Networking

Wi-Fi routers, home servers, virtual private networks, and more.

Are WiFi Extenders a Good Idea?

Eero

Episode 1600

David from Anaheim, CA

David needs to extend the WiFi in his apartment building. Will an extender do the job? Leo says it will, but at the cost of cutting bandwidth speed in half, because the base station is relaying the signal and spending half the time talking to the router. Leo recommends going with a MESH router. Eero is a good one, as is NetGear Orbi. But there are plenty more. Just about every router company makes a mesh model now. 

Sam Abuelsamid .... the electrical architecture

Sam Abuelsamid

Episode 1597

Sam joins Leo to talk about how the electrical architecture of E Vehicles is evolving.  The wiring of modern electric vehicles can have as much as 2 miles of copper wire built into them. Hundreds of sensors. Connectors, and more. Manufacturers are trying to simplify it. Now they're starting to use CanBus, which is essentially like Ethernet, that allows computers in your car to talk to each other. So the modern electric vehicle is essentially a computer network. 

How can I analyze my wifi connection?

Netgear AC1750

Episode 1593

Brian from Mission Viejo, CA

Brian upgraded his WiFi router network, but he's still running into buffering and congestion. Leo says first check to see if your connection is the issue by bypassing the router and wire the modem directly into your laptop. Run a speed test and see how it works. Once you've eliminated the cable connection, then you can look to your hardware. But it could also be good old fashioned neighborhood congestion. If you look at your wifi connection, you can see how many wifi devices your router sees. It's not only everyone streaming Netflix anymore.

Can I create a MESH network with mobile phones?

Mesh Network Example

Episode 1591

Nolan from Glendale, CA

Nolan wants to know if a mesh network can be deployed with a mobile app? Leo says that the earliest uses of MESH were through a mesh of internet hotspots with mobile phones.  It talked to other mobile devices and connected them. It was to create a network where there is no internet.  Here's an article about it - https://www.technologyreview.com/s/516571/build-your-own-internet-with-mobile-mesh-networking/

Can I Connect a WyzeCam to a Mesh Router Network?

WyzeCams

Episode 1582

Darren from Missouri

Darren is looking to upgrade his network to a Mesh router and is having issues connecting his WyzeCams. Rich says that a lot of people are having issues with this because the WyzeCams are 2.4ghz and the mesh routers will switch between 2.4 and 5 GHz. That can cause camera connection issues. Google's mesh router will automatically connect to the band that the camera supports. So he may want to check out the Google WiFi mesh router. 

Rich has Eero and he was able to hook up his WyzeCams without any issue. 

How Can I Transmit WiFi to a Building 200 ft away from the Access Point?

RadioLabs.com

Episode 1581

Dave from Prosser, Washington

Dave would like to send his internet connection to another building on his property, a few hundred feet away. Should he use a WiFi access point? Leo says that's limited to about 150 feet. Leo says that the longer the distance, the slower the speed. A Ubiquity device is better because it goes point to point that directs the signal to where users want it. Leo recommends visiting RadioLabs.com to learn the difference and find out how to install and configure it. 

 

Why Can't My Phone Connect to the Network?

WiFi

Episode 1578

Pria from San Diego, CA

Pria has her cell service with Verizon and she is having issues connecting to WiFi in her apartment building. Leo says that in her iPhone settings, check the WiFi connection and look for the name of the network. Click on the "i" and look at the network. Make sure there's an IP address in there, starting with either 192 or 10.  If it's anything else, she is not getting an internet connection. That would indicate the network is misconfigured. Try to unplug the router and plug it back in to reboot.