Wireless Functionality

We’ve all had those moments, when the WiFi signal drops right in the middle of our favourite episode, or in that long-overdue catch up call with a friend or family member. But, do we know why our WiFi can drop out, or do we simply refer to any internet issues as “The WiFi is down again!” when really it’s a problem with the ISP and nothing to do with our home WiFi network.

Our guest, and good friend of the show, Alex has worked with wireless technologies for quite some time and kindly agreed to give a fair chunk of his time to help us explore some of the common myths around WiFi, the history of the technology, how mesh WiFi is a far better solution than the plethora of range extenders and boosters that really don’t help a poor WiFi signal.

What’s your experience with the wonderful world of WiFi, do you have any burning questions you want us to address, or pro tips you’ve found for your own setup? We’d love to hear from you, so please send us a note to podcast@crossedwires.net, or why not come join the disscussion on our Discord server.

If you liked this episode or any of our content, we’d greatly appreciate any little bit of support you can throw our way over at our Ko-Fi page.

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Episode Links

• Alex: Mastodon / The Interface
• WiFi Standards Explained – Lifewire
• Should I Worry About Mobile Phones – YouTube
• What is Mesh WiFi – TechQuickie (YouTube)
• How the Internet Saved Florida – 2 Days with the ITDRC – Crosstalk Solutions (YouTube)
• UniFi Dream Router – Ubiquiti Store
• TP-Link Deco – Product Page
• Eero by Amazon – Product Page
• Eero DFS Support – Eero Blog
• Wireless ISP Starry Files for Bankruptcy – The Verge
• OpenWireless.org – EFF

Chapter Times

1. 00:00:01: Adopt a Listener
2. 00:01:07: Introductions
3. 00:07:27: What Does WiFi Stand For?
4. 00:08:15: History of WiFi
5. 00:14:09: WiFi 6E
6. 00:14:50: Frequencies
7. 00:19:27: WiFi Router vs Access Point
8. 00:21:21: Crowded WiFi
9. 00:23:28: HomePods and WiFi 4
10. 00:25:43: Ethernet Is Always Better
11. 00:29:41: Common WiFi Misunderstandings
12. 00:37:08: Is Wireless Dangerous?
13. 00:41:42: WiFi Extenders & Boosters
14. 00:46:37: Mesh WiFi
15. 01:00:45: Should You Replace Your ISP Router
16. 01:05:34: Subscription Features
17. 01:07:35: UniFi Dream Router Pricing
18. 01:10:18: HomeKit Routers
19. 01:13:53: WISPS
20. 01:24:49: Making The Most of Your Existing WiFi
21. 01:29:54: Understanding WiFi Channels
22. 01:35:44: Too Much Mesh?
23. 01:39:16: MU-MIMO
24. 01:40:30: “Gaming” Routers?
25. 01:43:30: Guest Networks
26. 01:49:11: Wrapping Up

Credits

Intro and outro theme: Ace of Clubs by RoccoW