[imagesource:untapped]

Often, all we do when our broadband is sluggish is switch the router off and on again, move it around, fiddle with the cables, and hope for the best.

But have you heard of the famous beer can trick?

The DIY router hack has been doing the rounds for years with plenty of YouTube videos claiming it will boost speeds and make your WiFi signal stronger. We like the sound of that.

The Mirror Online put the concept to the test so that we didn’t have to, and found some rather surprising results.

First, you’re going to have to down a can of beer. Once gulped, give the can a clean and then slit right into it:

Using a sharp knife or scissors (wearing gloves is a good idea) , you need to carefully remove the base of the can, then do the same at the top but don’t fully cut this piece off as it can be used as stand behind your router.

Image: Mirror

Then cut the can fully open to make a type of shield and then place it behind your Wi-Fi box. Thanks to the can being made of aluminium, it deflects the signal back into the home which should then help speed things up.

Image: Mirror

The homemade booster might not look very high-tech, but it sure did speed things up, apparently. Out of the eight speed tests done by the publication – four with the can in place and four without the can – every test with the can popped behind the router was faster than without it.

In fact, the average speed with our DIY device was 355Mbps – without it, we scored an average of 321Mbps. That’s around 30Mbps slower. The fastest download recorded was 373Mbps with that speed achieved using the can. The slowest speed was 314Mbps and was recorded with no tin in place.

Granted, it is not exactly sightly to have a piece of tin can lying around in your lounge. You don’t want anyone to think you’ve reverted to your teenage years collecting alcohol memorabilia to prove how edgy you are.

In that case, you could cut out the rubbish and opt for RSAWEB, South Africa’s best-rated internet service provider, where you can score 100Mbps home fibre starting from as little as R695 a month.

The excellent news is that RSAWEB is offering a limited-time fibre deal right now, which it claims is as EPIC as it gets.

Image: RSAWEB

The deal is offering uncapped fibre from only R475 per month, along with the world’s best parental control app for free worth R100 per month. To make the deal even sweeter, the setup is free and the router valued at over R3 500 will also come free.

The deal is applicable to specific areas and specific packages. Type in your address here and check if you make the cut.

Life is stressful enough without buffering. Treat yourself.

[source:mirror]