As technology advances and more objects in our homes connect, connections get slower, especially during peak hours when everyone in the neighborhood or complex is winding down for the day.
However, one technology expert suggested a workaround: place a piece of aluminum foil behind your router. Increasing your Wi-Fi’s speed is the aim.
A Viewpoint from a Professor
James McQuiggan is a Security Awareness Advocate at KnowBe4 and a part-time instructor in the Engineering, Computer Programming & Technology Division at Valencia College. He has so researched and examined every facet of technology.
Placing a piece of aluminum foil behind your router is an interesting way to speed up your Wi-Fi connection, he finds.
For a faster connection, place aluminum foil behind your router.
It seems that the signal gets weaker when more devices are linked to the same wireless network. According to McQuiggan, it’s “like a sprinkler head spraying water in all directions.” Consequently, wireless signals weaken where they are and go to unnecessary locations.
Obstacles like walls or furniture might also have an impact on the signal strength. That’s when the aluminum foil behind your router comes into play.
If you place the aluminum foil behind your router with the shiny side facing out, the signal will be reflected. It might therefore move more freely but purposefully. Additionally, shaping the aluminum foil behind your router will give you more control over the signal’s path.
Examining the Theory
Despite the hack’s seeming illegitimacy, a Dartmouth research team validated Professor James McQuiggan’s theory.
According to the scientists, a “3D-printed shape” that was “covered in aluminum” was created and precisely positioned to control the signal’s trajectory.
In specific areas, they enhanced the signal by more than 50%. Meanwhile, in undesired areas, they cut the signal by little over 60%.
Putting Aluminum Foil Behind Your Router: A Guide
What you will require:
Enclose the enclosure fully with one foot of aluminum foil. Note that certain routers do not have an external antenna.
After making a “C” with the sheet, place the aluminum foil behind your router. The glossy side must be inside the curve and facing the router. Fold out the bottom of the sheet to create a stand if it needs more support to stay upright.
Lastly, move to a location where you want a stronger signal, such the couch or the kitchen, to test the connection. In your phone’s or computer’s search box, type “Google speed test.” Then, run the blue “run speed test” to get a report with the connection speeds.
For security, place aluminum foil behind your router.
Using aluminum foil behind your router has more advantages than just improving speed and efficiency, it turns out.
Additionally, the Dartmouth team discovered that the method would be effective in ensuring a secure connection. Placing aluminum foil behind your router will prevent hackers from accessing your connection.
This is particularly true if the signals are positioned to avoid locations where a connection is never required.
According to the researchers, “this physical confinement of wireless signals raises the barrier for attackers and serves as a complementary method to existing network security measures, such as encryption.”
Test at Home
It’s crucial to remember that the outcomes are not guaranteed and that this hack won’t always work. For instance, when Brooke attempted the hack at home, the results were unsatisfactory. Prior to beginning, I examined the internet speeds in my living room, which houses the router, and my porch. “There was a huge difference,” she said. Using two sheets of aluminum foil or the soda can appeared to reduce speeds by a few Mbps, but using only one sheet of foil had no effect at all. When I attempted to connect, I tried changing the orientation of the foil or can’s curved section and where it was next to the router, but I didn’t notice a significant change in my internet speed.
Although it didn’t work for me, Brooke came to the conclusion that if you’re experiencing issues with your internet connection, it can’t hurt to try this approach before shelling out a lot of money for a Wi-Fi extension. In the end, the Dartmouth researchers found success with it. She adds that the success rate of this idea depends on a number of variables, such as the size of your area and your internet subscription.
Other Tools
The simplest option is to place aluminum foil behind your router, but you may also use other ordinary household materials in its stead. Basically, anything made of metal that is commonly found in the kitchen.
Cans of beverages and metal baking sheets are a couple such examples. The way they are positioned and bent is the most significant component.
Make sure to “orient them so that the curved, reflective part faces toward the area in your home where you want to amplify the Wi-Fi,” according to the recommendation.
Increasing the Signal
This strategy isn’t guaranteed to work for everyone, which could leave some individuals feeling gloomy and wondering whether they’re destined to have slow connections. However, putting aluminum foil behind your router isn’t the only technique to increase Wi-Fi connectivity.
“While foil can help concentrate the signals, it’s usually not a great solution compared with upgrading your router or positioning it more optimally,” noted Professor McQuiggan.
The most common way to restart a router is to turn it off. It can short circuit if you unplug it while it’s turned on, so always press the power button if it has one.
A WiFi extender is another practical but pricey alternative. This typically plugs into the wall to establish a connection to the WiFi and facilitate signal extension.
You may also report, diagnose, and fix Wi-Fi connectivity problems with the use of resources like the national broadband map.
Although aluminum foil behind your router may not always be the cure, it’s worth a shot because alternative fixes can be costly.
