HomeUSA NewsWhy You Should Try Putting Aluminum Foil Behind Your Router

Why You Should Try Putting Aluminum Foil Behind Your Router

As technology advances and more things in our homes connect, the slower the connections run, especially during peak hours when everyone in theย neighborhoodย or complex is winding down for the day. However, aย technologyย professor shared a hack, suggesting you place a sheet of aluminum foil behind your router. The intention is to help improve your Wi-Fi speed.

A Professorโ€™s Take

A professor looking thoughtfully in front of a blackboard with an equation on it.
Image Credit: geralt |ย Pixabay

James McQuiggan is a Security Awareness Advocate for KnowBe4 and a part-time faculty professor at Valencia College in the Engineering, Computer Programming & Technology Division. As such, heโ€™s studied and thoroughly researched all thingsย technology. He points out an interesting technique for boosting your Wi-Fi connection speed, using a sheet of aluminum foil behind your router.

Read More:ย Dad Divides The Internet With His Tactic For Getting His Son To Read

Aluminum Foil Behind your Router for Faster Connection

Men hands roll off the aluminum foil for household use on a wooden surface.
Source: Shutterstock

Apparently, when more devices are connected to the same wireless network, the signal becomes weaker. โ€Like a sprinkler head spraying water in all directions,โ€ explains McQuiggan. As a result, wireless signals go to places where theyโ€™re not needed and weaken them where they are.

Additionally, obstructions like furniture or walls can impact the signal strength. Thatโ€™s where the aluminum foil behind your router takes effect. Placing the aluminum foil behind your router with the shiny side facing outward will reflect the signal. This allows it to travel more freely yet methodically. Additionally, shaping the aluminum foil behind your router will give you more control over where the signal travels.

Testing the Theory

A hand plugging a cable into an internet router. White background.
Image Credit: USA-Reisebloggerย |ย Pixabay

Although this hack might seem illegitimate, a research team at Dartmouth studied the theory, confirming Professor James McQuigganโ€™s theory. The team reported they created aย โ€œ3D-printed shapeโ€ that wasย โ€œcovered in aluminum.โ€ And strategically placed it to control where the signal traveled. They boosted the signal in desired places by more than half. Meanwhile, they decreased the signal in undesired places by just over 60%.

How to Place Aluminum Foil Behind Your Router

The person with tinfoil hat and 5G router. He wonders about it.
Source: Shutterstock

What youโ€™ll need:

  • 1 Foot Sheet of Aluminum Foil (Be Sure to Cover the Aentena to the Top) Note: Some routers wonโ€™t have an external antenna.

Create a โ€œCโ€ shape with the sheet then place the aluminum foil behind your router. The shiny side should be facing inside the curve, toward the router. Fold out the bottom of the sheet to create a stand if it needs extra support to stand upright.

Last, check the connection by going where youโ€™d like to see an increase of signal such as on the couch or in the kitchen. Typeย โ€œGoogle speed testโ€ into your phone or computer browserโ€™s search bar. Then run theย blue โ€œrun speed testโ€œย to get a report containing the connection speeds.

Aluminum Foild Behind your Router for Security

Wi-Fi wireless router - 3d render
Source: Shutterstock

Apparently, placing aluminum foil behind your router is good for more than only improving speed and efficiency. The Dartmouth team also discovered the hack may be a successful way to ensure a secure connection. Placing aluminum foil behind your router limits how far the WiFi signal can reach, meaning hackers wonโ€™t be able to reach your connection, especially if you arrange the signals to avoid areas where a connection is never needed. โ€œSuch physical confinement of wireless signals serves as a complementary method to existing network security measures, such asย encryption, and hence raises the barrier for attackers,โ€ the researchers wrote.

Read More:ย High Utility Bill? 7 Signs To Avoid Being Scammed (Internet, Electricity and More)

Home Test

The back of a computer with numerous red, blue, yellow, and black cables plugged in.
Image Credit: Frabre |ย Pixabay

Itโ€™s important to note that this hack wonโ€™t always work and the results arenโ€™t guaranteed. For example,ย Brookeย tried the hack in her home, and the results were unsuccessful. โ€œBefore I started, I compared the internet speeds between my porch and living room, where the router is located. The difference was massiveโ€ She shared. โ€œOne sheet of aluminum foil didnโ€™t make any difference at all, and using two sheets of foil or the soda can seemed to drop speeds by a few Mbps. I tried adjusting the angle that the curved portion of the foil or can faced, as well as their locations beside the router, but I didnโ€™t notice much of a difference with my internet speed when I tried to connect.โ€

Brooke concluded: โ€œThough it didnโ€™t quite work for me, it canโ€™t hurt to give this trick a shot before forking over significant cash for a Wi-Fi extender if youโ€™re having internet connection problems. After all, it did work for the Dartmouth researchers.โ€ She also notes factors including the size of your space and your internet plan impact this theoryโ€™s success rate.

Other Tools

A piece of aluminum foil with a dragon printed on it.
Image Credit: Hans |ย Pixabay

Putting aluminum foil behind your router is seemingly the easiest option but other basic household items may also be used to substitute the aluminum. Essentially, any metal item, typically, found in the kitchen. Some examples include metal baking sheets and beverage cans. The most important aspect is how theyโ€™re shaped and positioned. Itโ€™s recommended to โ€œmake sure to position them so that the curved, reflective part faces toward the area in your home where you want to amplify the Wi-Fi.โ€

Boosting Signal

Woman with smartphone connecting to internet via wireless repeater indoors, closeup. Wi-Fi symbol on device screen
Source: Shutterstock

Because this method isnโ€™t guaranteed to work for everyone, some may be left without hope, wondering if theyโ€™re doomed to experience slow connections. However, putting aluminum foil behind your router isnโ€™t the only way to help increase Wi-Fi connectivity. โ€œWhile foil can help concentrate the signals, itโ€™s usually not a great solution compared with upgrading your router or positioning it more optimally,โ€ added Professor McQuiggan.

The most common way to reboot the router is to turn it off. Always use the power button if it has one as unplugging it while itโ€™s on can cause it toย short-circuit.ย Another helpful, but costly, option is a WiFi extender. This typically plugs into the wall, connecting to the WiFi and helping to extend the signal. Moreover, resources like theย national broadband map, are available to help you report, troubleshoot, and fix a problem with Wi-Fi connectivity.

Although putting aluminum foil behind your router may not always be the solution, itโ€™s worth considering because other options can become costly.

H/tย Readers Digest

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