This is basically a story thread...

I'm on the second floor of my home, and the router is in the basement. Of all the rooms, my room has the worst reception. After a router upgrade, I realized how bad my network connection was... one or two bars, and pages load like I'm living in 1999.

There are some solutions, such as changing the frequency of the router to a 5G (from 2.4G) for reduced interference, getting a signal repeater, and getting an antenna with more gain... but none were viable for me. I can't fudge with the network, repeaters seem to increase reception at the expense of speed, and increased gain doesn't help two floors up...

After using inSSIDer to graph signal strength and interference, I made a reflector of the most 'ghetto' variety.
Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 


That's using an extension cable for my USB adapter to set it up on the spot in my room with the best reception - on top of a blue cabinet (where an old diorama sits)....

Then placing a CD behind the adapter, which the monitor showed decreased interference from neighbors networks (which are all channel 6)....

Then cutting a hole in a rusty old strainer to stick the adapter through (a parabolic reflector basically, like a satellite dish)....

Finally, I pointed the monstrosity in the general direction of the router.

My best days before the router 'upgrade' were like this:



Afterwards, it sank to about one quarter of those speeds.

After my cheap fix, I'm getting this;



I intend to upgrade my strainer (to a non-rusty one) and properly affix the setup on the cabinet.

But seriously, a spare CD, an old strainer, and a free program saved my internets.

Huzzah!