Articles about Wi-Fi

Mesh networking systems are all the rage these days, and it isn't hard to see why. Traditional wireless routers can be deficient in large houses, failing to reach all of the rooms. It can be quite frustrating to experience dead zones in your home, and fiddling with range extenders can be annoying. Mesh networks blanket your home in glorious Wi-Fi by utilizing several well-placed access points.

Today, ASUS unveils its latest mesh networking system. Called "Lyra Trio," it is comprised of three AC1750 access points. The 802.11ac devices are pyramid-shaped and contain vertical 3x3 MIMO antennas. If you don't have experience with setting up a home network, don't worry -- you can use a special smartphone app (Android and iPhone) to do so easily.

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After a long flight, the first thing we do, as soon as we hit the runway, is switch our phone out of airplane mode and check our messages, emails and make sure we can connect to the local mobile network.

The problem is, this is expensive and most users mobile contract does not offer them free roaming, especially at long-haul destinations. You want to be connected to Wi-Fi as soon as possible.

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For many people a router is something that's supplied free by their internet service provider. Consequently they don't give much thought to it unless they encounter problems.

Yet, as we attach more and more devices to our home networks we put more demand on our routers and performance can start to suffer. The good news is that there's a whole world of routers out there that offer performance and connectivity features way beyond those of the basic units usually sent out by ISPs.

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When out and about, you may well find that you use free public Wi-Fi connections. The chances are that you use more than one as you battle to find one that offers a decent speed. With Android 8.1 Oreo, Google has a new feature that will help to make your life easier.

As the company has been talking about for a little while, Oreo now lets you see the speed of a Wi-Fi connection before you decide if you want to connect or not.

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Google support forums are filling up with complaints from Google Home and Chromecast users that they are experiencing problems with their Wi-Fi connections. With such devices connected to a network, many people are having issues with stability, or finding that their network collapses entirely.

Both TP-Link and Linksys have issued patches for their routers, but the problem ultimately lies with the Cast feature of Google Home and Chromecast devices.

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Wi-Fi Protected Access is commonly used to secure Wi-Fi connections between pretty much all devices that we use nowadays. For many of us, WPA2 -- the most-recent version of the protocol -- is what we tick to make our router's wireless network private. But, pretty soon, there will be a new option available.

The Wi-Fi Alliance has announced the introduction of WPA3, which will be available for both personal and enterprise Wi-Fi devices this year. The big additions over its predecessor, for which certifications began in late-2004, are improved security and privacy.

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We are living in very scary times, and I'm only referring to technology. Concerns about nuclear war and unstable world leaders aside, our computers and devices are like Swiss cheese nowadays thanks to Spectre and Meltdown. Hell, there are hardcoded backdoors in consumer devices! What a sad state of affairs...

If you want to help keep your home network safe, a quality router is always a smart purchase. Not only do you want something that is reliable, but it should be from a reputable manufacturer that issues regular updates. One such company is D-Link, and today, it unveils a new 802.11ac wireless router that leverages the McAfee Secure Home Platform to keep you safe. Called "DIR-2680," it features an absolutely gorgeous industrial design that, quite frankly, makes it appear as something other than a router entirely.

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I am a strong believer in home Wi-Fi security cameras. Being able to monitor my house while away is a godsend. Yeah, it is great for security purposes, but you know where else these products shine? Pets! Yeah, with one of these cameras, you can keep tabs on your dog, cat, bird, lizard -- whatever. If you are at work and want to check in on your pup or kitty, just launch an app and there they are.

Unfortunately, these cameras can be expensive and difficult to set up. But, what if they weren't? What if there was a Wi-Fi camera that was easy to set up and cost, I don't know, say, $20? Surely you cannot get such a Wi-Fi security camera for an "Andrew Jackson," right? Actually, you can! The WyzeCam is that inexpensive and even promises an easy app-based setup process. Quite frankly, the boxy design is quite adorable too. Shockingly, it even streams at 1080p.

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Regardless of your opinion of Bluetooth speakers, you can't deny that they usually sound better than the integrated speakers found on smartphones and tablets. Sure, many audiophiles will decry the use of wireless for speaker connectivity, but if you simply want convenience and improved audio, a Bluetooth speaker will make you very happy -- if you buy one from a reputable company that is, such as Bose, JBL, or Ultimate Ears.

Speaking of Ultimate Ears, the company's products never disappoint -- you really can't go wrong with its Bluetooth speakers. Not only do they sound great, but they are built well and look attractive. Today, the company unveils its latest such offerings -- the BLAST and MEGABLAST. They are very similar, but as you can expect, the "MEGA" variant is larger and louder. Not only do they feature Bluetooth connectivity, but they can connect to Wi-Fi too. What's particularly neat about these models, is that they also have Amazon Alexa support!

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Earlier today, news broke about the KRACK vulnerability that affects the WPA2 protocol. Security researchers have warned that the problem affects millions of devices running everything from Windows to Android and Linux.

Microsoft has announced that it has already released a security patch to fix the vulnerability in Windows. Google says that a patch for affected Android devices will be released "in the coming weeks."

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A severe security warning has been issued after Belgium researchers managed to exploit a serious vulnerability in the WPA2 wireless protocol.

Known as KRACK (Key Reinstallation Attacks), the vulnerability makes it possible to eavesdrop on Wi-Fi traffic. Millions and millions of devices are at risk -- Windows, Linux, Android and more -- but it is not known whether there is an active exploit in the wild yet. Details about the vulnerability were due to be released at 8:00AM ET (1:00PM BST), but the research paper has now been published early after someone leaked a draft version.

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Cisco has revealed plans to majorly boost Wi-Fi connectivity and download speeds across the UK's rail network.

The company has teamed up with a number of partners, including ScotRail, CGI, Network Rail Telecoms and Wittos to develop a new platform called Project SWIFT that it says can provide 'superfast' Wi-Fi on trains.

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Every home should have a Wi-Fi security camera nowadays. They are convenient, easy to use, and very affordable. It used to be a rather expensive affair to have security cameras installed in a home. Now? Not so much. Not only do they let you monitor your home remotely for security reasons, but they can help you keep an eye on family members and pets too.

Today, popular network hardware manufacturer TP-Link releases an all-new Wi-Fi security camera, and it looks rather nice. Called "KC120 Kasa Cam," it is inexpensive, making it a product homeowners should consider. It even comes with free cloud storage. The camera has some nice features and specs, such as 1080p video, night vision, activity alerts, 2-way audio communication, and an adjustable magnetic base for easy placement.

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We've already heard a lot about what's new in Android 8.0 Oreo, but something that has not received much attention is its support for Wi-Fi Passpoint. Also known as Hotspot 2.0, the technology was introduced by the Wi-Fi Alliance way back in 2012 as a way to simplify the process of moving from one wireless hotspot to another.

Anyone who has connected to a hotspot while walking through a city will have experienced the frustration of having to log into one hotspot after another in order stay connected to the internet. Wi-Fi Passpoint makes jumping from one hotspot to the next as simple as using a data connection, eliminating the need for login credentials. Support in Oreo is a great step forward... but Google has chosen to make it optional for OEMs.

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Frequent flyers will soon be able to stay online whenever they fly after Virgin Atlantic revealed details of a new in-flight Wi-Fi connectivity plan.

The airline has confirmed its entire fleet will now be able to get Wi-Fi during flights around the world, with all 39 aircraft now connected, even on transatlantic flights and those carried out by Virgin's US partner network Delta Air Lines.

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