Easy USB Wireless Extender (a JoeTenna)

Have a wireless USB adapter and need more range? After many experiments with round metallic cookware and Pringles cans I found it, a solution that is most effective so far - one of those aluminum light reflectors that you may have laying around or otherwise super inexpensive.

Here's a picture of mine, right after i confirmed it can reach a distant neighbor's high speed connection him and his wife offered reliable bandwidth.
True it's not the prettiest solution, but results really encouraging - and as long as it's a behemoth I might even attach a small USB hub, plug network adapter and a 16GB UltraFit for driver storage and just use this anytime I need a little extra boost in a pinch.

Anyway the dish is probably 8 1/2" and the adapter was tested sitting in the center and between 2" and 3" from the inner circle edge, as an initial guide based on Cantennas and also those templates you print, glue stick over folder and bend around for router antennas. This is the starting point for future experiments.

There's one thing missing that i have to finish, if anyone would like to brainstorm go for it: the center part of it, I'd like to have a way to adjust the USB adapter to the best height before securing it with a side screw or something.

I hope someone gets something out of this and that it's not too offbeat not to reside in the Off Topic forum.

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-= Cloud 9 =-



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/28/2015 11:38PM by JoeyPogoPlugE02.

Hey Joey,

This is super cool :) a bookmark-worthy mod.

I've updated the Debian topics post to include it:
http://forum.doozan.com/read.php?2,23630,23630#msg-23630

-bodhi
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/29/2015 01:19AM by bodhi.

ah a hack right in my back yard of ideas -

for a cheap adjustable antenna centre. i would look to dismantle an old radio, the type with the telescopic areals, or take one from an old car.

this will allow you to mount the usb adaptor at the end and feed the wires along the length or through the centre of it once the desired length has been attained you could then either glue or tape the sections together to prevent movement. as a way to hold this to the centre/base of the device, i would look to a small piece of wood cut and drilled to shape or an old bottle top with a hole in it and then filled with ondo or similar.

The remains of the telescopic aerial could then be attached to the external of the cone to create "legs". at the bell-mouth end.

Cheers!

Best to you two.. We're close, the car antenna idea indicates we're almost there. Fishing rods, little camera tripod from the dollar store... close.
all I know at the moment, the signal boost blazes past anything else I tried, and naturally I'm a bit superstitious about adding any more metal to the dynamic. To complete, it should be real common parts. A sewing thread bobbin is close, and with that center hole to have a dowel or something, but would have to cut in strange places. Maybe plumbing parts... hmmm.

If there was a plastic piece with outer threads that allowed the light socket to have the bottom cut out, and screw way past it, that's one way. For all I know it could be anywhere in the dish and still work the same, but i have a feeling those aluminum ridges in the dish do something magic to the signal...

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-= Cloud 9 =-



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/29/2015 04:25PM by JoeyPogoPlugE02.