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Quick tips to speed up your home Wi-Fi and improve coverage

Published Jan 31st, 2016 11:15AM EST

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I can’t remember the last time I asked someone for an Ethernet cable to plug into a computer so I can get some decent Internet. Even a spotty Wi-Fi connection wouldn’t drive me to do it. I’d just enable the mobile hotspot feature on my smartphone and hope for the best. But there are ways of improving your Wi-Fi connection at home without spending extra on Internet speed. In fact, paying your ISP more money is probably the last thing you should do if you want to fix your Wi-Fi.

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We’ve touched on the subject several times in the past, telling you how to set up your home Wi-Fi network the right way, and how to boost the signal over the busy holidays, when your home might be crowded with people looking to check out Facebook all day long.

But there’s one amazing trick you didn’t see coming. It appears that simple can of beer (empty, of course) is enough to improve your Wi-Fi signal, although some people will debate the effectiveness of this type of hack.

As YouTube user KipKay explained in an October 2013 video that went viral again recently, you just have to wash the can of beer and cut it up in a very specific way.

With this simple setup – you’ll see it in the video below – you should boost your wireless signal at home without any additional cost. Except for the beer or soda cans, of course, but you probably already have plenty of those at home. And sure, it might not look that pretty, but we doubt you’ll care when your Wi-Fi signal is reaching further than ever.

Of course, before you get to that, you should follow Time’s tips on improving wireless signals. These are your basic must-know router tricks that might be a lot better than the beer can trick. Place the device as high as possible, even if that means taking it to the second floor of your home. In addition to proper placement in your house, make sure your router is situated in a central position at home so that you can reduce dead spots.

Time also advises you to place devices that receive a Wi-Fi signal in easy to reach places, rather than behind a cupboard. Oh, and we’ll remind you to place your Christmas tree away from the router, though we’ll talk about that again in December.

Finally, it pays to have a router with actual antennas that stick out, not only because you can try the cool beer trick, but also you might be able to improve Wi-Fi signal simply by adjusting them.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.