A few years ago, our friend Sherri did a post on how she had learned that putting your router into a metal strainer boosted your wireless signal. She tried it and found it worked, so we tried it too. Lo and behold, it did work. Our router stayed in the strainer until I needed to strain the spaghetti or strawberries or something, and once it was washed, it went back to the router.
Then, as many of you know, we lost our connection.
Eventually we unplugged the router and put the strainer away, and did what we could to cope with a piggyback connection. The connection is so bad that there are times where we can’t get a connection for hours, sometimes even a few days, at which point we’d run to the library to get online. Or the connection will flicker, sometimes dropping once every couple of minutes because the signal is so weak. Try uploading a blog post with that!
A couple of weeks ago, Darc asked me if I thought the strainer thing would work on the laptop. I shrugged. “It can’t be any worse than it is now.”
So we propped the strainer on it’s side around the laptop’s wireless card, and wowee, it was insta-boost! I don’t mean to say we have a zippy connection now or anything, but it has been more stable, and when it does go down, it doesn’t seem to stay down as long as it did before. Still can’t watch videos or anything, but I can blog and comment and read. Email is still often slow for me, but hey, I am trying not to complain. Sure, nothing beats a high-speed connection on a brand new high speed computer, but in the meantime, this is what I have now, and it’s a little better than what I was trying to deal with before, so I’m thankful.
What’s your thankfulness this week? Do you have one?
And thanks to my beloved husband for giving me the idea for this post. 😀
The "Ness" in DarcNess ;) 
I was able to get a part=time job at a very reputable company working from home. It will go a long way to help me keep my house. I have had the fear of this loss at a time when my health ha not been the greatest. It is a hi stress, customer service job that I hope to turn over to sales after I do my time in hell. The key is: have a job. Get my sleep to keep it.!
I am so glad! Losing one’s home is a traumatic thing. More stressful than a high-stress job, that’s for sure. And bonus points that you get to work from home, bravo!
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So, how exactly is the router in the strainer? Is it like the strainer is upside down covering the router or is it like the strainer is sitting on the table and you place the router inside it as though it was a pile of food you wish to strain?
We had the router in it like you would put a pile of fruit. Now, we tilt the strainer on it’s side around the wireless card on the corner of the laptop, so that it kind of cups around the card.
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I was going to ask the same question. I have never heard about this. I might have to use it at some point. Get my brother to do the same.
We have been amazed at how simple this is, and how well it works. 🙂
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Guys, I use the strainer like a dish antenna. Set the router inside and point the opening in your laptop’s general direction. I got at least an extra 20 feet out of it, enough to strengthen the signal at the far corner of my house.
Didn’t expect it to work next to the laptop, though. Thought it would only work with the router itself. Good for you guys figuring that out!
It was Darc’s idea. 🙂
I’m thankful for reconnecting with my dad’s family.
That is definitely a good thankful, and I’m happy for you hon. 🙂
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Thank you Sherri.
I guess that makes me thankful for Sherri.
I knew reading this awful blog would pay off eventually.
One should always be grateful for Sherri.
And it’s about damn time you showed some gratitude for me and my blog! I suffer through the agony of reading yours every day, the least you could do is the same for mine!
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I like that–One should always be grateful for Sherri. Now if you could just talk to a couple of people for me…
You just point me in their direction dolly!
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wow.. What a great idea! Will sure try it! And btw i like your signature in calligraphy, Ness. I love this art, especially the arabic calligraphy.
Thanks for stopping by and trying to lift me up, dear friend. Hugs xxx
Why thank you Noha! I made them on photoshop with some help from my husband. 🙂 I still want to do a few more, so I have one for every month.
I so glad you felt uplifted! I know the feeling you talk about. Release can be a good thing, and a step on the road to healing and strength. 🙂 Hugs back!
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Well, that’s just weird. I’m going to have to give it a try.
It works! The strainer must be metal though.
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Hahaha! Yeah Yellowcat, take that plastic strainer away from your PC! 😀
Eh, I couldn’t recall if I stressed metal in the post when I answered her comment. Maybe she could sneak one away from the restaurant. 😉
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Ever since Sherri did that I’ve been trying to get them to do that at work because the signal at work doesn’t reach all the classrooms. But everyone looks at me as if I’ve bought into an urban legend or something. “Just try it and see,” I say, but no go. So when I’m the classroom that doesn’t get a signal I’m tempted to just bring a strainer in and drop the router in when no one is looking!
Cool that it works on the laptop too!
You know, if I was in a classroom like that, I’d probably pick up a couple of those cheap-o metal spaghetti strainers at a resale shop and just do it when no one’s looking. It’s SO worth it!
And on the laptop? We were so surprised at that one too! We have to tip the strainer on it’s side to sort of “encircle” the wireless card, and the kids have to move it out of the way if they want to see if the CD player is working that day, but hey, a free boost is a free boost!
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I just realized that if I put that there when no one is looking, everyone will think someone else did it and no one will say anything–cause that’s the kind of place it is!
I hear Mission Impossible music! 😀 Your mission, should you choose to accept it … Go Marta!
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That’s hilarious… I have never heard of doing that! I don’t actually own a metal colander, so maybe I’ll pick one up at the dollar store and give it a shot. Matt will probably think I’m foolish, but hell, if it works, I’m cool with spending $1 to find out! Thanks for the tip!
It’s worth it, I promise!
This week… I am thankful for Matt. I think I’d of been locked up in an insane asylum if he weren’t keeping me grounded. Life has been hectic, lots going on, and work has been so chaotic, I’m acting assistant manager, and the manager is on vacation… so now I’m doing both jobs. He’s calming me down before I get to work each day.
I’m glad he’s there for you. 🙂 Is this a promotion you’ve gotten recently?
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