Articles about Wi-Fi

An unsecured database has been found online that contains 146 million records about people who have used free Wi-Fi at railway stations in the UK.

The database was discovered by a security researcher on Amazon web services storage. It was found to include personal details such as usernames, dates of birth, email addresses and details of travel arrangements. Network Rail and the service provider C3UK have confirmed the data leak.

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Well, folks, with 2020, the Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) revolution is truly here. At this point, no one should be buying an 802.11ac router, After all, you can score a nice Wi-Fi 6 router for under $100. Of course, for many larger homes, a single router simply isn't enough. Instead, mesh systems are all the rage these days. If you aren't familiar, mesh is when two or more access points are used together for a single network. Basically, it should give you better Wi-Fi range without needing to mess around with extenders other other clunky add-ons.

Today, ARRIS unveils its latest mesh system, and it uses the aforementioned Wi-Fi 6. The AX6600 Mesh SURFboard mAX System is tri-band and features up to 5500 square feet of Wi-Fi coverage. It features a Quad-core ARM-A7 Cortex processor and has optional Amazon Alexa support. Each access point features two Gigabit Ethernet ports -- one wan and one wan/lan. This means the unit that connects to the modem will only be able to connect to one other hardwired device, but the second unit can connect to two.

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A strange bug has been discovered with the Raspberry Pi 4 which sees Wi-Fi failing when the screen resolution is set to 2560 x 1440.

Numerous users have taken to online forums -- including the official Raspberry Pi support forums – where various workarounds have been discussed. Of course, the simple solution to this problem is to use a lower resolution, but the root causes of it are still under investigation.

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Ubiquiti AmpliFi routers and mesh network systems are some of the best wireless gear home consumers can buy. Not only are these products very well designed, but they have unique features and get regular firmware updates too. I always recommend them without hesitation.

Today, Ubiquiti has managed to impress me once again with one of the most beautiful routers I have ever seen -- it looks a bit like an Amazon Echo. Called "AmpliFi Alien," this Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) router features a huge color touchscreen that not only looks cool, but provides an easy way to interact with the device. There is one hidden WAN port on the bottom, and four LAN ports on the back. And yes, if you want to set up a mesh network, you can purchase more than one and link them together.

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There are various ways of protecting wireless networks, and as technology develops old methods become outdated. One wireless security technique that has fallen by the wayside is WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) because it is very easily defeated.

Having been superseded by WPA2 and WPA3 (Wi-Fi Protected Access generations 2 and 3), Microsoft is completely dropping support for WEP from Windows 10. Soon, it will not be possible to connect to a wireless network with WEP in place.

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Google recently launched its latest home Wi-Fi product -- Nest Wifi. It looks like a great networking solution for those that want to utilize mesh to extend coverage in their home. Hell, it even has Google Assistant built in! You know what it doesn't have though? Wi-Fi 6.

What exactly is Wi-Fi 6? It is the official name for 802.11ax -- the latest and greatest wireless networking standard. Despite Wi-Fi 6 devices being fairly rare, it is still strange that the search giant chose to not include it. Oh well. Google isn't the only game in town. TP-Link, for instance, recently announced some affordable 802.11ax routers. If you want both Wi-Fi 6 and mesh, however, today, you have a new option -- the Linksys MX10 Velop. Before you get too excited, please know the price is rather high.

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Earlier today, Amazon unveiled a bunch of new Echo devices. As a hardcore Alexa user, I am sort of excited about this new hardware, but at the same time, my house already has enough of them -- I am not at all in the market for more.

In addition to Alexa-focused hardware, Amazon today also launches a new eero mesh Wi-Fi system. In case you forgot, yes, Amazon owns eero now. While this new mesh Wi-Fi system looks fine enough for the average consumer, it is quite underwhelming. Its speeds are hardly top of the line, and there is no WiFi 6 (802.11ax) to be found. For the most part, these 802.11ac access points are fairly basic, but I do like that each has two gigabit Ethernet ports. The cute devices are powered by USB-C as well, which I also appreciate.

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We are on the verge of the next big thing in home networking, which is 802.11ax -- also known as Wi-Fi 6. The truth, however, is it will be a very long time before a majority of households have 802.11ax routers or devices. Hell, I know many people still using 802.11G and N routers that are perfectly happy. Those that invest in Wi-Fi 6 today are most likely enthusiasts that don't really need it. They probably don't even have any 802.11ax clients!

With all of that said, it is still totally reasonable to buy an 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) router in late 2019. Today, NETGEAR launches a "new" 802.11ac mesh Wi-Fi system aimed at hardcore gamers. Called "XRM570 Nighthawk Pro Gaming," it really isn't a new product at all. Actually, it features two of the company's existing devices -- the XR500 router which comes factory-paired with the Mesh Range Extender EX7700. It runs the DumaOS, which is a specialized router operating system designed to prioritize gaming.

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Wireless networking is something we've come to take for granted in recent years. ISPs often give away a wireless router when you sign up for an internet connection with the consequence that Wi-Fi is now in most homes.

Networking specialist Netgear has produced an infographic looking at the origins of Wi-Fi, how it's developed and where it’s going in future.

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If you have a large home, it can be difficult to blanket it entirely with Wi-Fi. Sadly, many folks experience dead spots, meaning some locations in the house either have no Wi-Fi or an exremely low signal. Speaking frankly, this situation sucks. Sure, you can potentially remedy it with a range extender, and that can be a great solution, but it isn't as elegant as mesh.

Unfortunately, a mesh Wi-Fi system with multiple access points can be a pricey affair. While they have been coming down in price, these mesh systems are still largely too much money for many consumers. Today, TP-Link brings mesh Wi-Fi to the masses with an insanely low price. Called "Deco W2400," this Dual Band AC1200 system costs less than $100!

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A new survey of security professionals taken at this year's RSA reveals that 92 percent of respondents feel that cybersecurity is a bigger threat to the US than border security. Yet government, and media, attention seems far more focused on the latter.

The study from AI-powered security company Lastline also asked respondents which of the tech giants they trust the least with their data, not surprisingly 76 percent name Facebook. Others, Amazon (25 percent), Apple (24 percent), Google (20 percent) and Microsoft (27 percent) all scored relatively evenly when asked who they trust most.

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TP-Link has become one of my favorite manufacturers of networking gear. The company's products are fast, reliable, and affordable. I would not hesitate to recommend any of its hardware.

Today, the company launches its latest Mesh Wi-Fi System, and it is priced shockingly low. Called "Deco M4," it features three access points to blanket your home in wireless internet and can be easily configured with either an Android or iPhone app. And yes, it has optional Amazon Alexa support -- for those of you that love using voice assistants.

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Gaming products are everywhere these days. Even if you aren't a gamer, these offerings are usually quite premium, making them a solid choice for anyone. For instance, a mechanical gaming keyboard can be excellent for typists, while a gaming mouse might provides accuracy, comfort, and durability. The problem? Many gaming products can be considered ugly, looking like alien spaceships or mutant spiders.

Today, NETGEAR launches its newest gaming router, and its appearance is surprisingly conservative. Called "Nighthawk Pro Gaming XR300," its design is wonderfully boring -- in a good way. In other words, it doesn't outwardly appear to be a gaming router, but make no mistake, the underlying DumaOS operating system (which is based on OpenWRT) is tuned for gamers and has useful features like QoS and geo-filtering. The dual-band 802.11ac router has a 1GHz dual-core processor, three antennas, and beamforming. Strangely, its USB 3.1 gen 1 Type-A port is on the front -- an odd placement for those that prefer to leave something connected to it.

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Jeff Bezos may have his hands full with a pending divorce and alleged blackmail, but that is not going to slow Amazon down. Today, the popular retailer and Echo-maker announces a very intriguing acquisition. Surprisingly, Amazon will be buying eero for an undisclosed sum of money.

Not familiar with that company? That's not surprising. While eero is fairly popular with in-the-know consumers, it is not exactly a household name. Just know eero makes well-received mesh systems -- essentially a router and a series of access points that work together for superior coverage. But really, the company Amazon is acquiring isn't that important. The real story is that Amazon sees value in entering the home network business. Why is that so significant? Well, there are obvious privacy concerns -- will Amazon use these devices to track/log/monetize user traffic?

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Mesh networking is very popular these days, and for good reason -- its use of several access points makes it possible to blanket a home in Wi-Fi. The problem? If you already have a good router, it would be foolish to replace it entirely with a mesh system -- that would be a costly affair. Instead, if you need to deliver wireless access to a dead zone in your home, you should opt for a range extender. They are fairly inexpensive, and best of all, will work with your current router.

Today, TP-Link unveils its latest range extender -- the RE220. This little dual-band 802.11ac access point simply plugs into a power outlet. Then, with the help of a smartphone app, you can configure it to connect to your router. Also cool? It has a gigabit Ethernet port, so it can do double-duty as a wireless adapter for an internet-connected device that doesn't have Wi-Fi -- such as a desktop computer. Performance aside, it also has a striking white design with a gray crisscross pattern.

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