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WiFi

WiFi is just your LAN over radio instead of cable — same IP addresses, same protocols, new physical quirks.

The basics

  • SSID — the network's name ("HomeNet"). It's a label, not security — hiding it (not broadcasting) stops casual browsers but not anyone trying.
  • Bands — 2.4 GHz travels farther and through walls better; 5 GHz (and 6 GHz / WiFi 6E) is faster but shorter-range. One SSID can span both; your device picks.
  • Standards — WiFi 5 (802.11ac), WiFi 6 (802.11ax), WiFi 7 (802.11be). Newer = faster and better at crowded airspace, but both ends need to support it to benefit.

Security: the part that matters

Mode Verdict
Open (none) Anyone can join and snoop. Never for home.
WEP Broken since 2001. Only on ancient gear — replace the gear.
WPA2 Fine. The long-standing default.
WPA3 Better (stronger handshake, protects weak passwords). Use if everything supports it.

Use WPA2 or WPA3 with a strong password. The password isn't just for keeping neighbors off your Netflix — on WiFi, the encryption key derives from it, so a weak password lets anyone in radio range decrypt your traffic.

Guest network: most routers offer one — isolated from your LAN by design. Guests (and IoT gadgets you don't quite trust) go there; they get internet but can't see your computers. Use it.

Why WiFi is weird (the honest physics)

  • Half-duplex-ish. WiFi radios generally can't talk and listen simultaneously on one channel — devices take turns. More devices = more waiting, which is why a crowded café crawls.
  • Interference is real. Microwaves, baby monitors, Bluetooth, and your neighbor's router all share 2.4 GHz. If WiFi dies every day at 6pm, look for a pattern (the microwave dinner theory is a cliché because it's often true).
  • Speed drops with distance and walls. The "up to 1200 Mbps" on the box is a lab number at close range. Through two walls, expect a fraction — that's physics, not a defect.

WiFi troubleshooting, ranked

  1. Move closer. If it's fast next to the router, it's range, not the internet.
  2. Check the band. Stuck on 2.4 GHz in a crowded apartment? Try forcing 5 GHz (or split the SSIDs so you can choose).
  3. Change the channel. Router admin → wireless settings → pick a less crowded channel (apps like WiFi Analyzer show the crowd). Auto-channel usually works; sometimes it doesn't.
  4. Reboot the router. Cliché because it works — clears stuck DHCP leases and wedged radios.
  5. Test wired. Plug in a cable: fast now? It's the WiFi. Still slow? It's the internet connection (or the router itself).

Next: The Path to the Internet