Wi-Fi routers, home servers, virtual private networks, and more.
Networking
Can I use my own router for my WISP internet service?
Episode 1625
Tim fromTim's internet is terrible because he lives in a rural area. His router managed to give him decent speed, but it went bad. So his wireless ISP gave him another one and it's terrible. Leo says that Brainstorm is a WISP, or wireless internet service provider, and you're most likely required to use their dedicated hardware. But you may be able to use your own router. But Leo suspects the problem is on their end. Routers to look at are TPLINK. Asus. NetGear. Check out thewirecutter.com for their recommendations.
How far does my WiFi go?
Episode 1623
Jerry fromJerry wants to get his WiFi signal out to his backyard garage, about 300 feet away. Leo says that WiFi is meant to travel 150 feet or less. You'll probably need a directional wifi transmitter/receiver. Check out radiolabs.com to learn more.
But to your backyard patio, a mesh router would work. Leo recommends the NetGear Orbi, and you can get an outdoor island receiver, and that could possibly get to your garage.
Can Jerry get his own and save on the rental fee from his ISP? Leo says absolutely. Save the money: it'll pay for itself in a year.
Why can't I navigate to my own IP in my VPN?
Episode 1620
Brett fromBrett has moved to ExpressVPN, but he's having issues surfing to his own IP. It worked fine with his old VPN, but not ExpressVPN (who is a sponsor of the TWiT Network). What can he do? Leo says to check your router settings. It may be that in your devices, there could be a security issue that's blocking it. Leo does that with his network for his NAS. Leo also says that Brett's problem may be due to his previous VPN being less secure.
Is the Asus Mesh Router a good option?
Episode 1617
David fromDavid is moving to a three-story house and he's looking to get an ASUS Mesh router and wants to know how it is. Leo says he's used most of the Mesh routers out there, but not ASUS. They do make good wifi extenders though. Mesh Routers are better though because it doesn't slow down like an extender does since it spends half its time talking to the router. Mesh has a backchannel for router communication. The eero Mesh router has an automatic quality of service that does a better job managing bandwidth as it's needed, and it gets smarter as time goes by. It also has parental control features.
Can I monitor my bandwidth use?
Episode 1617
Dave fromDave wants to know how to find out how much bandwidth he uses every month. Leo says that if your router supports DD-WRT firmware, you can. But your router may already keep track. So look in your router settings to find out. If not, and your router supports it, you can install DD-WRT firmware. Check out dd-wrt.com. But understand, that flashing the firmware on your router could void the warranty. If you need a new one, get the ASUS router, it uses a flavor of DD-WRT already out of the box.
What's the Best Tri-Band Router?
Episode 1616
Joe fromJoe wants a good Tri-Band router. Leo recommends ASUS. It gives a 2.5 GHz and two 5 GHz bands. Also, check out theWirecutter.com, they like the TPLink Archer A20.
How Can I Change My Router Address to NAT Type 1?
Episode 1616
Chad fromChad wants to run a game server on a secondary PS4 so others can play over the internet all over the world. HIs problem is he needs a NAT Type 1 connection to make it work. Is there any way to do it without having a second internet connection from Spectrum? Leo says that there used to be a device called a Hamachi that would do it. Ideally, try taking the router out. It will eliminate a middleman that could assign a Type 2 connection, not a Nat Type 1. Risky, but it could work. Chad can also try DMZ through the router. He can also set up port forwarding.
Why Can't I Connect My iMacs via Ethernet?
Episode 1616
Tom fromTom has four iMacs and each one is getting an error when connecting to ethernet, and can't connect to the Internet because of a "self-assigned address." But he can connect via WiFi. Leo says to go to the Network system preference pane and make sure that Ethernet is dragged to the top. Also, make sure it's using DHCP in the settings. One thing that may be causing the error is that the computer doesn't see the ethernet cable when booting up, and then gives the self-assigned address. It could also be the router itself.
Should I buy a Mesh router?
Episode 1613
Max fromMax's home is 1700 square feet and he's thinking of getting a Mesh router. Leo says he's a big fan of Mesh networks because they can handle congestion a lot better than an average router. Leo recommends Eero, but he also likes the Netgear Orbi, which is rated as the current fastest. But Eero does the quality of service (QOS) using bandwidth shaping. Also understand that MESH routers are more expensive but usually come with a base station and a satellite unit. However, if you want the fastest possible connection for your TV, you'll want to hardwire it in.
Can I use my own router with U-Verse?
Episode 1611
Alex fromAlex would like to use his own router with AT&T U-verse, can he? Leo says only if you aren't getting your TV service from U-verse. That requires AT&T's proprietary router. You could turn the AT&T router into bridge mode or IP Pass through, and then use your router with it. That's possible. Will it affect the speed? Leo says no, but it could affect whether you can select your own DNS service. You can also try using DNS over HTTPS using Cloudflare to eliminate the ability for AT&T to see what you're doing. But that's advanced stuff.
