Wi-Fi

latest

Multiple ethernet cables on top of a switch
5 gadgets you can power through Ethernet and skip the wall outlet

You can power these devices with PoE and skip the traditional outlet entirely.

A router placed near other gadgets
Don't buy a Wi-Fi extender; every alternative is better

Avoid using Wi-Fi extenders at all costs; your family, guest, and network will thank you.

wifi scan results 2.4ghz
Your 2.4GHz Wi-Fi has 11 channels, but you should only use 3 of them

You can use other channels, but these are your best bet for good Wi-Fi signal.

2
Wi-Fi network list in Windows 11.
Microsoft and Apple give opposite advice for naming Wi-Fi networks — but only one makes more sense

The name you pick for your Wi-Fi network matters.

Ethernet and power cables plugged into the Nest Wi-Fi Pro.
I moved apartments and learned the real benefit of owning your own Wi-Fi router

I didn't spend a second changing settings or reconnecting devices.

6
A white router on a desk
4 router settings I never leave on 'Auto' — and my network is better for it

Something you should do with every router.

1
A Netgear Orbi router in black on a wooden desk
American routers offer 11 channels on 2.4GHz, but 8 of them are the wrong choice

You need to choose your channel wisely.

Starlink UTR-251 mini router acting as a mesh node wireless backhaul
I got Ethernet across my house without running a single cable

One Starlink mesh node turned its wireless connection into a network jack for an entire room.

5
windows wifi properties settings with aggregated link speed.
I stopped judging my Wi-Fi by the signal bars — this number tells me much more

More data means better Wi-Fi.

simulated black hole image nasa
Wi-Fi exists because scientists went looking for black holes and found something else

Plenty of discoveries happened by "accident" including the story of Wi-Fi's origins starting decades ago.

1
image of tri-band router in home
Comcast's Xfinity Shield turns your router into a motion sensor — and it may share what it sees

A free Wi‑Fi upgrade taps existing gateways and stationary devices to map in‑home movement with signal shifts.

wifi router 80mhz 5ghz band channels.
I tested 20MHz versus 80MHz on my router, and one was clearly wrong for my neighborhood

Is bigger better? Or should you stick to default?

A two car garage.
I changed one power setting, and my Wi-Fi signal finally reached the garage

A silent routing clash left my mesh stumbling through walls until a buried setting handed control back to Nest.

740 Mbps results on Fast.com
I turned off 4 Windows settings and my Wi-Fi jumped from 330 Mbps to 730 Mbps

My gigabit Wi-Fi was stuck at a third of what I paid for, but four tweaks later, it's finally earning its keep.

13
SSH session to Kali Linux running Airodump-ng to capture local Wi-Fi frames and beacons with Wireshark open
Hidden Wi-Fi networks aren't hidden at all — I proved it with a single device

The SSID disappeared from ordinary Wi-Fi menus, but one association request revealed it in plain text.

A white router on a desk
I locked my router to one clear Wi-Fi channel and stopped fighting interference

One small router tweak made my connection much better.

The Wi-Fi 6E page of the Windows 11 settings menu.
My Wi-Fi 6E router was sabotaging itself — band steering was the culprit

Don't let your router slow your fastest devices down.

windows powershell terminal running ookla speedtest with results-1.
Your speed test is hiding what actually makes your internet feel slow

Speed tests are good at the big number, but there are other numbers behind the scenes.

wifi router 80mhz 5ghz band channels.
I changed my Wi-Fi channel width from 20MHz to 80MHz and got instant speed gains

Wider Wi-Fi channels gave me a speed boost, but it doesn't always work out.

10
The Connectivity Labs page on a Samsung phone.
I didn't expect this hidden Samsung feature to fix my home Wi-Fi

I haven't seen any other phone do this.

See More