Wireless routers are usually setup once and then left alone. You might have to occasionally press the reset button or unplug the cable, however, the fancy plastic form ends up serving no function for the user or product. As it stands, routers require a cardboard box to protect the plastic casing and electronics. Why not challenge the assumed standards and forgo the plastic all together?

 

I designed the Wifi Box as a response to the Design for (Your) Product Lifetime student challenge hosted by Core77, Autodesk, and iFixit. My design was named as an honorable mention.

The challenge asked us to: "design a smart product that is smarter environmentally; a product that can be repaired and will stand the test of time, even if some of its components need to be replaced. Rethink the design of average household appliances, electronics, lighting, toys—any and all kinds of products that are ripe for a lower-impact redesign."

I looked at how to improve internet access in rural areas of the developing world and I found that in India, where 70% of the population lives in rural areas, only 2% of that rural population has access to the internet. 

I thought that the best way I could contribute to increasing internet access, would be to design a more affordable wireless router. The solution was to remove everything extra and focus on the necessities. The result was the Cardboard Wi-fi Box.