, use any can. Coke, Fanta, Dr. Pepper, Rubicon, or even Orangina – if you can still find it in a can.
Obviously, this little hack serves as a temporary solution if you’re struggling to reach your aging router, and is really not a legitimate replacement for, well, a replacement router. With that said, there’s something quite endearing about creating a fix to a tech issue using throwaway household goods, and if you want to increase Wi-Fi signal without paying through the nose, the beer can solution is perhaps your best bet.
As well as taking about a minute to make, it’s also a good excuse to crack open a beer, and provided that you also have a pair of scissors, some blue tack and a box cutter, you’ll be able to whip up a makeshift Wi-Fi booster in no time.
Since it involves the use of knives and sharp, exposed aluminum, it’s probably not the kind of tutorial that kids should follow, but then again, it’s rare to find a youngster that cares enough about tech to look beyond the user interface nowadays.
Step 1: Wash out your aluminum can. This is optional, of course, but if you don’t, you’ll end up with a sticky residue that’ll make the process more difficult.
Step 2: Using your box cutter, slice off the bottom of the can completely.
Step 3: Cut around the top end of the can, but don’t go all the way around. Leave around 2cm intact, near where the drinking hole is situated.
Step 4: Cut the can from bottom to top vertically, ensuring that this incision is directly opposite the 2cm piece of metal attached to the top.
Step 5: Unravel the outer surface area of the can, remove the ringpull, and place the upside-down can over your router’s antenna.
While it’s a bit of an eyesore, it could surely benefit routers with poor signal, and although it’s not quite the wire-hanger-on-the-car routine, it’s nevertheless worth trying if your router seems unconnectible as soon as you leave the room.
(Source: YouTube)
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