Hack N Mod - Amazingly Cool Hacks, Mods, and DIY Projects » cheap wifi

Dirt Simple Wi-Fi Signal Booster for Free

Saikat — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:00:00 +0000

Learn how to make a dirt simple (basically free) wifi antenna booster using tin foil. Yes, it sounds crazy, but it actually works and significantly increases your wifi signal in the dead zones of your house. The video above is pretty lengthy, but does a good job walking you through a few optimal designs.

You can make this wi-fi parabolic antenna for your router without breaking a sweat.

Manila file folders
EZ-12 Templates for the antenna from Freeantennas.com
Adhesive
Aluminum foil

The parabolic antenna is nothing but a focusing device cut out from the stiff manila folder and backed by a layer of aluminum foil on the back for the reflective surface. The exact cutting pattern is aided by the EZ-12 template.

As the video shows, the construction is as easy as an elementary school project. The effect is pretty impressive for such a simple device. You can expect a signal boost from 9 to 12dB. The signal gain depends on the size of the antenna and the number (1 or 2) in use with your wireless router.

More Wifi Projects:

How to: Find the Best Free Wi-Fi Hotspots

Joe L — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 21:43:57 +0000

Don’t we all wish that at least some things in life be free? Wi-Fi is on most wish lists. Wi-Fi is an inherent part of airwaves around us. The only problem – It’s not obvious, it’s shut tight and it’s not free to access.

But just like free parking, there are a few places where Wi-Fi can be accessed without spending a penny. That’s the easy part. The difficult part is scanning the airwaves in search of Wi-Fi hotspots. Thankfully, the first is accessible thanks to some public hotspots and the second, using software tools and Wi-Fi firmware.

We have cleared a lot of air with our own collection of Wi-Fi how-tos. Lifehacker’s The Definitive Guide to Finding Free Wi-Fi is also an important add-on for your Wi-Fi bag of tricks. The guide takes you through three levels of need in the search for free Wi-Fi. Just how extreme is your need?

The Easy Way: Using Public Hotspots

Locate public Wi-Fi hotspots around libraries, Barnes & Noble bookstores, McDonald’s, the airport, university campus, independent coffee shop, or hotel lobbies. These are probable places which offer free Wi-Fi as a utility. Check out our Free Airport Wi-Fi Hack or our Become a War Driving Pro – Hack WEP and Wi-Fi post.

The Medium Way: Using Apps

Many free Windows, Mac and mobile OS apps enhance Wi-Fi scan and seek. The Lifehacker guide recommends NetStumbler and WeFi for Windows, iStumbler for Mac, JiWire Free Wi-Fi Finder (iPhone), WiFiFoFum (Windows Mobile) and WeFi again for the Android.

You can go online with a smartphone and check out a few web apps to find a Wi-Fi hotspot using WiFinder, Hotspot Haven, JiWire, Wi-Fi Hotspot List and Hotspotr as bookmark worthy. Also, check out Ekahu HeatMapper (Windows only) for wireless signal strength mapping.

The Hard Way: Hacking

Learn how to hookup your smartphone as a wireless router. And also the really acute way of hacking into a WEP-secured wireless network with Backtrack. Check out our own post on the topic – How To: iPhone as a Wireless Router for your Laptop.

Even More Wifi Hacks:

Become a War Driving Pro – Hack WEP and Wifi

Saikat — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 20:30:02 +0000

/
If you’re unfamiliar with the term war driving, it’s the activity of driving around in a vehicle equipped with wireless gear looking for unsecured wireless networks. Hackers do it to hack and access protected Wi-Fi networks but there are amateurs too who scan the RF environment just for the fun of it to piggyback on other people’s internet connections (but beware of this neat trick).

War Driving can be a fun thing to do and quite easy if you have the right gear and the afternoon off. We’ve already shown you how easy it is to hack a WEP wireless network but this how-to video breaks War Driving into six basic steps:

Get a laptop (or notebook) with onboard Wi-Fi or use a USB Wi-Fi adapter that supports an external antenna.
Connect the external antenna to a GPS receiver for mapping the locations.
Install free Wi-Fi sniffers like NetStumbler (for Windows) or Kismet.
Place the antenna on the roof of the car, make the connections and plug-in the PC to the power adapter.
Get someone to drive you around.
Fire up the software and start scanning for unprotected Wi-Fi signals while you drive around.

WarDriving can be a blast but be mindful of the ethics of tapping into someone else’s network. Don’t forget to look into our previous posts on Wi-Fi hacks.

Note, this article is for informational purposes only.

Free Airport Wifi Hack

Joe L — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 03:22:09 +0000

After nickel and diming us to death, you’d think airports would at least give us free internet, right? But no, most of the time they charge you for it. Learn a simple URL hack that allows you to bypass an airport’s price gouging attempts. If you’re flying soon, check out this list of airports to see if they offer free wifi, or if you’ll need to unleash your haxor skills.

Learn how to :