WokFi (a
portmanteau
A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of words[Wok
A wok (; Pinyin: ; Cantonese ) is a deep round-bottomed cooking pan from China. It is believed to be derived from the South Asian karahi. It is common in China and similar pans are found in parts of East, South and Southeast Asia, as well as ...](_blank)
+
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols, based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by radio wav ...
) is a slang term for a style of homemade Wi-Fi
antenna consisting of a crude
parabolic antenna made with a low-cost Asian kitchen
wok
A wok (; Pinyin: ; Cantonese ) is a deep round-bottomed cooking pan from China. It is believed to be derived from the South Asian karahi. It is common in China and similar pans are found in parts of East, South and Southeast Asia, as well as ...
,
spider skimmer or similar household metallic dish. The dish forms a
directional antenna which is pointed at the
wireless access point
In computer networking, a wireless access point (WAP), or more generally just access point (AP), is a networking hardware device that allows other Wi-Fi devices to connect to a wired network. As a standalone device, the AP may have a wired ...
antenna, allowing reception of the wireless signal at greater distances than standard
omnidirectional
Omnidirectional refers to the notion of existing in every direction. Omnidirectional devices include:
* Omnidirectional antenna, an antenna that radiates equally in all directions
* VHF omnidirectional range, a type of radio navigation system for ...
Wi-Fi antennas.
Description
WokFi antennas are fabricated out of commonly available concave metal kitchen dishes or dish covers (which need not be perfectly
parabolic); Asian
wok
A wok (; Pinyin: ; Cantonese ) is a deep round-bottomed cooking pan from China. It is believed to be derived from the South Asian karahi. It is common in China and similar pans are found in parts of East, South and Southeast Asia, as well as ...
s are favored because they have shapes closest to parabolic. A commercial Wi-Fi antenna, usually a
USB
Universal Serial Bus (USB) is an industry standard that establishes specifications for cables, connectors and protocols for connection, communication and power supply (interfacing) between computers, peripherals and other computers. A broad ...
Wi-Fi
dongle, is suspended in front of the dish, attached by cable to the computer.
The WokFi antenna is considered simpler and cheaper than other home-built antenna projects (such as the popular
cantenna
A cantenna (a portmanteau blending the words ''can'' and ''antenna'') is a homemade directional waveguide antenna, made out of an open-ended metal can.
Cantennas are typically used to increase the range (or discovery) of Wi-Fi networks.
Const ...
), but is a very effective method to boost the Wi-Fi connection quality, audit
access point coverage, and even quickly establish
WLAN
A wireless LAN (WLAN) is a wireless computer network that links two or more devices using wireless communication to form a local area network (LAN) within a limited area such as a home, school, computer laboratory, campus, or office buildin ...
viability – perhaps if a more professional setup is eventually intended.
Advantages
A significant advantage is that with a USB modem the RF signal is converted to a conventional digital signal at the antenna. Therefore, by using standard USB extension cables, the antenna can be located at a distance from the computer of five meters or more, with no concerns over microwave
signal
In signal processing, a signal is a function that conveys information about a phenomenon. Any quantity that can vary over space or time can be used as a signal to share messages between observers. The '' IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing' ...
losses that would occur in an RF
coaxial cable feedline of that length used to attach a conventional antenna to the RF input of a computer modem. Chaining active USB repeaters, it is possible to locate the antenna at much greater distances from the computer, which is especially useful when
line-of-sight (LOS) obstacles (such as vegetation and walls) require the antenna to be located on a roof, for example. If using mesh reflectors, usually with a grid under 5 mm, the antenna will be lighter and present a smaller wind-load than larger dishes.
Performance
WokFi gains are typically 10+
dB, with range boosts, thus can be 16-32 times over the antenna of a bare USB adapter. Ranges (LoS) are typically 3–5 km (2 to 3 miles), although an aligned pair of similar
point-to-point transceiver setups may approach 10 km (6 miles) over a clear path. In addition, certain improved WokFi antennas, and antennas made using 60 to 90 cm (2-3 ft) diameter round or oval satellite TV dishes, allow even far greater range, up to 20 km (12 miles).
Interference from nearby 2.4 GHz signals (perhaps from cordless phones, AV links, leaky microwave ovens, other APs or Bluetooth) can be nulled out—a useful feature in this increasingly crowded part of the RF spectrum. The performance of abundant, low-powered Wi-Fi "dongles", typically selling for approximately US$15–20, but of only 30–40
mW transmitter power and modest receiver sensitivity, can easily be boosted with little more than cheap cookware or pot lids. The "sweet spot" on such ad hoc reflectors can readily be found by taping a small (~2.5 cm, or 1 in) mirror on the surface of the dish, to see where the sun's rays focus.
See also
*
Cantenna
A cantenna (a portmanteau blending the words ''can'' and ''antenna'') is a homemade directional waveguide antenna, made out of an open-ended metal can.
Cantennas are typically used to increase the range (or discovery) of Wi-Fi networks.
Const ...
References
External links
USB adaptors & DIY antenna = "Poor Man's WiFi" ?— Kiwi Stan Swan's site, where the whole WokFi thing sparked
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wokfi
Radio frequency antenna types
Antennas (radio)
Wi-Fi