In a world where Wi-Fi extenders are on every online ad and every tech geek is convincing you that you won't be able to watch Netflix in your bedroom without a Mesh system, there's a home trick that's so simple it borders on the ridiculous. And what's even funnier is that it actually works—at least in some cases. We're talking about kitchen foil, the kind you usually use to wrap up leftover Sunday roast chicken.
Trick for stronger Wi-Fi with aluminum foil is not a new invention of online pranksters, but has its roots in basic physics and the operation of electromagnetic waves. If you place a plate of aluminum foil, shaped like a kind of parabolic reflector, behind your router, you can achieve a stronger and more focused signal in certain cases. This way, you don't scatter the signal all over the room, but direct it to where you actually need it - for example, to your office, where your Zoom calls occasionally freeze just when your boss decides to check if you're still alive.
An internet that doesn't jump – just because of kitchen foil?
If you live in an apartment with thick walls, two teenagers who simultaneously watch TikTok and play Fortnite, and a dog who apparently also likes to watch YouTube, then every extra megabit is worth its weight in gold. The foil acts as a directional reflector and bounces the signal forward - it's not a trick, but a basic law of physics. The Netgear router in the published photo is a great example of an improvised "DIY booster" that costs you nothing more than a few minutes of creativity and some leftover aluminum foil.
How to make a “Wi-Fi booster” from sandwich leftovers?
For this home experiment you will need:
- 1 piece of hard cardboard (say from a shoe box),
- kitchen aluminum foil (keep it tightly stretched),
- scissors, tape and a sense of symmetry,
- and of course – your router.
Create a parabolic shape (like a satellite dish) that points in the direction of the room where you want a stronger signal. Place the foil behind the router, not above or around it - the point is to reflect, not attenuate, the signal.
Does this really work?
Research at Dartmouth College has shown that simple aluminum reflectors or 3D-printed plastic molds can boost Wi-Fi signal strength by up to 55 Mbps, depending on the circumstances. But be warned: if you already have a high-end Wi-Fi 6 router or mesh system, the effect will be minimal. Users of basic or older devices will benefit the most.
Conclusion: cheap, fun, and sometimes surprisingly effective
If you're the type of person who still thinks that the solution to a bad signal is to "reset your router," then you're in luck. Even if the foil trick doesn't quite work, it's definitely fun, cheap, and most importantly, worth trying. If nothing else, it'll make your living room look like you're setting up a NASA antenna to receive aliens.
