I ( and probably many others) have a wireless router in the house which in
my case runs at 2.4Ghz via a single antenna about 10 cm high. Certainly
omnidirectional which is my issue. As its against a wall near the road 1/2
the signal
keeps neighbours and passing traffic with a WiFi point. Or at least is just
wasting 1/2 the radiated power.
My questions are : Is putting a reflector adjacent to the antenna on the
road side sufficient to screen off the signal? A follow on from that is
would that reflected signal boost signal levels in the house?.
If the info provided is not detailed enough, sorry about that. Question is
born of ignorance which is rectifiable!
Many thanks
John

"John" wrote in message
news :I ( and probably many others) have a wireless router in the house which in
: my case runs at 2.4Ghz via a single antenna about 10 cm high. Certainly
: omnidirectional which is my issue. As its against a wall near the road
1/2
: the signal
: keeps neighbours and passing traffic with a WiFi point. Or at least is
just
: wasting 1/2 the radiated power.
: My questions are : Is putting a reflector adjacent to the antenna on the
: road side sufficient to screen off the signal? A follow on from that is
: would that reflected signal boost signal levels in the house?.
: If the info provided is not detailed enough, sorry about that. Question
is
: born of ignorance which is rectifiable!
: Many thanks
: John

Hi John.

If you're using the router's security (password, unique ID etc) then it
shouldn't be open to neighbours and passing traffic.
A reflector will not reduce that power wastage you mentioned.
Is the router in the best place for your use in your house?

Best wishes, Ian.
:
:
:

On 9/27/2012 6:43 AM, Ian wrote:
"John" wrote in message
news :I ( and probably many others) have a wireless router in the house which in
: my case runs at 2.4Ghz via a single antenna about 10 cm high. Certainly
: omnidirectional which is my issue. As its against a wall near the road
1/2
: the signal
: keeps neighbours and passing traffic with a WiFi point. Or at least is
just
: wasting 1/2 the radiated power.
: My questions are : Is putting a reflector adjacent to the antenna on the
: road side sufficient to screen off the signal? A follow on from that is
: would that reflected signal boost signal levels in the house?.
: If the info provided is not detailed enough, sorry about that. Question
is
: born of ignorance which is rectifiable!
: Many thanks
: John

Hi John.

If you're using the router's security (password, unique ID etc) then it
shouldn't be open to neighbours and passing traffic.
A reflector will not reduce that power wastage you mentioned.
Is the router in the best place for your use in your house?

Best wishes, Ian.

I have a different opinion than Ian.
Installing a reflector will weaken the signal going towards the road and
enhance the signal in the other direction.

Here's an easy one to build.

http://www.freeantennas.com/projects/Ez-10/

and another

http://www.freeantennas.com/projects...te2/index.html

Mikek

El 27-09-12 12:11, John escribió:
I ( and probably many others) have a wireless router in the house which in
my case runs at 2.4Ghz via a single antenna about 10 cm high. Certainly
omnidirectional which is my issue. As its against a wall near the road 1/2
the signal
keeps neighbours and passing traffic with a WiFi point. Or at least is just
wasting 1/2 the radiated power.
My questions are : Is putting a reflector adjacent to the antenna on the
road side sufficient to screen off the signal? A follow on from that is
would that reflected signal boost signal levels in the house?.
If the info provided is not detailed enough, sorry about that. Question is
born of ignorance which is rectifiable!
Many thanks
John




If you put some aluminum kitchen foil at around 0.25 lambda (1.2", 30
mm behind antenna, about 1 square foot in size) behind the antenna,
you will reduce the radiation to that direction and icrease the
radiation perpendicular to the aluminum kitchen foil. The radiation
pattern will be close to that of a single resonator patch antenna.

You will not screen it completely as due to multiple reflection it
may/will reach the road again, but it may improve indoor coverage.

--
Wim
PA3DJS
www.tetech.nl
Please remove abc first in case of PM

On Thu, 27 Sep 2012 20:11:00 +1000, "John"
wrote:

My questions are : Is putting a reflector adjacent to the antenna on the
road side sufficient to screen off the signal? A follow on from that is
would that reflected signal boost signal levels in the house?.

There's always some location where your wireless router is going to be
heard. You can reduce the signal by placing something either RF
absorbent or RF reflective between the antenna and the road, but
you'll never get rid of all of the signal. Someone with a high gain
(dish) antenna, can probably pickup enough signal if they are
sufficiently determined.

Your best protection is the encryption built into your wireless
router. WPA2-PSK-AES is the best.

As for improving the signal in other parts of the house, that depends
on the shape and composition of the house. 2.4Ghz does not penetrate
walls very well. If the walls are hollow and mostly wood, they're
almost transparent to RF. However, if the walls are stuffed with
aluminum foil backed fiberglass insulation, very little will pass.

Optimizing the antenna pattern to best cover the house is possible,
but there are limitations. Antennas do not create RF. The merely
redirect it. If you want to increase the amount of RF in one area,
you have to do it at the expense of other areas. For example, since
your omnidirectional antenna wastes some RF aimed toward the road, a
simple reflector will bounce much of this RF back into the house. That
may help or hinder depending on whether the incident and reflected
signals add or cancel. For a start, a large sheet of aluminum foil
taped to the wall might be useful.

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

On Thu, 27 Sep 2012 08:48:07 -0700, Jeff Liebermann
wrote:

On Thu, 27 Sep 2012 20:11:00 +1000, "John"
wrote:

My questions are : Is putting a reflector adjacent to the antenna on the
road side sufficient to screen off the signal? A follow on from that is
would that reflected signal boost signal levels in the house?.

Optimizing the antenna pattern to best cover the house is possible,
but there are limitations...For a start, a large sheet of aluminum foil
taped to the wall might be useful.

I use an Android phone app called Wifi Analyzer. Among other features
it has a pseudo analog type meter showing your WiFi signal strength
that updates every few seconds so it will give you an idea of your
antenna pattern as you walk around your house.

Also the app can tell you what WiFi channels your neighbors are using.
If possible set your channel as far away as possible from the
strongest signal (likely your next door neighbor) and it may increase
your speed.

Gents(?)
Many thanks for replies. As you say Security may be provided other
ways . In some ways my wife and I are Luddites and our phone can do phone
calls and thats it so Aarons suggestion is out. My laptop though has a six
segment "bargraph" for router signal strength. I,ll follow yours suggestions
and see what happens. I,ll nick some of good wifes Alfoil.
John
"AaronL" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 27 Sep 2012 08:48:07 -0700, Jeff Liebermann
wrote:

On Thu, 27 Sep 2012 20:11:00 +1000, "John"
wrote:

My questions are : Is putting a reflector adjacent to the antenna on the
road side sufficient to screen off the signal? A follow on from that is
would that reflected signal boost signal levels in the house?.

Optimizing the antenna pattern to best cover the house is possible,
but there are limitations...For a start, a large sheet of aluminum foil
taped to the wall might be useful.

I use an Android phone app called Wifi Analyzer. Among other features
it has a pseudo analog type meter showing your WiFi signal strength
that updates every few seconds so it will give you an idea of your
antenna pattern as you walk around your house.

Also the app can tell you what WiFi channels your neighbors are using.
If possible set your channel as far away as possible from the
strongest signal (likely your next door neighbor) and it may increase
your speed.

I think that someone here is over stressing the thought process of how their wireless system works.

NO your antenna is not OMNI Directional - that is called a ISOTROPIC, and a isotropic antenna is a mythical antenna - rumor is a paper clip on 160 meters - 1.8 MHz is a true Isotropic antenna.

A vertical antenna has lobes the same as all other antenna's.

There isn't any way to reflect your signal - all in one direction to improve service in one direction and block service in others - other then the modification and use of a sat dish, and even then, that is just for point to point communications - Line Of Sight.

A NANO station on the roof would allow your signal to be received up to 18 miles away - Line Of Sight..
Anything made by man can be listened to by man...

A wireless Modem is very primative technology - but beyond the reach of most people walking the street.

The purpose of the name and password is not to keep people out of your system - spying on you - you ninny.
But to keep unauthorized people from using your system...

You see - the cable company or service provider gets PAID for each of their customers.
When you open up your link - someone gets to use your WIFI for FREE!

The cable company or service provider is LOOSING MONEY.
They don't want you to give away their service for FREE...

No one without some type of college / technicial school degree, and a lot of expensive equipment, can hack into your personal computer no matter if they have access to your internet or not.

All you are doing is wasting your time and ours with this question - it is silly to worry about something like this, unless you are doing something illegal and are trying not to get caught.

I built a house for a man 30 years ago, in which we covered the entire house with a heavy gauge aluminum foil , roof / walls, floors, windows / doors and grounded all the aluminum to earth ground.

I discovered that the nails used to penetrate the aluminum foil, to hold the shingles on the roof and the siding on the walls radiated the RF signals better then if he would have just left it bare - no shielding at all.

NOW - if he would have used a copper based foil, and used copper nails - he probably would have accomplished what he was trying to do.

The walls on this house were 12 inches thick and insulated with spray foam - new technology at that time, and he used a air exchanger because the house was so tight, it would actually accumulate moisture inside of the house from your breath. You could heat the house with a 100 watt light bulb or a candle in each room.

Needless to say - he lived there for 30 years, applied for his social security at the age of 62 and promptly died before he received his first check...
All of the money he saved in heating bills, paid for the insulation and the aluminum foil. The roof did have to be replaced one time in 30 years.

The house now sits idle, because no one knows what to do with it.
I doubt if you could hear his WIFI signal from outside the house, but why bother?

Get rid of your antenna, run wire to each room and connect directly to the internet and don't worry about it.

Just keep one thing in mind.
When Joe Paterno was arrested for a crime he did not commit, his email records were retreived for the past 12 years.
So everything you do, everything you say is all being digitally recorded and stored someplace. So your very best bet is not to say anything you do not want others to know about. Not to visit any site - you do not want to be held accountable for, and not to text anything over your cell phone.

ps - even the digital cell phones can be listened to - if you have the right equipment. If the cell phone companies has the technology - definately the people who makes that technology also has receivers.

The State Police, FBI , CIA and a whole list of agencies doesn't even have to use a antenna to receive it. They can access the towers via the internet and listen to your cell phone calls in real time and can even record them for future reference.

So nothing electronic is secure!

Me personally - if I want to use your wireless internet connection, I will hack into it, and you won't even know that I am doing it.
Its much easier to have the equipment to take it directly off the coax of the Comcast then it is to receive it via OTA, and the signal is more reliable and quieter and faster.

Basically your signal is receiveable for a distance of about 150'
How long can a car traveling past your house use your WIFI connection if it is traveling 35 MPH?
How far away are your neighbors?

Get all of them to give you $5.00 a month and give them the password.
10 or 12 people - and it would pay your internet bill for the month..
Quit being so stingy...

I live in a quiet rural area of North Carolina. I leave my wireless
connection open in case my neighbors or folks passing through can use
it if they have a need. It is also open at my church and my fire
station. No vandalism so far. Several parents who used to drop their
kids off for programs now find a quiet classroom and hang around. A
couple have owned up to stopping by in the daytime for a quiet place
to get some work done. It is a plus that cell phones don't work there.
As far as the Fire Station goes, we are 100% volunteers and anything I
can do to encourage the firefighters to hang around is simply good
business.
Of course, your world my be a lot different than mine...

On Thu, 27 Sep 2012 20:11:00 +1000, "John"
wrote:

I ( and probably many others) have a wireless router in the house which in
my case runs at 2.4Ghz via a single antenna about 10 cm high. Certainly
omnidirectional which is my issue. As its against a wall near the road 1/2
the signal
keeps neighbours and passing traffic with a WiFi point. Or at least is just
wasting 1/2 the radiated power.
My questions are : Is putting a reflector adjacent to the antenna on the
road side sufficient to screen off the signal? A follow on from that is
would that reflected signal boost signal levels in the house?.
If the info provided is not detailed enough, sorry about that. Question is
born of ignorance which is rectifiable!
Many thanks
John


John Ferrell W8CCW

Not overstressing thought process at all CJ and was aware of all, repeat
all, your comments. Previously in
first post I was quite open in stating my 50 years experience in electronics
was at opposite end of spectrum. Principally in medical electronics design
where typically heart signals dont hold much info above 1kHz.
End results of this particular issue though is great success. I think I
used all suggestions put forward to some extent!!. Resited Router from
behind Monitor to avoid shadowing from metal chassis. "She who must be
obeyed" didnt think much of a reflector as described as decoration BUT I
noticed the router was in front of a picture about the same
dimensions/distance as suggested for a reflector. Covered the picture back
in foil.
Bargraph is now sitting on all segments!!!. Many thanks again everyone,
education is a great thing..
I lectured in Digital/analogue for many years and found ignorance is
not the same as stupidity but the reciprocal almost always hold true.

John


"Channel Jumper" wrote in message
...

I think that someone here is over stressing the thought process of how
their wireless system works.

NO your antenna is not OMNI Directional - that is called a ISOTROPIC,
and a isotropic antenna is a mythical antenna - rumor is a paper clip on
160 meters - 1.8 MHz is a true Isotropic antenna.

A vertical antenna has lobes the same as all other antenna's.

There isn't any way to reflect your signal - all in one direction to
improve service in one direction and block service in others - other
then the modification and use of a sat dish, and even then, that is just
for point to point communications - Line Of Sight.

A NANO station on the roof would allow your signal to be received up to
18 miles away - Line Of Sight..
Anything made by man can be listened to by man...

A wireless Modem is very primative technology - but beyond the reach of
most people walking the street.

The purpose of the name and password is not to keep people out of your
system - spying on you - you ninny.
But to keep unauthorized people from using your system...

You see - the cable company or service provider gets PAID for each of
their customers.
When you open up your link - someone gets to use your WIFI for FREE!

The cable company or service provider is LOOSING MONEY.
They don't want you to give away their service for FREE...

No one without some type of college / technicial school degree, and a
lot of expensive equipment, can hack into your personal computer no
matter if they have access to your internet or not.

All you are doing is wasting your time and ours with this question - it
is silly to worry about something like this, unless you are doing
something illegal and are trying not to get caught.

I built a house for a man 30 years ago, in which we covered the entire
house with a heavy gauge aluminum foil , roof / walls, floors, windows /
doors and grounded all the aluminum to earth ground.

I discovered that the nails used to penetrate the aluminum foil, to hold
the shingles on the roof and the siding on the walls radiated the RF
signals better then if he would have just left it bare - no shielding at
all.

NOW - if he would have used a copper based foil, and used copper nails -
he probably would have accomplished what he was trying to do.

The walls on this house were 12 inches thick and insulated with spray
foam - new technology at that time, and he used a air exchanger because
the house was so tight, it would actually accumulate moisture inside of
the house from your breath. You could heat the house with a 100 watt
light bulb or a candle in each room.

Needless to say - he lived there for 30 years, applied for his social
security at the age of 62 and promptly died before he received his first
check...
All of the money he saved in heating bills, paid for the insulation and
the aluminum foil. The roof did have to be replaced one time in 30
years.

The house now sits idle, because no one knows what to do with it.
I doubt if you could hear his WIFI signal from outside the house, but
why bother?

Get rid of your antenna, run wire to each room and connect directly to
the internet and don't worry about it.

Just keep one thing in mind.
When Joe Paterno was arrested for a crime he did not commit, his email
records were retreived for the past 12 years.
So everything you do, everything you say is all being digitally recorded
and stored someplace. So your very best bet is not to say anything you
do not want others to know about. Not to visit any site - you do not
want to be held accountable for, and not to text anything over your cell
phone.

ps - even the digital cell phones can be listened to - if you have the
right equipment. If the cell phone companies has the technology -
definately the people who makes that technology also has receivers.

The State Police, FBI , CIA and a whole list of agencies doesn't even
have to use a antenna to receive it. They can access the towers via the
internet and listen to your cell phone calls in real time and can even
record them for future reference.

So nothing electronic is secure!

Me personally - if I want to use your wireless internet connection, I
will hack into it, and you won't even know that I am doing it.
Its much easier to have the equipment to take it directly off the coax
of the Comcast then it is to receive it via OTA, and the signal is more
reliable and quieter and faster.

Basically your signal is receiveable for a distance of about 150'
How long can a car traveling past your house use your WIFI connection if
it is traveling 35 MPH?
How far away are your neighbors?

Get all of them to give you $5.00 a month and give them the password.
10 or 12 people - and it would pay your internet bill for the month..
Quit being so stingy...




--
Channel Jumper