We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember "Tim W"
saying something like:

We won't mess with the aerial for the minute. We will start with a tinfoil
reflector on the router aerial. Then a colander/seive dish on the usb
dongle thing on the PC upstairs. Kids won't thank me for that, they want
technology that costs money.

And reporting that they both make a significant difference. Problem
solved.Cost nil

I found that out a few years ago after discovering the New Zealand site.
http://www.usbwifi.orconhosting.net.nz/