While a Wi-Fi map is indeed a map of a geographical area showing the location of wireless access points or “hotspots,” this article discusses the “WiFi Map” app available from Google Play and iTunes. It’s intended for use with Android … Continue reading
Wireless Doorbells—Another Useful Part of the Internet of Things (IoT)
Wireless doorbells are handy gizmos. They’re like microwave ovens; once you have one, you’ll wonder how you got by without it. A de rigeur part of today’s smart, connected homes, they do more than just announce a visitor at the … Continue reading
The Difference Between Cable Modems, Routers and Gateways and Why You Should Buy Yours
Tired of paying for tiers of cable channels that seem to cost more every month? Lots of cable subscribers have figured out that they can “cut the cord” and stream programming over the Internet using a media player like Roku … Continue reading
Make the Most of Your Wi-Fi with the Netgear Nighthawk R7000 Wireless Router
In recent years you, gentle reader, likely have ramped up your home internet speeds with an upgrade from your cable company aka multiple system operator (MSO). You’ve “cut the cord” by replacing cable programming with a media player, added a … Continue reading
Use Wi-Fi Instead of Cellular to Drastically Save or Eliminate Data Roaming Charges
Back in the day when we talked on cell phones (not smartphones) and used voice (not data), the term “roaming” had a limited impact. It generally referred to accessing a different network carrier for voice calls when outside the geographical … Continue reading
The Boon and Bane of RFID Chip Readers
Technology has done wonders for humankind—it’s made our lives easier, more comfortable and more productive. But it can also be used for nefarious reasons. Today’s topic is an example of a technological double-sword: the radio frequency identification (RFID) chip reader … Continue reading
The Benefits and Drawbacks of Wi-Fi Baby Monitors
Parents have always wanted to keep a close watch over their new little bundle of joy, from the moment they bring that baby home. Surprisingly, baby monitors have been around since the 1930s. They started out as a simple radio … Continue reading
Save Money and Get Better Performance—Buy Your Own Comcast-Approved Modem
Earlier this month in our look at DOCSIS 3.0 channel bonding, we mentioned the benefits of buying your own cable modem (CM). Today we’re going to examine in depth Comcast-approved cable modems (CMs). For a brief overview of channel bonding, … Continue reading
Simplifying Your WLAN with Wi-Fi Direct
Unless you’ve spent the past few years under a rock you’ve no doubt heard of Wi-Fi. You may even be aware that Wi-Fi is the familiarized name for the IEE 802.11 standard. But have you heard of Wi-Fi Direct? Also … Continue reading
Wi-Fi Assist: Learn How to Use It Wisely
If you recently upgraded to iOS 9 or bought a new iPhone, then you have a new feature on it called Wi-Fi Assist. This feature essentially ensures that your phone will automatically switch to your mobile data plan if you … Continue reading
The Cable User’s Guide to Channel Bonding
Last October we presented an article on channel bonding (CB), covering a variety of technologies. Today we’ll look more into depth at DOCSIS 3.0 or D3 channel bonding—CB for data delivered via coax to a cable modem (CM). If you’re … Continue reading
Choosing the Right Wireless Extension for You
Perhaps you’re lucky enough to live in a spacious multi-story home with multiple rooms on every floor. If so, you’ve likely had the headache of wireless connectivity problems in various portions of the house. These “dead spots” generally seem to … Continue reading
Netgear Orbi—When You Need More Coverage
Sometimes a regular Wi-Fi router just isn’t enough to do the job, especially when you have a large home or business. You get those areas where there just isn’t any coverage. These blind spots are more than just frustrating—considering you … Continue reading
Are You Ready for the Internet of Moving Things? Veniam Is
Heard of the technology startup company Veniam? If you haven’t before, you’re likely to hear a lot more about them in the near future. They’re industry leaders in the field of connected transportation, a technology receiving lots of interest from … Continue reading
The Wi-Fi Extending Light Bulb: Your Answer to Wi-Fi Blind Spots
Bring Wi-Fi alive—wherever it isn’t. You know those spots in your home or workplace, the ones where Wi-Fi becomes non-existent or very weak at best. Yup, we all hate them. But now there is a way to extend the signal … Continue reading
Should Your Business Use Managed Wi-Fi Services?
One of the buzzwords often heard in our 21st century service economy is “outsourcing.” Outsourcing — contracting with an outside vendor to provide goods or services instead of utilizing an internal source — happens in all sorts of businesses, including … Continue reading
Maximize Your Web Experience with Arris Modems and Gateways
If you’re reading this you almost certainly have Internet and/or cable programming. To use these services a DOCSIS or DSL modem is needed. Many of you no doubt pay a monthly rental fee to your provider for a modem. If … Continue reading
Who’s On My WiFi Helps Secure Your Computer
Your Wi-Fi generally just cruises along, but what if all of a sudden it slowed down? What if loading web pages started taking a long time or it was taking a long time to download something from Dropbox or from … Continue reading
Wireless Keyboards: Typing Your Way Into the Future
Everything is wireless these days, including computer keyboards, which is great because wireless means no cable clutter. Granted, many people work on laptop computers and other mobile devices, but in all honesty, using a full-size keyboard is much more convenient … Continue reading
No More Dead Spots with Home Wi-Fi Mesh Networking
Faithful readers of this space will recall from several weeks ago our previous article on AmpliFi, one of the better so-called “mesh” home Wi-Fi systems available. Today we take a closer look at some of AmpliFi’s more celebrated competitors and … Continue reading