Having weak WiFi signal in parts of your home can be frustrating. While buying a commercial WiFi range extender is an option, you can build your own for less than $10 with just a little bit of technical know-how.
In this comprehensive guide, I'll walk you through everything you need to know to build your own budget WiFi repeater to boost your wireless network coverage.
What is a WiFi Range Extender?
A WiFi range extender, also known as a wireless repeater, is a device that helps extend the coverage area of your existing wireless network. It works by receiving the WiFi signal from your router and rebroadcasting it further into areas that may have poor or no signal coverage.
How Does a WiFi Range Extender Work?
A WiFi repeater has two main jobs:
- It connects to your existing WiFi network and receives the wireless signal from your router.
- It amplifies the signal and retransmits it on the same WiFi network name and password. This extended signal allows devices further away to connect.
So essentially, it acts as a middleman between your router and devices that have weak signal strength due to distance or obstructions like walls and floors. The repeater bridges the gap between your router and those devices to give them better coverage.
Why Build Your Own WiFi Range Extender?
There are a few good reasons to build your own WiFi repeater rather than buying one:
- Cost savings - You can build one for less than $10 compared to $20-$100 for commercial extenders.
- Customization - You can tweak the design for optimal range and coverage in your unique environment.
- Compact size - You have control over the size and form factor.
- Learning experience - It's an enjoyable DIY electronics project allowing you to learn new skills.
As long as you have some basic hardware and tools, building your own repeater is quite easy. I'll outline the steps next.
What You'll Need
You only need a few affordable components to build a homemade WiFi booster. Here is what you'll need:
- Raspberry Pi Zero W ($5-$10)
- MicroSD card ($3-$5)
- USB power supply ($5)
- Ethernet cable
- Housing like an Altoids tin
Total cost: Less than $10!
The Raspberry Pi Zero is perfect for this project because it's an inexpensive single-board computer with built-in WiFi capabilities. Let's go through how to configure it step-by-step.
Step 1 - Download and Install Raspbian OS
The first step is to install the Raspbian operating system on your Raspberry Pi.
Raspbian is a free Linux-based OS optimized for the Pi's hardware. It will allow you to configure the repeater software easily.
- Download the latest Raspbian image from www.raspberrypi.org/downloads.
- Use Etcher etcher.io to flash the OS image onto your MicroSD card.
- Insert the prepared MicroSD card into your Pi.
Step 2 - Configure the Raspberry Pi
With Raspbian installed, now you need to configure some software settings on the Raspberry Pi.
- Connect the Pi to your router using an Ethernet cable. This will allow you to SSH into it.
- Find your Pi's IP address on your router's admin dashboard.
- Use PuTTY or a SSH client to access your Pi's terminal. Login with user
piand passwordraspberry. - Run
sudo raspi-configto open the configuration tool. Under Network Options, enable SSH. - On the WiFi Extender page, enter your router SSID and password info.
- Finish configuring any other settings like localization. Finally, select Finish.
Your Raspberry Pi is now configured properly to act as a WiFi repeater!
Step 3 - Install Repeater Software
Now you just need to install software on the Pi to make it repeat your WiFi signal. There are a few different ones to choose from:
- Pi Repeater - An easy-to-use app designed specifically for this pirepeater.com
- Create_AP - Script to convert Pi into an access point
- dnsmasq - For DHCP and DNS services
I recommend Pi Repeater as it handles everything automatically with minimal setup.
- SSH back into your Pi and enter:
curl -L https://raw.githubusercontent.com/plettich/pirepeater/master/install.sh | sudo bash - Customize your settings like WiFi channel in the web UI at
http://pirepeater.local - Reboot and your repeater will be up and running!
Step 4 - Build the Enclosure
Your budget WiFi repeater is functionally complete, but you'll likely want to build an enclosure to protect and conceal it.
Some good options are:
- Altoids tins or mint containers
- Plastic food containers
- Small cardboard boxes
I like Altoids tins as they provide a compact, rugged housing. You can securely mount your Pi and extras inside with adhesive, tape, or hot glue. Drill holes to allow antenna and power cables to run outside.
With everything assembled, just plug in your new WiFi range extender in the area needing better signal, and connect devices to the extended network!
Troubleshooting Tips
If your DIY repeater isn't working properly, here are a few things to check:
- Verify the repeater software is configured with the correct router SSID/password.
- Make sure it is placed in range of your router's WiFi signal. Avoid walls or obstructions.
- Check that client devices are connecting to the repeater's extended network, not your router directly.
- Reboot router/repeater and reconnect devices if there are association issues.
- Switch to a different channel if experiencing interference from nearby networks.
With a bit of tweaking, you should be able to get your homemade repeater boosting your WiFi signal perfectly.
Conclusion
Building your own WiFi range extender is an easy, fun electronics project using the Raspberry Pi. With less than $10 of basic hardware, you can setup a DIY repeater to eliminate WiFi dead zones in your home.
The steps are:
- Install and configure Raspbian OS on a Pi Zero W.
- Setup repeater software like Pi Repeater.
- Build an enclosure like an Altoids tin case.
Once assembled and powered on, your budget WiFi booster will wirelessly extend your router's signal into any problem coverage areas.
So don't put up with poor WiFi signal any longer! With a customized range extender that costs a fraction of commercial versions, you can enjoy strong wireless coverage throughout your home.