By “splicing” an Ethernet cable, you can give it a custom length, join two cables together, and even repair damage to a cable or the plugs at either end.

Understanding Ethernet Cable Basics

First, let’s get familiar with the nomenclature. Ethernet network cables (sometimes called just “network cables”) come in several varieties. The most common types for home use on Amazon or in any tech store are Cat5, Cat5e, Cat6, and Cat6a. They represent different iterations of cable technology that improve data transfer speed and reliability.

The ‘Cat’ part stands for ‘Category.’ Cat5e is an enhanced version of the basic Cat5 cable. Cat 5e and Cat6 provide gigabit speeds, and Cat6a can offer 10 gigabit speeds over shorter distances. Cat6a can support 10 Gbps up to 100 meters, while Cat6 can only do so up to 55 meters. The type of cable you’re working with will determine your data transfer speed and affect your internet connection and local network connection performance.

You’ll find a bundle of tiny, twisted pair conductors at the heart of an Ethernet cable. These conductors are color-coded wires that allow data transference from one end of the cable to the other.

Each end of an Ethernet cable typically has an RJ45 plug. This plug, which looks like a larger telephone jack, is the part that physically connects to your devices, such as a router or a computer. The plugs you find on telephone lines are RJ11.

Tools of the Trade

To splice an Ethernet cable, you’ll need a few essential tools:

1. Wire cutters
2. Crimping tool
3. RJ45 connectors
4. Ethernet cable (the one you want to splice)
5. Cable strippers

For testing the connections, you should get a network cable tester. This little device will let you know whether the connections in your newly spliced cable are working correctly. You can go ahead without the cable tester, but it just means you’ll only know if your cable has been spliced correctly when you plug it in.

You can get everything you need by purchasing a crimping tool kit, which includes wire cutters. Also, many crimping tools have integrated wire strippers so you don’t need to pay a separate one.

Step-by-step Guide: How to Splice Ethernet Cables

Splicing a cable can be finicky work, but it’s easy if you’re patient and careful. Here are the general steps to follow.

Step 1: Prepare Your Cable

First, use your wire cutters to trim off any damaged ends of the Ethernet cable. You want clean, undamaged wires to work with.

Use your cable strippers to carefully strip away about 2 inches of the outer casing at each end of the cable, revealing the color-coded twisted pair conductors inside.

Step 2: Unwind the Twisted Pair Conductors

Carefully unwind the color-coded twisted pair conductors.

You’ll typically find eight wires in four pairs. Align them according to the Ethernet cable color code.

The standard color code for T568A wiring is:

⦁ Pin 1: White/Green

⦁ Pin 2: Green

⦁ Pin 3: White/Orange

⦁ Pin 4: Blue

⦁ Pin 5: White/Blue

⦁ Pin 6: Orange

⦁ Pin 7: White/Brown

⦁ Pin 8: Brown

The standard color code for T568B wiring is:

⦁ Pin 1: White/Orange

⦁ Pin 2: Orange

⦁ Pin 3: White/Green

⦁ Pin 4: Blue

⦁ Pin 5: White/Blue

⦁ Pin 6: Green

⦁ Pin 7: White/Brown

⦁ Pin 8: Brown

The most common scheme is T568B, but you can use either if you use it consistently. The cable you’re splicing probably uses T568B, the preferred wiring scheme for new network installations in the USA.

Many crimping tools have these wiring guides printed on the tool’s body, so you don’t have to memorize them.

Step 3: Attach RJ45 Connectors

The next step involves attaching new RJ45 connectors to each cable end. Use your crimping tool to secure the connectors onto the cable.

Ensure the color-coded wires are lined up correctly inside the connectors before crimping. This is crucial for maintaining a solid internet connection.

This is just a general description of the process, you must follow the instructions of your specific crimping tool. Some may even come with a link to a full video demonstrating how to use them. We strongly suggest watching any such video if provided.

Step 4: Test Your Connection

Once the RJ45 connectors are in place, use your network cable tester to ensure the correct connections. Each light on the tester corresponds to a wire in the Ethernet cable. If all the lights light up, congrats! You’ve successfully spliced your Ethernet cable.

If you don’t have a cable tester, connect the cable to a pair of network devices. The best option is to connect a client device (i.e., a laptop) to a router. The cable is good to go if the connection works, and you can install it.

Advanced Splicing Techniques

The above method is the simplest way to splice an Ethernet cable, suitable for shorter lengths and non-critical connections. However, more advanced techniques are required when you need to join two cables over a longer distance or when working with more specialized types of cables, such as coaxial or fiber optic.

Patch Panels: Organizing and Future-Proofing

A patch panel is another advanced method used when multiple Ethernet cables need to converge. This can typically be found in office settings or advanced home networks. Patch panels are designed with several ports to accommodate multiple patch cables.

The process here involves terminating the ends of your Ethernet cables onto the rear of the patch panel. The front side, in turn, is used for patching data to where it needs to go using patch cords. The great thing about patch panels is that they make it easier to manage complex cable arrangements and are adaptable for future changes or additions.

Patch panels are reminiscent of old telephone switchboard junction boxes, where operators physically connect lines using short patch cords.

Using Keystone Jacks and Couplers

A keystone jack is a snap-in package that houses an RJ45 connector. These jacks can be snapped into a wall plate or patch panel, creating a permanent, secure connection.

Couplers, on the other hand, are used to connect two Ethernet cables directly. They come with female RJ45 ports on both ends. Although couplers may not be the best solution for high-performance networks due to potential signal loss, they are handy for quick fixes or extending the range of an existing cable in non-critical applications. For example, if you want to connect a smart TV or NAS at home, you are okay with a slightly slower connection.

Direct Splicing of Ethernet Cables Without a Coupler

While a coupler provides a convenient way to connect two Ethernet cables, you can also splice them directly without a coupler. However, direct splicing requires much more attention to detail and dexterity. You’ll need a solid hand, basic soldering skills, and a soldering iron!

The steps are essentially the same as basic splicing, but things are different after you’ve stripped and unwound all eight of the wires on both ends you want to splice together.

Once the wires are unwound and aligned, twist the corresponding color-coded wires from each cable. Be sure that each wire from one cable is tightly twisted with its counterpart from the other cable. This ensures a secure connection and accurate data transmission.

After twisting the wires together, apply some solder to each connection. Soldering strengthens the splices and provides better conductivity, ensuring minimal signal loss. Be sure to use an appropriately sized soldering iron and avoid over-soldering, which could cause short circuits.

Once you’ve soldered all the connections, it’s time to insulate them. Wrap each connection individually with electrical tape to prevent any short circuits. After wrapping each splice, you can combine the whole group to form a single cable. Electrical tape isn’t a permanent solution, so you might want to invest in heat shrink insulation instead.

Dealing with Coaxial and Fiber Optic Cables

Advanced Ethernet networking sometimes involves coaxial or fiber optic cables. These types of cables carry data in different ways than the standard UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair) cables like Cat5e or Cat6 cables, requiring other splicing techniques.

Splicing a coaxial cable involves using a specially designed cable stripper to expose the inner conductor. You’ll then crimp on a new coaxial connector. A coaxial coupler can then be used to join the two cables.

As for fiber optic cables, they’re a whole different ball game. These cables carry data in the form of light pulses, and splicing them involves a process called fusion splicing. This process uses heat to fuse or ‘weld’ two fiber optic cables. It’s a delicate and precise process that ensures minimal signal loss and is usually best left to professionals or those who have received appropriate training. It’s highly unlikely you’d have fiber optic cabling inside your home. However, this is high-end business terrain.

Power Over Ethernet (PoE) and Adapters

Sometimes, you can deliver data and power over your Ethernet cable.

This is known as Power Over Ethernet (PoE). It’s typically used for devices like IP cameras or WiFi access points in places where a separate power source isn’t readily available since there’s no suitable electrical wiring.

When splicing a PoE cable, it’s crucial to ensure the DC power pins are correctly connected, as they will carry the power to your device. Special PoE adapters are available to simplify this process. Have a look at this PoE pinout guide for exact details.

You can quickly destroy network equipment by accidentally sending power to where it shouldn’t go, so if you have any doubts, it’s better to pay a professional to make up custom-length PoE cables for you.

Wrapping Up

Learning how to splice an Ethernet cable is a handy skill to have, although most people only have the need to do it a handful of times in their lives. Unless you’re going to do a lot of splicing, it’s cheaper to pay for custom-length new cables. Crimping tools and network testers are expensive to justify a one-off DIY project.

If you do decide to attempt this yourself, remember to be safe, respect the color code, and ensure your conductors are appropriately crimped, and you should have a solid Ethernet connection up and running in no time. However, you might want to consider an alternative solution in the form of a Powerline Ethernet Extender.

The post How to Splice an Ethernet Cable first appeared on Online Tech Tips.

In this article, we’ll explore the pros and cons of each to help you know when it’s better to use cellular data or a Wi-Fi connection.

What Is the Difference Between Cellular Data and Wi-Fi?

Generally, it’s usually better to connect to the internet with your smartphone using a Wi-Fi network. This is because the maximum speeds available on a Wi-Fi network are typically many times faster than that of a cellular network.

• Wi-Fi Networks: The speed of a Wi-Fi network depends on the Wi-Fi standard that the network router uses. 802.11n offers transfer speeds up to 300 Mbps, 802.11ac up to 7 Gbps, and 802.11ax up to 9.6 Gbps.
• Cellular Networks: Cellular data over a 4G network is capable of transfer speeds of 100 Mbps on average. 5G offers data speeds up to an impressive 20 Gbps.

You’ll most likely experience a higher quality (more stable) internet connection and faster speeds connecting through a Wi-Fi network.

However, if you have a cell phone capable of 5G and your cell phone plan includes 5G service, you could experience better speeds on that particular cellular network. But for most typical users, this scenario is rare.

Note: The high-speed capability of 5G networks is why many cellular companies are marketing 5G internet to residential customers.

When Should You Use Wi-Fi?

Wi-Fi is usually the better option if you ever have both options available – Wi-Fi or cellular data. This is because Wi-Fi typically offers:

• A more stable internet connection
• Faster data transfers
• Wi-Fi is often freely available at many locations
• You can avoid cellular data usage charges for using a lot of data

Cellular data might be a better option in some cases, but it’s rare.

• You have a 5G cellular plan.
• You have an unlimited or very large monthly data usage plan with a high data limit.

In this case, you might experience faster internet speeds and service that’s just as stable as Wi-Fi. Just ensure you’re confident you won’t get hit with data charges for a high amount of data used for things like video streaming or gaming.

When Should You Turn Off Cellular Data?

If you keep trying to use the internet, but your mobile phone keeps using your cellular data instead of the Wi-Fi network, you may need to disable cellular data to force the phone to use Wi-Fi.

To do this on an Android, go into Settings, tap Connections, tap Data usage, and disable the toggle to the right of Mobile data.

To do this on Apple iPhone, go to Settings, tap Cellular (or Mobile Data) and disable the toggle to the right of Cellular Data.

When Should You Use Cellular Data?

In some situations, using your cellular connection is the better (or only) choice.

These include:

• Wi-Fi signal is unavailable or weak.
• You’re on the go and don’t have access to a public Wi-Fi network.
• You need to use the internet for urgent or critical tasks and can’t wait until you find a Wi-Fi hotspot.

Generally, it’s always a good idea to use Wi-Fi whenever possible to conserve cellular data usage.

But Wi-Fi networks are local and limited to locations like your home, coffee shops, or libraries. Cellular networks may be all you can access when traveling in more remote locations so long as cell towers are nearby.

When Should You Turn Off Wi-Fi?

If you’re in a location with Wi-Fi and cellular data available but prefer cellular data, you may need to turn off Wi-Fi on your phone. This is particularly true if you’ve configured your smartphone to connect automatically to that Wi-Fi network.

On Android, you can disable Wi-Fi by going to Settings, tap Connections, tap Wi-Fi, and on the Wi-Fi page, disable the toggle at the top of the page.

On iPhone, go to Settings, tap Wi-Fi, and on the Wi-Fi page, toggle the switch to Off.

By disabling Wi-Fi on your phone, you can guarantee that when you use internet-enabled apps, your phone will access the internet using cellular data.

Choosing Cellular Data or Wi-Fi

Choosing between cellular data or Wi-Fi isn’t always easy, but a simple rule is to go with the option with the lowest cost for the best quality connection. Usually, if Wi-Fi is available, that’ll be the best option. Of course, there’s always the case where you may have an unlimited 5G cellular data plan, which would be fine for you.

The post Cellular Data or Wi-Fi: Which Should You Use on Your Smartphone? first appeared on Online Tech Tips.

Also, it may mean you need a wired or wireless network in parts of your home that you previously didn’t. We’ll show you a few ways to connect two routers to make your home network more robust.

Why Would I Set Up a Second Router?

There are several ways to add a second wireless router to your home network. You could use it as an access point or repeater to extend wireless coverage. You could set up a separate network for guests to use. Or you could use the second router as a switch to add more Ethernet ports to your network.

Requirements for Setting Up a Second Router at Home

Not every Wi-Fi router can be set up as a second router for extending wireless range or as an access point (AP). Here’s what you need:

• Administrator access to your primary and secondary router
• To set up as an AP or switch, an Ethernet cable to connect the two routers

If your second router isn’t capable of being used in these different modes because it’s older, look for a firmware update. The update may expand its capabilities.

For this tutorial, we’re using an Asus RT-N300 as our second Wi-Fi router. Your routers are likely different. However, the same concepts apply whether it’s a D-Link, tp-Link, Linksys, Netgear, or any of the many good router models available.

How to Setup a Second Wi-Fi Router as a Wireless Access Point

If your home is wired for Ethernet and you want excellent wireless coverage and internet access everywhere in your home network, consider using the second router as an access point (AP). You’ll get great Wi-Fi coverage with a fast, stable Ethernet connection between your secondary router to your primary router.

1. On the second router, log in and go to Administration > Operation Mode and select Access Point Mode, then Save.

2. At this point, let the router set the LAN IP and connect to the Domain Name Server (DNS) automatically. Then select Next to continue.

3. In Wireless Setting, leave the default of Yes selected for Do you want to use the previous wireless security settings? This lets you connect to the AP with the same SSID and password as the main router, making for a seamless transition between the two when moving around.

If you want to make a guest network with a different SSID and password, select No and then change the values as needed. The guest network wouldn’t be completely separate from your personal network; it would just mean you don’t have to share your personal password. Select Apply to continue.

The router applies the settings.

4. Connect the WAN port of router 2 to a LAN port on router 1, either directly or through the wired home network. Now you have an AP.

7-ap-no-wall-jacks.png

How to Setup a Second Wi-Fi Router to Extend the Range

Often the wireless router is set up on one end of the house, where services come into the home. Then the far end of the home has poor or no Wi-Fi signal. Setting up a second Wi-Fi router as a Wi-Fi range extender somewhere near the middle of your house will give you wireless connection anywhere in your home, without a wired Ethernet connection to the first router.

Fortunately, many new routers have a wizard process to set it up as a wireless range extender. For example, the Asus RT-N300 provides a simple repeater mode option on initial setup. To estimate where to place the second wireless router, use an app to measure the wireless signal strength and find where it starts to drop. Go back a few feet into better signal strength and that’s a good spot to put it.

1. Select Repeater mode, then Next.

Note the link to a Device Discovery Utility. That link is dead, however we found a new link to the Device Discovery Utility. There is also an ASUS Device Discovery app for iOS for iPhones and iPads. The Device Discovery Utility makes it simpler and easier to find the router’s IP address after it’s set up as a wireless repeater.

2. The wizard scans nearby wireless signals and shows their networks. Select yours from the list. Enter the password used to connect to your Wi-Fi network, then select Connect.

3. The wizard sets a static IP address and collects the local network’s subnet mask and default gateway. These settings are fine, leave them as they are and select Next.

4. The Wireless Setting defaults are fine for most people as well. Leave them as they are and select Apply. This makes it so that your wireless password will connect you to your home network through either router.

The router now connects to the main Wi-Fi router. When this is complete, it doesn’t return to the router management page, because the second router’s IP address has changed. This is where you need the Device Discovery Utility.

5. Open the Device Discovery Utility downloaded in Step 1 to get the new IP address of your second router. Enter that IP address into your web browser to get to the router management site and log in.

6. Go to Advanced Settings > Wireless and switch Roaming assistant from Disable to Enable. The default RSSI setting of -70 dBm is good for most situations. That means that when the second router sees a device with a signal strength less than -70 dBm it will disconnect from it. The device can now try to connect to your primary router, giving a seamless transition between the two. It’s similar to how your cellphone call gets passed from tower to tower as you’re driving.Select Apply.

It can take a few minutes to finish. You now have wireless coverage around your second router.

How to Setup a Second Router to Act as a Switch

Most home networks have a combination modem/router with 4 or 5 Ethernet ports on the back for wired connections. Once those ports are full, and you still want wired connections, what do you do? Use your router as a switch. You can also use an Ethernet router for this.

1. Connect router 1 to router 2 with an Ethernet cable. One end is plugged into a LAN port or the first router and the other to a LAN port on the router. Ignore the WAN port. Use another Ethernet cable to connect the second router to your computer.

2. Log in to the first router and take note of the IP range it covers. In this example, the subnet is 192.168.2.0/24 and the range of IP addresses that can be given is from 192.168.2.10 to 192.168.2.254. IP addresses ending in 1 to 9 aren’t available to the DHCP server so they can be given as static IP addresses and not cause an IP conflict in the network.

3. Connect to the second router’s management page and navigate to Advanced Settings > LAN > LAN IP To make it easier to find and connect to the router again, give the router a static IP that’s different from your first router, but in the same subnet. We’re using 192.168.2.2. Make sure the subnet mask matches the first router’s subnet mask. Select Apply. You’ll need to enter 192.168.2.2 in the browser’s location bar to reconnect.

4. Move to the DHCP Server tab and disable DHCP. Only router 1 should act as a DHCP server and assign IP addresses.

5. If possible, turn off wireless access. Go to Wireless > Professional and set Enable Radio to No. If your router doesn’t have that option, secure the wireless access as much as possible by hiding the Service Set Identifier (SSID) also known as the name of your Wi-Fi, and setting ridiculously strong access passwords. This prevents anyone from connecting to it as a wireless device, accidentally or on purpose. Now you can connect more devices via Ethernet to your home network by plugging them into the remaining LAN ports.

Get Connected

Now you have a use for at least one thing in your electronics doom pile and your home network is even better. Do you have any other ideas for using a second router? Let us know.

The post How to Setup a Second Router on Your Home Network first appeared on Online Tech Tips.

Home networks exist to let digital devices talk to each other and to other devices out in the world over a global network called the internet. While you don’t need to understand precisely how your home network functions to enjoy it, spending some time under the hood will both give you an appreciation for the tech and make troubleshooting problems that come along easier.

Your Home Network Is a Mini Internet

The internet is short for ‘internetwork’, a global network of connected LANs (Local Area Networks) that includes web servers, streaming and cloud services, gaming servers, and much more.

Your home network is the same thing, but just smaller and confined to your home.If you want to know more about how your home network is like a mini internet, check out Who Owns the Internet? Web Architecture Explained for a straightforward explanation of the complex machine that is the internet.

Your Home Network Speaks a Special Language

Apart from physically resembling the internet as a whole, another critical way your home network and the internet are the same is the “language” they speak. Today the universal network protocol is TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol), and it’s key to making data go where it’s supposed to.

In a TCP/IP network, all data sent over the network is broken up into “packets.” Imagine turning a picture into a jigsaw puzzle with thousands of pieces. Then take each piece and put it in an envelope individually. On the envelope, write the address of the sender and the receiver. Also include information in each envelope describing where each piece goes to reconstruct the original image.

Now, mail thousands of envelopes to the recipient, and they rebuild it on their end. It doesn’t matter if the envelopes arrive out of order, but if any go missing, you’ll get letters back asking for new copies of the missing pieces.

Basic Home Network Topography

We’ll explain the job of each network component in detail below, but to help you get oriented, let’s sketch out what a typical home network looks like today.

Your network has several key components:

• The modem connects you to the WAN (Internet)
• The router manages traffic between devices on the LAN and between those devices and the WAN.
• The network hardware connections, usually ethernet cables or Wi-Fi radio transmitters and receivers.
• Client devices, like computers or Android and iOS smartphones.
• Server devices, which can also be equipment like computers and smartphones.
• Optional network extenders, which help spread your network’s physical footprint through your home. Examples include wireless access points, Powerline extenders, and Wi-Fi repeaters.

There are many different ways to build a home network, but most of these components are present in every home network. Other components can stand-in for some of these. For example, if you simply wanted to network a group of computers together, you could use an Ethernet switch or network hub. However, this basic sketch covers 99% of what’s out there.

Now that we’ve drawn the rough outlines of a home network, we’ll dive a little deeper into every major component.

The Modem Lets You Talk to the Internet

Before modern broadband internet, internet access worked through a modem (modulator/demodulator) which sent and received high- or low- pitched audio signals over copper voice lines, representing binary code.

These “dial-up” modems are all but obsolete now and do not provide much bandwidth, although they are still used in a few rare cases where nothing else is possible. These days the word modem is used to refer to just about any device that converts one kind of network signal to another, even if both signals are, in fact, digital.

One example of digital-to-digital conversion is the common fiber modem, which takes optical signals and puts out electrical pulses over Ethernet cables. DSL modems use the same copper wire as phone lines but use a different frequency band from voice calls, so you can connect to the internet and make calls simultaneously. Cellular modems connect to cell phone towers via radio waves—satellite modems beam information to and from orbit, and so on.

In some networks, the modem is a separate device, and in others, it’s combined with your wireless router, which happens to be our next stop on this home network tour.

The Router Sits at the Heart of Your Network

The router is at the heart of any home network and performs a wide range of essential jobs:

• Routing network traffic between devices, between Ethernet and LAN, and between internal and external networks.
• DNS (Domain Name Service) server detection and routing.
• Is internally similar to a computer with CPU, RAM, and OS. Some routers can run apps.
• Assigns and manages IP addresses on the LAN using DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol).

There’s more to routers than these core functions, but that’s the key list of things a router does. Routing between different types of networks (fiber WAN, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, etc.) is what makes a router a router, setting it apart from network switches and hubs.

The router assigns IP addresses to internal network devices, making sure that there are no conflicts. It keeps track of which device makes which request of devices on the internet in a table known as a NAT (Network Address Table), since servers on the internet can only see the router itself and its “public” IP address.

Some high-end routers can run custom applications to act as network storage or streaming servers. Even if your router doesn’t ship with this ability, you may have the option of installing custom third-party firmware to add those features.

Your Local Servers

A server is a device on a network that offers a service such as content or network-based applications. When you visit a website or download a file from the internet, that content is hosted on a server computer somewhere out in the world. When you use cloud apps like Google Docs, that software and data live on a server.

Your local network has at least one server, and that’s your router. Every router has a basic web server that acts as an interface to change settings. When you’re connected to the router and type in its IP address in a browser, you’re taken to a website that’s hosted by the router itself.

If you have a Wi-Fi printer, that’s also a print server that handles print requests. Many people have NAS (Network-attached storage devices) or media servers (such as Plex) running on their network. Some things you might not think of as servers also qualify. Your IP camera is also a server. It’s a video streaming server!

Networked Peripherals

Traditionally peripherals like scanners and printers are connected directly to a specific computer. However, it’s far more common in a modern household to have many different computers that need access to these types of devices. You can share a printer on the local network rather than having everyone use the same computer whenever they need to print something.

Using the print sharing feature in the computer’s operating system makes it possible to use a normal printer connected to a computer as a shared printer. Still, these days it’s easy to simply buy a printer, scanner, or multifunction device (MFD) with Wi-Fi or Ethernet and have it act as a standalone shared resource on the network.

Network Clients in Your Home

Apart from local servers on your home network, the other devices are generally known as clients, which pull information from remote and local servers. Examples of local network clients include:

• Computers, consoles, and mobile devices.
• Internet of Things (IoT) devices such as smart fridges and robot vacuum cleaners.

Anything that receives data from a server device is a client, although any device can be both at the same time.

Computers, Consoles, and Mobile Devices

Wired and Wireless Connections

There have been a few different connection standards for networks over the years, but in almost every home network today, you’ll find just two types of connection: Ethernet and Wi-Fi.

Don’t Get Your Wires Crossed: Ethernet

Ethernet is a wired connection standard that carries TCP/IP data in-home networks. The connector (RJ45) looks a little like an upsized telephone line connection (RJ11) and carries several copper wires that vary depending on the category of Ethernet network cable you’re using.

Ethernet cables are classed into different categories that offer different maximum speeds. For example, Category 6 network cables are rated 10Gbps, while Category 5e cables are rated for gigabit speeds. It’s important to match your cable types to the speed your LAN Ports are rated for. Plugging a 1Gbps cable into a 100 Mbps port won’t hurt, but doing the opposite will limit your speed to the maximum the cable can handle!

Assuming you’ve chosen the right Ethernet cables, adapters, and router, you’ll enjoy high-speed, low-latency, ultra-reliable network speeds as long as you’re okay with the hassle of installing ethernet connections throughout your house.

Wires? Where We’re Going, We Don’t Need Wires: Wi-Fi

While Ethernet is undoubtedly the gold standard when it comes to pure network performance, it’s not all that convenient. When it comes to mobile devices, it’s downright unpractical! That’s why we have Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) to allow wireless devices a way to connect to the network without drilling holes in walls or plugging them in every time we need network features.

Wi-Fi uses radio waves to send digital pulses of information. There are two frequency bands used in Wi-Fi: 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz. The lower frequency band can’t send data at high speeds, but it’s got great range and wall-penetrating power. High-frequency 5Ghz Wi-Fi is ultra-fast but is easily blocked by objects like walls.

Most modern Wi-Fi routers are “dual-band,” which means they offer connections on both frequency bands. Wi-Fi is divided into generations. In the past, those generations would have numbered names reflecting the name of the communication standard for that generation of Wi-Fi. For example, 802.11g, 802.11n, and 802.11ac. These names have been changed to simple numbers to make things a little more user-friendly. So now 802.11ac is simply Wi-Fi 6, and the latest 802.11ax is Wi-Fi 6.

Older Wi-Fi devices may not connect to newer routers, especially if the device only supports 2.4Ghz Wi-Fi and the router in question only offers 5Ghz.

Extending Your Network’s Reach

With so many devices, both present and future-looking, for a way to connect to your home network, you probably want to make sure that network stretches to every corner of your home. That’s easier said than done with everything that can block a wireless signal or the expense and effort of laying Ethernet throughout a home.

The good news is that there are many products on the market to help you increase your network footprint so that there aren’t any spots in your home that can’t get connected.

Wi-Fi Repeaters and Extenders

A Wi-Fi repeater is a device that’s put onto the edge of an existing Wi-Fi network before the Wi-Fi signal starts to drop off. It listens to the packets coming to and from the core Wi-Fi network and then simply repeats them. This is a slow solution, but a simple way to extend WiFi to specific spots without modifying your network.

PowerLine Extenders

This system sends network signals through the existing electrical wiring in your home. It’s as easy as plugging in a PowerLine adapter near your router and in the room where you want to extend your network.

Rather than extend your regular router’s footprint, wireless mesh routers completely replace your existing router. Think of them as one big distributed router. A primary mesh unit is connected to your modem, and then each satellite unit has a dedicated wireless or wired connection to it.

One Big Networked Family

The technology in your home network might be incredibly complex, but this technology has become smarter and much easier to use over time. No one knows what the future of home networking will be. Still, it might look very different thanks to the development of technologies like millimeter-wave 5G cellular networks, which blur the line between local and wide networks.

The post A Quick Guide to How Your Home Network Works first appeared on Online Tech Tips.

But what is fiber internet? Is it worth switching over from your trusted cable internet to this newfangled fiber internet technology? In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to know about broadband fiber internet so that you can make the decision for yourself.

DSL Vs. Cable Vs. Fiber

The internet is, in very simple terms, the transfer of information over wires from one computer to another. That information is made up of very small snippets of code made up of ones and zeroes (on and off signals). Think of it as morse code using a light switch. 

Transferring that “code” over wires is what makes the internet work. The difference between all of the different types of internet services is only how those ones and zeroes get transmitted.

• Dial-Up: In the earliest days of the internet, the internet sent audio signals that represented data, over copper phone lines. If you picked up a phone while someone in your house was online, you would hear what sounded like static. That “static” was the sound of data transmission of those ones and zeros.
• DSL (Digital Subscriber Line): While “sound” over phone wires was the analog  internet solution, the digital solution was DSL internet. Using the same copper wire phone lines, companies figured out how to transmit ON or OFF electrical signals to transmit web pages and other internet data over phone lines at faster speeds.
• Cable: Cable providers figured out how to transmit internet signals over their large coaxial cables, a technology that allowed the information to transmit much faster. The difference between a coaxial cable internet speed and a DSL phone connection is at least double the speed.
• Fiber: Fiber internet was a game changer because instead of copper cables, fiber cables are hair-thin fibers encased in a thick insulator (cable). Fiber-optic cables allow ON and OFF internet signals to be transmitted literally as light (like our light switch example). However, since light travels at…well…the speed of light, no other technology can compare to it in terms of speed. Fiber is usually up to 10 times faster than cable internet.

What Is Fiber Internet?

Before you take the leap and switch over to a broadband fiber internet provider, you may want to understand the technology a little better. Let’s take a look at how fiber internet technology works.

Fiber optic network cables look very different than regular metallic cables. They’re made up of glass fibers that can transmit light over very long distances. 

While metal cables like cable coaxial struggle to transmit information at 10 Mbps (80 times faster than a metal “twisted-pair” cable), fiber lines can transmit information at up to 2 Gbps.

Putting that into perspective: The internet is estimated to be about 1 million exabytes of data. 1 exabyte is 1 billion billion bytes. So the vast internet takes up 1 million billion, billion bytes.

Let’s say we did an experiment and tried to transmit the entire internet over a coaxial cable, versus a fiber cable.

• Coaxial (Cable): It would take just over 253.5 billion years to transfer the entire internet over a cable line.
• Fiber (Light): It would take just over 253.5 million years to transfer the entire internet over fiber.

That means, when fiber is finished transferring the entire internet, anyone with cable would be waiting around another 253.2 billion years before catching up.

Is Fiber Internet Better for You?

This is a fun thought experiment, but will this actually benefit you in your normal daily life? Let’s look at common activities and see how much better fiber internet will serve you.

• 2 hour HD movie (3 gigabytes): Cable (a 100 Mbps connection) would take about 5 minutes to download that movie. Fiber (at 1 Gigabit per second) would only take about 25 seconds.
• 4 minute song (3 megabytes): Cable would take 0.3 seconds, and fiber would take 0.03 seconds.
• 9 hour audiobook (110 megabytes): Cable would take 9.2 seconds, while fiber would take 0.9 seconds.

While these fast speed increases may be useful for you, think about the other ways your internet bandwidth eventually gets clogged up in your household or neighborhood.

• One person in the household is playing an online multiplayer game, while someone else is trying to stream a movie.
• During holidays, multiple households in one neighborhood are all trying to stream holiday movies.
• One computer in your house is attempting to download Windows updates, a smart home device is automatically downloading new firmware, and you’re trying to watch an HD movie on Netflix.

There are many scenarios for most internet users where multiple streams of data are going on at once. Eventually, your cable internet bandwidth will hit its limit far before a fiber internet connection ever would.

Note: There are two major benefits of a fiber internet connection with higher speeds. One is that you have a dedicated line of data to the Internet Service Provider. You aren’t sharing a single cable line with others in your neighborhood, so your internet speed won’t be influenced by their internet use. The second is that download speeds are typically the same as upload speeds, unlike cable which throttles back uploads.

Is Fiber Internet Worth the Cost?

If all of the information above has you convinced that fiber optic internet would be a huge improvement for your work and entertainment experience, you might be wondering how much it all costs.

Thankfully, the cost of fiber internet has dropped significantly in recent years. Companies outside of the cable TV marketplace have entered the game. These days, telephone companies like AT&T and power companies are offering fiber internet in different neighborhoods.

Because the ISP marketplace is so competitive, you’ll be hard-pressed to find prices online. However, as of this writing, a 10 Mbps connection with a company like Comcast/Xfinity may start with an “intro” offer at $49/mo, but typically will revert to a standard price of $69/mo. You will also have to pay roughly $5 to $10 on top of that to rent the router. 

For just about the same price (with equipment included) most companies offering fiber plans will install the fiber router and run the fiber connection to the port on the fiber modem. Most companies will also include a Wi-Fi router for your in-home network. 

This means for roughly the normal (not the short-lived “offers” cable companies offer up-front) price of a 10 Mbps cable internet subscription, you could enjoy fiber speeds of 500 Mbps with a fiber internet connection.

If you’re willing to pay a little more for your internet access, you could even have a 1 Gbps fiber internet connection.

Should You Upgrade to Fiber Internet?

By this point, you’ve probably made the decision that the benefits of fiber internet are well worth the cost. However, the only real limitation these days is geography. Fiber internet lines are not available for installation everywhere in the world. 

Many companies offer fiber internet plans. The only way to know if these internet options are available yet in your area is to check with each provider, which can be tedious. A better approach is to check with highspeedinternet.com, which checks with all of the major providers for you. 

If fiber internet is available in your neighborhood, it’s probably about time to make the plunge and switch. So much of the internet is now all about streaming HD content and high-speed gaming. You really don’t want to be left behind with an outdated coax cable internet connection that can’t keep up.

The post What Is Fiber Internet and Should You Switch From Cable? first appeared on Online Tech Tips.

Devices like printers often have web-based management, which can be configured and maintained from anywhere. That makes printers a top candidate for static IPs.

Why Assign a Static IP Address to a Device?

It seems like more work, yet it does make life simpler and easier. If the device needs to be accessible from other devices, a static IP address is the way to go. Imagine having a web server where the IP address changes daily. It’s like changing your phone number every day.

When thinking of other devices that need to be accessible from anywhere, smart TVs, security systems, home automation, and camera systems come to mind.

Another reason, to a lesser extent, is security. A router can issue hundreds, if not thousands of IP addresses. It doesn’t care whose device it is. By using static IPs and limiting the number of IP addresses available, rogue devices have a harder time getting on the network. It can also help resolve an IP address conflict.

What IP Addresses Can I Use?

The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) has set aside the following blocks of IPs for private use. Private use means you can only use the IP addresses in a private network. They aren’t for the outside world. IANA defines the following ranges for private IPs:

• 10.0.0.0 to 10.255.255.255 – equals 16,777,214 IP addresses
• 172.16.0.0 to 172.31.255.255 – equals 1,048,574 IP addresses
• 192.168.0.0 to 192.168.255.255 – equals 65534 IP addresses

If the router is being used already, it has a range. It’s easiest to stick with that range. Some routers pre-define the range.

Make a Static IP Plan

If the network has ten or fewer devices connected, a plan isn’t necessary. Just put them all in a single range, like 192.168.2.10 to 192.168.2.19. Skip the rest of this section.

If the network has more than ten devices, it’s wise to make a plan. This is just one way to make a plan. If it doesn’t work for you, change it.

1. Count all the devices that will connect to the network.
2. Group the devices by type. For example, there may be 3 phones, 2 smart TVs, 4 cameras and a DVR, 2 IoT devices like smart fridges, and a printer.
3. Assign blocks of IP addresses for each device type and leave room for growth. If the 192.168.2.0 to 192.168.2.255 range is being used, the blocks might be assigned like:
   • Phones and tablets: 192.168.2.20 to 192.168.2.29
   • TVs: 192.168.2.30 to 192.168.2.39
   • Cameras and DVR: 192.168.2.40 to 192.168.2.49
   • IoT devices: 192.168.2.50 to 192.168.2.59
   • Printers: 192.168.2.60 to 192.168.2.69

Some best practices for using ranges:

• Begin a device type IP range with a number ending in zero and end the range with a number ending in 9
• Increment ranges in tens. Any less can become confusing, and you can easily outgrow them. Plus, it allows for additional devices of the same type in that range. If the number of devices is already close to 10, make the range cover 20 IP addresses, like 192.168.2.40 to 192.168.2.59.
• Whatever the router’s IP address is, leave its entire block open for the addition of networking equipment, like other routers, switches, firewalls, etc. For example, if the router uses 192.168.2.1, then reserve 192.168.2.2 to 192.168.2.9 for networking equipment.

4. In a spreadsheet, assign the devices their IP addresses. This becomes an inventory of devices and makes it easier to identify the devices on the network. It’s a good idea to assign the first IP in a range to controller devices. For example, the DVR is the controller of the cameras, so it will have an IP of 192.168.2.50.

If you plan it on a spreadsheet, it may look like this:

How to Assign Static IPs to Devices in the Router

1. Consult our article on how to find the IP address of the router if you’re using a Mac or not comfortable using the Command Prompt. Select the Start menu and search for CMD. Command Prompt will be the top result, so select it.

2. When the Command Prompt window opens, enter the command <pre>ipconfig</pre> and press Enter.

The value for Default Gateway is the IP address of the router. Write this down somewhere.

3. Open a web browser and enter the IP address of the router in the location bar, then press Enter. This will open the router’s web-based management page.

Assign Static IPs – Asus Router

1. Login to the Asus router, find the LAN button, and select it.

2. Select the DHCP Server tab. This router allows for staying in DHCP mode while assigning static IPs to selected devices. If desired, it can be configured to use only static IPs.

3. Scroll to the Manual Assignment section. Where it reads Enable Manual Assignment, select Yes.

4. Select the drop-down box under Client Name (MAC Address) and choose a device in the Manually Assigned IP around the DHCP list. All devices currently connected to the router are listed. To see devices that you previously connected, select Show Offline Client List.

It will show the device’s current IP address in the IP Address field. This can be left as is, or it can be changed at this point. Add the IP address of a DNS server in the DNS Server (Optional) field, if needed. Select the plus sign button to add the device to the list of manually assigned IP devices. Repeat this for all the desired devices.

Once all the desired devices have been assigned static IPs, select the Apply button to set the changes.

Assign Static IPs – TrendNet Router

1. Log in to the TrendNet router and select the Advanced tab.

2. In the left-side menu, select Setup, then select LAN Settings.

3. Scroll down to the Add DHCP Reservations section. Check the Enable box, then enter the details of the device to receive a static IP address. Ensure the details are correct and then select Add.

4. The device just added will show in the DHCP Reservations Ready Group. If everything is correct, select Apply and the device will have a static IP.

Assign Static IPs – Belkin Router

1. Log in to the Belkin router and select the Configuration tab. Then under Connectivity select Local Network. Now select the DHCP Reservation button.

2. In the DHCP Client Table window, any devices that are currently connected are shown. If it’s the device that requires a static IP address, check the Select box, then select Add Clients.

3. In the same window, you can manually add clients as well. First, enter the device details, then select the Add button. Once all the devices requiring static IP addresses are defined, select Save to commit the changes.

What About Assigning Static IPs on Other Routers?

There are at least a dozen router makers out there, and each has several models of routers. It’s just far too many to cover all of them. Reading through the instructions above, though, you’ll see that there’s a pattern; find out where to work with the LAN, look for something named like DHCP Reservation, then follow through to assign IP addresses. If you’re running into issues, please let us know. One of our writers or knowledgeable readers will likely have the answer.

The post Assign a Static IP Address to a Printer or Any Network Device first appeared on Online Tech Tips.

What to Look For in an ISP

First, you must have a good idea of how to evaluate an ISP candidate. It’s not much help to find a list of local ISPs, and have no idea how to tell the good ones apart. There are four essential areas to evaluate, but for a more in-depth guide please read 7 Things To Bear In Mind When You Compare New Internet Providers.

Type of Connection

Internet service providers offer all sorts of internet connection types. The premiere choice at the moment is fiber optics internet. Still, you may also have the option to use copper-based DSL (Digital Subscriber Line), fixed wireless (e.g., 5G), or satellite internet (e.g., Starlink).

Each of these connection types has its pros and cons, so be sure you understand them well before making a decision.

Shaping, Data Caps, and Fair Use Policies

Internet data plans come with rules that go beyond the basic marketing wording. For example, the advertisement might say “unlimited” data, but the fine print indicates that your connection speed will be reduced if you pass a certain threshold.

“Shaping” is the practice of limiting certain kinds of internet traffic to much lower speeds than advertised. For example, video streaming and torrenting may only run at a fraction of the speed your connection can reach, while normal web browsing happens at full speed. Make sure you carefully read the data plan policy of an ISP before signing on with them.

Symmetrical vs. Asymmetrical Connections

Most users only care about the download speeds of their connection, but these days every user should be concerned with how quickly they can send data, not just receive it. With remote desktop, video conferencing, and cloud storage applications, you’ll benefit from having a fast upload speed.

Most home internet connections are still asymmetrical. In other words, the download speed is much faster than the upload speed. You may see examples such as 100/10 or 50/25, with the second number representing upload bandwidth in megabits per second. With a symmetrical plan, both numbers are the same, so you can upload at precisely the same speed as you download.

Month-to-month vs. Contract Subscriptions

Some ISP plans are significantly cheaper because they lock you into a long-term contract. This can cost more in the long term since you can’t switch to other more affordable providers or plans when they start decreasing prices in the latter half of your contract period.

Although month-to-month contracts may cost a little more monthly, they allow you to change ISP or change to other data plans at short notice. So if you’re no longer happy with your service, you aren’t locked in.

1. Use an ISP Directory Site

Now that we’ve had a crash-course overview of ISPs, the next step is to find the available ISPs in your area. The most efficient way to do this is by using an ISP directory site.

These sites usually let you enter a ZIP code, or they can use your reported location or address. A prime example is ISP.com. If we enter the ZIP code for Beverly Hills, you’ll see a list of ISPs servicing that area. 

It’s a good idea to do the exact search on multiple ISP directory sites. That way, you can ensure that you see all potential ISPs and that one site doesn’t show a better offer than another. In addition to ISP.com, we also tried allconnect.com and inmyarea.com, but there are many options. We found different ISPs reported for the same ZIP code between these three sites, so take your time and be thorough.

From there, you have to shortlist the ISPs that seem to have the best deals and then move on to researching how well they perform in real life.

2. Check Speed Ranking Sites

There are the speeds that an ISP claims it provides and then the speeds it offers. Internet speed ranking sites take the real-world test results submitted by users and aggregate them. This gives you a good idea of how well the service will perform.

For example, using Ookla’s Speed Index, you can check what the average real-world speed is in the USA for different ISPs, in other states, and by city. Another helpful site is Netflix’s ISP speed index, where you can check how well various ISPs perform worldwide when it comes to Netflix traffic. Just keep in mind that shaped data plans limit different types of internet data to different speeds.

3. Check Social Media or Ask Your Neighbors

When it comes to the “last mile” of internet connectivity, it can be effective to ask around your immediate surroundings simply. If you’ve just moved into a new apartment complex or closed estate managed by a management body, there may be limited choices when it comes to ISP. Asking your neighbors or the manager of the housing organization could be the quickest way to find out what your options are and which ones are best.

It’s not uncommon for people who live on the same block or in the same locality to form groups on social media or dedicated sites such as NextDoor. That makes these an excellent place to get tips on which ISPs are the best where you live from people who experienced the actual service.

Real-World Advertising

It’s also worth keeping an eye out in meatspace (that is, the real world) for posters, flyers, and other advertising around where you live. Sometimes small ISPs with excellent service advertise where they can assist. It’s easy to miss them on mainstream advertising platforms. If you keep your eyes and ears open while moving around your neighborhood, you’ve got a good chance of picking up on a great deal.

The post 4 Ways to Find the Best Internet Options (ISPs) in Your Area first appeared on Online Tech Tips.

There are multiple options when it comes to blanketing your environment in internet coverage. Mesh networks, Wi-Fi extenders, and access points are the three main choices to consider for most people. We’re going to explain the key differences and advantages of each technology.

Wi-Fi Extenders: Could You Repeat That?

These devices are sold under different names, like “extender,” “repeater,” and “booster.” As the names suggest, these devices take your existing Wi-Fi signal from the primary router and repeat it. Repeaters are placed at the edges of your existing Wi-Fi footprint. They intercept the data packets going to and from your Wi-Fi router and then resend them at full signal strength.

Advantages

These devices are usually simple to set up and work well for desktop computers, Wi-Fi printers, and smart TVs that don’t have to move around the home.

Disadvantages

On the downside, the processing time needed to repeat the signal hurts bandwidth and latency. Usually, extenders offer half the bandwidth of your primary router. So if you need the full speed of your internet connection or are a competitive online gamer, repeaters aren’t the right solution for you.

Wi-Fi extenders usually pop up as a separate network. In other words, you will either be connected to the primary router or the extender. Unfortunately, devices like smartphones usually don’t switch over to other networks until you’re entirely out of range for the current one. So, you may have to manually switch networks to ensure you are connected.

Who Should Use Repeaters?

Repeaters are perfect for extending your Wi-Fi footprint at home for general purposes. These include browsing the web, streaming videos, downloading software, and other everyday tasks.

We can’t recommend them for medium or large businesses. Still, they’re a suitable solution for a small business that needs to extend Wi-Fi to (for example) cover an entire open-plan office.

Mesh Networks: We Are Borg. Resistance Is Futile.

The easiest way to explain a mesh network is by thinking of it as a router hive-mind. Instead of a primary router that gets extended outwards, a mesh network consists of multiple identical routing units. They all talk to each other as well as the devices that are connected to them. The result is essentially one huge distributed router.

Large companies have used mesh network technology for decades, but it has only recently become cheap enough to enter the home user market. This is the premier solution to enlarging a Wi-Fi footprint.

Advantages

Once properly installed and configured, a mesh network offers a seamless experience. There’s no need to manually switch between networks as you move around your space.

Mesh network routers have specialized hardware that lets them speak to each other in addition to the devices they serve. So they perform much better than Wi-Fi repeaters when it comes to bandwidth and latency.

Disadvantages

Mesh network systems are much more expensive than other solutions. Although you can start with one or two units and then expand your network as funds become available.

Mesh networks are more complicated to install and configure than other solutions. Some users may have to pay for professional installation services on top of the hardware costs.

Though, modern mesh networks aimed at home users are relatively user-friendly and automate much of the maintenance work. For example, you may not have to update the firmware on each mesh unit individually.

Who Should Use Mesh Networks?

Assuming that you can afford it, mesh networks are the best solution for almost everyone. Businesses of any size should consider mesh networks, especially since they can be expanded as needed, allowing them to grow with the organization.

Home users who enjoy home automation and want a seamless movement of smartphones throughout the home should strongly consider a mesh network.

Access Points: The Wi-Fi VIP Room

An access point is a device that offers a local Wi-Fi network of its own, separate from the primary router. It’s connected to the main internet connection using an Ethernet cable, ensuring that it has access to lots of low-latency internet bandwidth.

Advantages

Access points let you serve a specific room or area with its own isolated Wi-Fi network. As a result, they don’t have the bandwidth reduction issues that Wi-Fi repeaters suffer from. 

Usually, depending on how the network is configured, devices connected to the access point can’t connect to devices on other Wi-Fi networks, even if they share the same internet connection. This is a desirable safety feature in many cases.

Some access points also support PoE (Power over Ethernet), so you only have to install the Ethernet cable and don’t have to worry about a nearby power socket.

Disadvantages

The most significant disadvantage of access points is that you need to install Ethernet cabling. That can mean drilling holes in walls and laying cable from the primary internet connection point to the access points.

Devices connected to the access point can’t access devices on other Wi-Fi networks. So, for example, if you have a Plex server on your home network, guests using the access point can’t use it. As mentioned above, this can also be seen as an advantage, depending on your needs.

Who Should Use Access Points?

Access points are a great solution when you want to share one internet connection with multiple users. For example, let’s say you are the host of an Airbnb and want to share your fiber connection with your guests. You’d place an access point in the guest room or apartment and connect it to your main router using an Ethernet cable.

Guests can then access the internet, and devices connected to the access point can speak to each other (such as home automation devices), but the devices connected to your home local network are safe. The access point approach is popular in hotels or office buildings where one fast internet connection is shared between tenants or guests.

Powerline Extenders: Best of All Worlds?

Powerline extenders are an interesting solution that overcomes many selected disadvantages of the above methods. Powerline technology uses the electrical copper wiring of your home to carry Ethernet traffic. 

The main powerline unit connects to your internet device (e.g., a fiber router) via Ethernet and then plugs into the wall. You then plug extender units into power sockets wherever you need an internet connection in your home.

Typically, powerline extender units offer a wireless access point and Ethernet ports. This makes it easy to hook up devices such as smart TVs or consoles while also using Wi-Fi devices.

Advantages

These devices offer a direct Ethernet connection anywhere you have a power outlet. You can wire up all your Ethernet-equipped devices, literally clearing the air of unnecessary Wi-Fi traffic.

Powerline adapters require no laying of cables or drilling holes in walls. Just plug in a few gadgets.

The Wi-Fi access points act more like a mesh network. They all broadcast the same Wi-Fi network name and so there’s no need to switch networks manually as you move about.

Disadvantages

Some homes have isolated electrical circuits, which means that powerline extenders in some rooms can’t talk to others. You’ll have to confirm this with whoever built the house or worked on the electrical installation.

Typically, Ethernet speeds are limited to 600Mbps at the moment. Gigabit Ethernet devices are available but cost more.

Who Should Use Powerline Extenders?

We think that Powerline extenders are the most convenient and cost-effective solution for most people. They are simple to set up, easy to install and offer performance above most people’s needs.

The post Mesh Network vs. Wi-Fi Extender vs. Access Points: Which Is Better? first appeared on Online Tech Tips.

Our web ports might be open, but your home router’s ports shouldn’t be, as this opens a hole for malicious hackers. However, you may need to allow access to your devices over the internet using port forwarding from time to time. To help you learn more about port forwarding, here’s what you’ll need to know.

What Is Port Forwarding?

Port forwarding is a process on local network routers that forwards connection attempts from online devices to specific devices on a local network. This is thanks to the port forwarding rules on your network router that match the connection attempts made to the correct port and IP address of a device on your network.

A local network may have a single public IP address, but each device on your internal network has its own internal IP. Port forwarding links these outside requests from A (the public IP and external port) to B (the requested port and local IP address of the device on your network).

To explain why this might be useful, let’s imagine that your home network is a little like a medieval fortress. While you can look out beyond the walls, others can’t look in or breach your defenses—you’re secure from attack.

Thanks to integrated network firewalls, your network is in the same position. You can access other online services, such as websites or game servers, but other internet users can’t access your devices in return. The drawbridge is raised, as your firewall actively blocks any attempts from outside connections to breach your network.

There are some situations where this level of protection is undesirable, however. If you want to run a server on your home network (using a Raspberry Pi, for instance), outside connections are necessary. 

This is where port forwarding comes in, as you can forward these outside requests to specific devices without compromising your security.

For example, let’s assume you’re running a local web server on a device with the internal IP address 192.168.1.12, while your public IP address is 80.80.100.110. Outside requests to port 80 (80.90.100.110:80) would be allowed, thanks to port forwarding rules, with the traffic forwarded to port 80 on 192.168.1.12.

To do this, you’ll need to configure your network to allow port forwarding, then create the appropriate port forwarding rules in your network router. You may also need to configure other firewalls on your network, including the Windows firewall, to allow the traffic.

Why You Should Avoid UPnP (Automatic Port Forwarding)

Setting up port forwarding on your local network isn’t difficult for advanced users, but it can create all types of difficulties for novices. To help overcome this issue, network device manufacturers created an automated system for port forwarding called UPnP (or Universal Plug and Play).

The idea behind UPnP was (and is) to allow internet-based apps and devices to create port forwarding rules on your router automatically to allow outside traffic. For instance, UPnP may automatically open ports and forward traffic for a device running a game server without the need to manually configure access in your router settings.

The concept is brilliant, but sadly, the execution is flawed—if not extremely dangerous. UPnP is a malware’s dream, as it automatically assumes that any apps or services running on your network are safe. The UPnP hacks website reveals the number of insecurities that, even today, are readily included with network routers.

From a security point of view, it’s best to err on the side of caution. Rather than risk your network security, avoid using UPnP for automatic port forwarding (and, where possible, disable it entirely). Instead, you should only create manual port forwarding rules for apps and services that you trust and that have no known vulnerabilities.

How to Set Up Port Forwarding on Your Network

If you’re avoiding UPnP and want to set up port forwarding manually, you can usually do so from your router’s web administration page. If you’re unsure how to access this, you can usually find the information on the bottom of your router or included within your router’s documentation manual.

You can connect to your router’s admin page using the default gateway address for your router. This is typically 192.168.0.1 or a similar variation—type this address into your web browser’s address bar. You’ll also need to authenticate using the username and password supplied with your router (e.g. admin).

Configuring Static IP Addresses Using DHCP Reservation

Most local networks use dynamic IP allocation to assign temporary IP addresses to devices that connect. After a certain time, the IP address is renewed. These temporary IP addresses may be recycled and used elsewhere, and your device may have a different local IP address assigned to it.

However, port forwarding requires that the IP address used for any local devices remain the same. You can assign a static IP address manually, but most network routers allow you to assign a static IP address allocation to certain devices in your router’s settings page using DHCP reservation.

Unfortunately, each router manufacturer is different, and the steps shown in screenshots below (made using a TP-Link router) may not match your router. If that’s the case, you may need to look through your router’s documentation for more support.

To begin, access your network router’s web administration page using your web browser and authenticate using the router’s administrator username and password. Once you’ve signed in, access your router’s DHCP settings area.

You may be able to scan for local devices already connected (to autofill the required allocation rule) or you may need to provide the specific MAC address for the device you wish to assign a static IP to. Create the rule using the correct MAC address and the IP address you wish to use, then save the entry.

Creating a New Port Forwarding Rule

If your device has a static IP (set manually or reserved in your DHCP allocation settings), you can move to create the port forwarding rule. The terms for this can vary. For instance, some TP-Link routers refer to this feature as Virtual Servers, while Cisco routers refer to it by the standard name (Port Forwarding).

In the correct menu on your router’s web administration page, create a new port forwarding rule. The rule will require the external port (or port range) that you wish outside users to connect to. This port is linked to your public IP address (e.g. port 80 for public IP 80.80.30.10).

You’ll also need to determine the internal port that you wish to forward the traffic from the external port to. This could be the same port or an alternative port (to hide the traffic’s purpose). You’ll also need to provide the static IP address for your local device (e.g. 192.168.0.10) and the port protocol in use (e.g. TCP or UDP).

Depending on your router, you may be able to select a service type to automatically fill the required rule data (e.g. HTTP for port 80 or HTTPS for port 443). Once you’ve configured the rule, save it to apply the change.

Additional Steps

Your network router should automatically apply the change to your firewall rules. Any outside connection attempts made to the opened port should be forwarded to the internal device using the rule you created, although you may need to create extra rules for services that use several ports or port ranges.

If you’re having trouble, you may also need to consider adding extra firewall rules to your PC or Mac’s software firewall (including Windows Firewall) to allow the traffic through. Windows Firewall won’t usually allow outside connections, for instance, so you may need to configure this in the Windows Settings menu.

If Windows Firewall is causing you difficulty, you can disable it temporarily to investigate. Due to the security risks, however, we’d recommend that you re-enable Windows Firewall after you troubleshoot the issue as it provides added protection against possible hacking attempts.

Securing Your Home Network

You’ve learned how to set up port forwarding, but don’t forget the risks. Each port you open adds another hole past your router’s firewall that port scanning tools can find and abuse. If you need to open ports for certain apps or services, make sure you limit them to individual ports, rather than huge port ranges that could be breached.

If you’re worried about your home network, you can boost your network security by adding a third-party firewall. This could be a software firewall installed on your PC or Mac or a 24/7 hardware firewall like the Firewalla Gold, attached to your network router to protect all of your devices at once.

The post What Is Port Forwarding and How to Set It Up On Your Router first appeared on Online Tech Tips.

However, Comcast has actually improved their service in a number of ways, especially the xFi service provided to Comcast internet customers.

So what is xFi? xFi is Xfinity’s personalized Wi-Fi experience for customers that provides easy control of your home network, passwords, parental controls, and more through a dashboard. More details will be explained below.

Xfinity xFi Benefits

Xfinity provides customers with several major benefits right out of the gate. When you register for Internet service, a technician will visit your home to set up your modem and wireless gateway. The technician will also perform a service evaluation to determine if any areas of your home could benefit from range extenders.

These devices, called xFi Pods, extend the reach of your Wi-Fi service throughout the home. If the signal has to pass through too many walls and is weakened as a result, the Pods act as relay points to strengthen and boost the signal. They also have two built-in Ethernet ports on the bottom of each pod.

A single pod is often enough to solve connectivity problems in two bedroom homes, while a two-Pod pack is better for homes with five bedrooms and thicker walls. While expensive, Xfinity will sometimes issue the Pods for free to those that need them.

That’s just the start of the benefits Xfinity offers, too.

Built-in Security

Xfinity xFi Advanced Security is a built-in tool that automatically monitors any device connected to your home network. This means that any phone, tablet, laptop, and even gaming console will be watched and protected.

Xfinity will alert you if any threats are detected, although it automatically blocks most dangerous content it encounters. A few of the benefits are:

• Stops visits to malicious websites and protects against phishing attacks
• Blocks remote access to your home’s smart devices
• Monitors devices in real-time and sends alerts when strange behavior is detected
• Automatically adapts to your home network and updates its threat database

Since this feature is included, no additional software is required. You will simply receive the alert on your xFi app.

Parental Controls

Parents are always concerned about the kind of content their children are exposed to. Xfinity xFi provides easy-to-use parental controls that let parents limit the amount of time specific devices can access the internet (thus limiting children’s phone time) and automatically blocking suspicious websites.

The controls allow parents to block specific websites, keywords, and more, but you can also allow access to any website on a trusted computer. Thanks to these hardware-level restrictions, children cannot find workarounds through their phones.

High Speeds

One area where Xfinity excels is in the high-speed internet services it offers. While the prices will vary from region to region, plans can be broken down into six different options.

The Performance Starter plan provides basic speeds with 25 Mbps down. Performance Select provides up to 100 Mbps down. Performance Pro Plus gives users up to 200 Mbps down.

If you need faster speeds than this, then the Blast! Pro Plus plan provides up to 400 Mbps down, while the Extreme Pro Plus gives up to 600 Mbps down. The fastest option is the Gigabit plan with up to 1000 Mbps down. All plans have a 1.2 TB data cap.

If the idea of a data cap doesn’t appeal to you, you’re in luck. Customers in certain areas can opt for an unlimited data plan for just a few more dollars per month–well worth it, given the high fees for exceeding your data limits. 

Equipment Freedom

While Xfinity will provide a modem/router combo unit, you aren’t limited to only that device. You are free to use your own router if you like, but the downside is that you miss out on a few benefits–the Advanced Security feature included.

Not all equipment is compatible with Xfinity, but if you’re looking for total control of your home or you just want to use a tri-band router, you will want to opt for your own equipment over the provided options. You’ll also save a bit each month in rental fees.

Access to xFi App

The xFi app provides users with a massive amount of information at their fingertips. Not only does it show a breakdown of every device connected to the network, but it allows users to set individual controls for each of these devices.

If one device is pulling more data than it should, you can disable it. This is a great way to ensure children are not using the internet when they should be asleep. You can also use it as a way to help you focus if needed, shutting off your access to the internet until your work is complete.

If you run into connection issues, the xFi app makes it possible to restart your gateway without physically touching it. The process takes about 12 minutes and corrects most major operational errors with ease.

Xfinity Home

In addition to the xFi app, Xfinity customers can access Xfinity Home. This is Xfinity’s own smart home platform, allowing easy access to compatible smart home devices. It also provides access to Xfinity’s home security system, an optional expense that comes with 24/7 professional monitoring.

If you are an Xfinity customer and you want to break into the smart home world, keeping all of your equipment within the same ecosystem makes it easier to ensure security and provides better ease of use.

Is xFi Worth It?

In many areas throughout the country, Xfinity is the only option for Internet service. Even if you have other options, Xfinity xFi is worth checking out. The level of control it grants over your home Wi-Fi network is nearly unmatched, and the automatic security features strengthen your internet security efforts.

The xFi Pods are also a huge benefit. The one-time purchase means you can have a steady connection anywhere within your home, even in rooms on the opposite side of the house from the router.

Comcast (and Xfinity) have improved their service offerings and earned a place as one of the ISPs worth considering when you choose to switch plans.

The post What Is Xfinity xFi? Comcast’s Personal WiFi Experience Explained first appeared on Online Tech Tips.

Several factors can affect mobile data speed, and they vary according to phone specifications, operating system, location, nature of mobile data plan, and so on. In this guide, we’ll cover all possible causes of slow mobile data speed and how to get faster internet in no time.

1. Poor Connection Strength In Your Location

Mobile data speed is largely dependent on your cellular provider’s network quality and coverage in your location. A good way to determine network quality is to check the signal strength on your phone’s status bar. The higher the number of bars, the better the connection speed.

You should also check with other people using the same network in your location. If they’re experiencing similar connectivity issues, contact your cellular network provider to notify them about the slow mobile data speed.

If the problem persists, you may have to switch to another provider with stronger network coverage. Be sure to do your research before making the switch; ask people about their experiences and confirm the network’s availability and speed in your region.

2. Multiple Apps Using Mobile Data Simultaneously

Running too many data-hogging apps and activities can clog your network bandwidth and reduce connection speed. So, if you’re streaming Netflix, downloading multiple files, and updating your apps simultaneously, pause some of these activities and run them one at a time.

3. You’re Using an Old SIM Card

This is another causative agent of slow cellular data speed on your mobile devices. New SIM cards are equipped to support new-age cellular technology, thereby offering faster internet connectivity than older SIM cards. 5G is the latest cellular technology but 4G LTE also provides super-fast network connectivity.

Using an old and outdated will limit your connection speed, even if you have a high-end device. You probably have a 3G SIM card if it’s about 8-10 years old; switch to a 4G SIM card to enjoy high-speed internet.

Contact your service provider or visit a nearby store to confirm the network capability of your SIM card. You may be required to provide the SIM card’s serial number, so make sure you have the SIM card’s package handy.

4. You Aren’t Using the Latest Network

Obviously, 5G is better than 4G and 4G also has a faster speed than 3G. Although smartphones use the best connection by default, they are still backward-compatible with older network types. This means your device will switch to a 4G connection if 5G is temporarily unavailable, or 3G if it loses 4G connectivity.

You may experience slow internet speed if your device‘s connection preference isn’t set to the best network type. Or if your device fails to automatically switch back to the best network type after a connection outage.

On your Android smartphone, go to Network & Internet > Mobile network > Preferred network type and make sure the Recommended option is selected.

On iOS (iPhone or iPad), go to Settings > Mobile Data (or Cellular) > Mobile Data Options (or Cellular Data Options) > Voice & Data and select the best network type.

5. Using a VPN

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is great for bypassing geo-restriction, protecting your online privacy, and staying safe on the internet. The biggest downside of using VPNs, however, is that they often slow down connection speed. Disconnect your VPN connection and check if that boosts your mobile data speed.

6. Apps Running in the Background

As mentioned earlier, your phone’s connection speed may plummet if an app is excessively using mobile data in the background. Go through your data usage and lookout for background applications unnecessarily consuming mobile data. For Android users, head to Settings > Network & Internet > Mobile network > App data usage and examine the data usage of all apps on the page.

If an app that you barely use is consuming an unreasonable amount of mobile data, select the app and toggle off both Background data and Unrestricted data usage.

You can also check an app’s mobile data usage on iPhones and iPads but there’s no option to restrict data usage in the background. iOS only lets you disable the app’s access to your mobile data. Go to Settings > Mobile Data (or Cellular) and toggle off any data-hogging app that doesn’t require internet connectivity.

7. Network Congestion

Cellular connection speed (and Wi-Fi, too) is generally faster during free hours—e.g at midnight when people are asleep. When too many people are simultaneously using the internet, that may overload your carrier’s cellular tower and reduce the amount of bandwidth available to users on the network. This is particularly common during work hours and busy periods like holidays.

In this case, there’s little to nothing that you can do except informing your network provider about the slow connection speed.

8. Network Deprioritization

Some network providers offer standard and premium mobile data packages. If you’re subscribed to a standard or basic data plan, your cellular carrier may reduce internet speed to give preference to premium customers. This is known as Data Deprioritization (or Network Deprioritization), a common practice by mobile virtual network operators (MVNO).

Big and high-flying cellular carriers don’t deprioritize their network, but you can’t be too sure. Refer to the terms and agreement of your mobile data plan on the carrier’s website and check for any mention of “network deprioritization” or “data restriction.” You could also contact customer support or shoot them an inquiry email for confirmation.

It’s worth mentioning that Data Deprioritization is temporary; connection speed will return to normal (for all users) when the network congestion clears up.

9. You’ve Hit Your Data Usage Limit

Your ISP can reduce your internet speed when you hit a certain usage threshold on your monthly data plan. This is known as Data Throttling. Check the usage policy of your internet plan and make sure you haven’t exceeded the usage threshold beyond which your connection speed starts to throttle.

Note that Data Deprioritization and Data Throttling are two entirely different terms. They’re both speed reduction techniques but they happen for different reasons. Data throttling occurs when you’ve hit your internet plan’s usage limit while deprioritization majorly happens during heavy network congestion.

10. Network Configuration Issues

You may be unable to access the internet at high-speed if your phone’s network settings aren’t configured correctly. Or perhaps, some apps have disrupted your network configuration.

Resetting all network-related settings to factory default can fix this problem. Launch your Android’s Settings app and navigate to System > Advanced > Reset options > Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth > Reset Settings.

To reset network settings on iOS devices, head to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings.

11. Your Phone Isn’t Up-to-date

Devices running outdated operating systems may lack the software compatibility required to enjoy a high-speed cellular (or Wi-Fi) connection. If your mobile data speed remains sluggish after trying all possible solutions, check if your device is running the latest software. On Android, go to Settings > System > Advanced > System update.

If you have an iPhone, navigate to Settings > General > Software Updates and download any update available on the page.

Now You Know Why

Tethering your internet to another device can also make your mobile data slow. If your mobile hotspot is active, turn it off and check if that boosts your connection speed. Ejecting and re-inserting your SIM card is another proven solution that’s worth trying.

We should mention that a faulty cell phone antenna can also cause connectivity issues. So, if the problem persists after trying all the recommendations in this article, visit an authorized service center to have your phone examined for possible hardware damage.

The post Why Is the Internet Slow on My Phone? 11 Reasons and Fixes first appeared on Online Tech Tips.

Whether it’s your first time doing it, or it’s been so long since you last set up the internet that you forgot where to start – this article will help.

Consider this your step by step guide to set up internet at home as quickly as possible.

1. Choose Your Internet Service Provider (ISP)

The first step in getting internet access where you live is choosing the right internet service provider (ISP). In most locations (at least in the U.S.), you usually have a few options, but often only one company is available for each option. This may not be the case in metro areas where there’s more competition.

The following are the types of internet service providers you have to choose from.

• Digital Subscriber Line (DSL): This is provided through your local phone service company.
• Cable Broadband: Typically offered through the local cable company.
• Fiber Optic Broadband: Offered by your cable company and other local internet providers.
• Wireless: Usually provided by cellular phone companies.
• Satellite: Offered by satellite cable or internet companies like DISH or local internet providers.
• Dedicated leased line: A fixed bandwidth connection dedicated to only your internet connection. Usually very expensive and used by larger companies for their office internet connections.

Finding available companies in your area that provide these internet services can feel overwhelming, but there are a few ways you can do this.

The most common approach is just searching Google for “internet service provider” and finding listings of companies you can contact.

The problem with this approach is that it’s not always obvious which types of internet access these companies offer. A better approach is to use one of the online directory sites that’ll help you find the internet provider that’s right for you.

Some of the most popular of these include:

• Broadbandnow.com: Just type your zip code and see all available listings.
• Highspeedinternet.com: Enter your zip code and select Search Providers to see all listings.
• Allconnect.com: Select Search providers and type your address to see local internet providers.
• Inmyarea.com: Enter your zip code or address and select the search icon to see available providers.

These services show you all ISPs in your area as well as the types of internet access they offer. Once you’ve decided which type you need, just call the ISP and order service.

2. Install and Set Up Your Router/Modem

Depending on the type of internet service you order, the router you’re provided can be slightly different. Even though this device is referred to as a “router”, it’s technically known as a “modem”.

Router technologies used in DSL modems include ADSL or VDSL, which are just data transfer technologies that work over phone lines. So, the input ports on these modems will include a phone port that you plug into the phone jack in your home.

If you’ve signed up for a fiber optic internet connection, the modem will include GPON data transfer technology.

Cable modems include coaxial input ports that you plug into the broadband cable jack in your home. Satellite modems typically have a number of antennas to enable communication back and forth from overhead satellites.

In every case, some ISPs may allow you to purchase your own modem and avoid a monthly rental fee. In other cases, ISPs require you to use their specific supplied brand of modem and include the monthly fee for it in your bill.

If you don’t know anything about modem/router technologies, you’re better off letting your ISP provide you with the router that they know works with their internet service.

Once your modem is delivered, setting it up for your home internet connection is very simple.

1. Place the modem near the port in your home that provides the internet service. This might be the cable outlet, the phone outlet, or near a window in the case of satellite internet.
2. Connect the phone, fiber optic, or cable port on your modem to the appropriate outlet in your home.
3. Use the included power adapter to connect your modem to a nearby power outlet.
4. Once your modem is powered on, you may need to call your ISP to confirm that they can connect to your modem and that it has an active internet connection.

3. Connect Your WiFi Router to the Modem

Now that you have an internet modem in your home that’s connected to the internet, your only remaining task is to connect to that internet connection with all your devices.

There are a few options, depending on the modem type. If the modem is WiFi enabled, then it’s also a WiFi router and it’ll produce an internal WiFi network that you can connect to with devices in your home. If it isn’t, then you’ll need to purchase a secondary WiFi router to connect to your modem.

Don’t let the ports on the back of these devices scare you. Connecting everything together is actually fairly easy.

Netgear actually provides a useful diagram you can use that’ll help with hooking everything up.

Use the following steps to connect your modem to your router and enable your in-home WiFi network.

1. Connect an ethernet cable from the Internet port on your modem to the Internet port on your WiFi router.
2. Power up the DSL/Cable/Satellite modem and wait until all lights are on and the Internet light is on.
3. Power up the WiFi router and wait until the Internet light is on. You should also see the WiFi light flashing quickly.

Now your in-home WiFi network is ready.

Before you move on to the next step, make sure you configure your WiFi router to fully secure your in-home network from hackers. This will also prevent neighbors from accessing your network without your permission. 

When you set up your WiFi network password, make sure to make a note of it for later when you want to connect your devices.

4. Connect Your Devices to the Internet

Now there are two main ways you can connect each device to your new internet connection. You can connect to the WiFi wireless network, or you can use an ethernet cable to connect directly to your router.

How to Make a Wired Connection

To connect using an ethernet cable, just plug one end of the cable into the ethernet port on your computer or laptop. Plug the other end into one of the network ports on the back of your router (not the modem!)

How do you know which port on the back of your router to plug into?

Typically these network ports are highlighted in yellow. They’re also commonly numbered. Avoid plugging into the port labeled as “Internet” because that one should only be connected to your internet modem.

Once you’re connected via ethernet, your computer or laptop will instantly have an internet connection.

How to Make a Wireless Connection

To connect to your new WiFi network with a Windows 10 PC or laptop, just select the wireless icon to the lower right corner of the taskbar. This will display all available WiFi networks to connect to. Just select Connect, enter the network password.

To connect to a Wifi network with a Mac, select the WiFi icon in the menu bar, select Turn WiFi on, and select the WiFi network to connect to.

On an Android device, open Settings, select Connections, select Wi-Fi, and tap the network you want to connect to. On iPhone, open Settings, select Wi-Fi, turn on Wi-Fi and tap the network that you want to join.

If you try to connect any device and it’s showing that your internet is connected but you can’t access the internet, you’ll need to walk through more advanced internet connection troubleshooting tips.

At this point, your home should have a working internet connection and an active WiFi network to connect all your internet-enabled devices to.

The post How to Set Up Internet at Your Home (For Beginners) first appeared on Online Tech Tips.

Yes, I’m Canadian. I’m not sorry. That was rude, sorry. Anyway, that’s why I always try to find the best WiFi hotspots near me.

What Makes the Best WiFi Hotspot?

Best is a subjective term, so I have criteria to help me test which are the best WiFi hotspots around me. The criteria are in order of importance to me. Adjust for your own preferences.

1. Free – Free is my favorite flavor, size, and shape of anything.
2. Fast – At least fast enough to watch a YouTube video at its lowest quality.
3. Secure – Is anything being done to protect my connection, or am I being data-mined?
4. Unlimited – Not unlimited bandwidth, but unlimited time and no content restrictions.

There’s another criterion that’s more subjective and not technical. Will I be comfortable? If I have to sit outside in a Canadian winter or in a hard plastic chair, I don’t care how good the WiFi hotspot is. I’m out.

How Do I Check if a WiFi Hotspot is Free?

Do Internet Cafes still exist? It used to be a thing where you’d pay to access the Internet at a coffee shop. Today, this is viewed as a cost of business and providing added value to the customer.

If they post the password, it’s probably free. If it asks for a credit card when I connect, it’s not free. Some places offer two-tiered WiFi service, where the free connection is slow, but I could pay to access the fast speed. The speed has never been worth it to me, unless I’m doing something data-intensive like uploading photos, etc.

How Do I Check if a WiFi Hotspot is Fast?

The more people on the WiFi network, the slower the network is. So I like to target places that aren’t popular or go there during off-peak times. Sometimes, I’ll connect and run a test with a WiFi analyzer app. 

Make sure you check your WiFi speed properly, though. Little things can cause a false reading, like being on your cellular data or other apps running in the background.  A lower number for signal strength is better to a point. There is such a thing as too strong of a signal.

A simpler way is to ask someone. If it’s at a business, don’t ask an employee. They want you to stay and spend money. It’s okay to ask another customer who is obviously on the Internet.

How Do I Check if a WiFi Hotspot is Secure?

I always assume that the WiFi hotspot is never secure. My safety is my job. I always use a VPN service on my phone or device. A place with free WiFi is a target-rich environment for hackers. They’ll use things like impostor hotspots or packet sniffing tools to pull your data out of the air. 

I assume my data is being collected by the hotspot provider too. If a product is free, then it’s not the product – I am. They want to know if I’m comparing prices from another place. They want to know what my interests are so they can tailor their marketing to me. This is normally legal, but not necessarily ethical. How do I know? I used to work in IT for a retailer.

How Do I Know if a WiFi Hotspot is Unlimited?

Let’s say I’m working on my novel and I’m going to be there all day, then I want WiFi that won’t time out or block researching how to commit the perfect crime. Don’t laugh, we have serious, published novelists on staff here. I’m just not one of them, yet. So how do I know if the WiFi hotspot allows that?

If I have to logon through a captive portal, I know they monitor traffic, block certain content, and require frequent reconnection. A captive portal is a website shown when you first connect that requires signing in and agreeing to conditions before accessing the Internet.

If there’s no captive portal, a firewall may still monitor and restrict traffic. The simplest test I use is to search for something that might be restricted. Of course, I keep it legal and safe for work. If it’s blocked, then there’s a firewall. But there are ways to get around a firewall. A VPN sometimes helps me around content restrictions, but might also violate terms and conditions.

How Do I Find a WiFi Hotspot?

Knowing how to check the criteria for a good WiFi hotspot is nice, but I still haven’t told you how to find WiFi hotspots!

Most phones will show when there’s an open WiFi hotspot in range. I’ll check that. You probably already knew that tip.

Most restaurant chains and big box stores will have open WiFi. Hotels will usually have WiFi, but normally require a password given only to guests. Other travel hubs like airports, bus and train stations often have free WiFi. Again, you probably knew that.

Did you know that the McDonald’s app lists if a location has WiFi? 

You can filter Starbucks locations by WiFi availability using its location search, too. In Canada, you’re more likely to find a Timmies, aka Tim Hortons, with WiFi than a Starbucks. Ask for 10 Timbits and a double-double if you go.

Did you know that governments and schools often provide free WiFi hotspots? If I know I’m going to be near a library, college, or public building of any kind, I check their website, call, or visit to see what’s available.

I also check my home Internet service provider’s (ISP) website. In the US, several ISPs like Xfinity, Cox, Spectrum, and Optimum have open WiFi spots available to their customers. This is a service you may be already paying for, so why not use it? 

If none of the above options get results, then I could use an app. I’ve never had to, though. Still, there are several apps to find the best free WiFi hotspots for Android and iOS. Be careful of hotspots for which the app says it has saved the password. It could be a fake.

How Do You Find the Best WiFi Hotspots Near You?

The worst-case scenario is that I connect my computer to my cell phone as a mobile hotspot. Everybody has their own way of doing things. My way works for me and some of these ideas may work for you. You might do things I haven’t tried yet. Let us know how you find your best WiFi hotspots when traveling. We’d love to know.

The post How I Find the Best WiFi Hotspots Near Me first appeared on Online Tech Tips.

There can be more than a few reasons why this happens and we’re going to run through some common troubleshooting tips to use if your internet is connected but not working.

Narrow Down The Culprit

There are a lot of links in the chain between you and the internet at large. If any one of them aren’t working properly then you’re likely to be cut off from the net. Which makes it pretty important to work out where exactly the issue is. That means you’ll know what to fix or whether the problem is within your power to solve at all.

Try to isolate each section of the system:

• Is it one specific website that doesn’t work?
• Is it only one device on your network that can’t use the internet?
• Does the router’s indicator light show a connection to the internet?

By answering questions like these, you can cut out a lot of troubleshooting work wasted on aspects of the connection that have nothing to do with the problems you’re experiencing. This will also help you decide which (if any) of the tips below you can skip.

Restart Your Device

This one solution if your internet is not working is quick and easy to do. Whether you’re on a computer, tablet, smartphone, smart TV. fridge or internet-connected burrito, try restarting the device. Sometimes temporary glitches develop that we can’t find or resolve manually. A fresh start can help eliminate those.

If you find your device’s internet connection issues frequently need to be resolved with a restart, you may want to look into operating system or firmware updates, since it could be a systematic issue.

Are You Connected To The Right Router?

There are no such things as dumb questions, even though this might seem like one. Just double check that you’re connected to the WiFi connection you think you are. For example, you may have accidentally connected to a mobile hotspot you forgot to turn off.

Another common issue happens with dual-band routers, which offer a 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz WiFi network under two separate names. 5Ghz WiFi isn’t great at long distance transmission, especially through walls. If your device fails to switch over to the 2.4Ghz network when the signal drops too low, you won’t have a working internet connection. So change to the 2.4Ghz network manually to resolve this.

Do You Have Good Signal Strength?

Following from the previous point, do you have enough signal strength regardless of the network frequency? If your internet connection starts working again when you move close to the router, consider using a WiFi extender or repeater of some sort.

Check, Reset Or Restart Your Router

If the internet connection issue affects all of the devices connected to the router, you should definitely pay some attention to the router itself. Before doing anything drastic, check if its WAN light is lit. If not, the router has no connection to the internet and your ISP is probably at fault.

Start by simply unplugging it, waiting a minute and then plugging it in again. Routers are really just specialized computers and they can hang, crash and misbehave just the same as PCs.

You might also need to try a hard reset of your router if all else fails. Refer to its manual on how to do this. It’s usually a recessed button you have to hold in for a few seconds. You will have to re-enter all the settings for your ISP, WiFi network password and the like however. Be warned!

Switch Between WiFi & Ethernet

If WiFi isn’t working properly, but a direct Ethernet cable connection does, that’s a sign it’s a WiFi related issue. If all devices struggle over WiFi, look for general WiFi problems and refer back to the above on resetting your router.

If it’s only one specific device that won’t work over WiFi (but works with Ethernet) you’ll have to troubleshoot its WiFi specifically.

DNS Cache Problems

One quick fix if the internet is not working is to flush your DNS cache. Every time you type in the address of a website, your computer sends a request to a Domain Name Server to have it translated into the IP (internet protocol) address of a specific server. 

Your computer’s DNS cache stores the information of sites you’ve visited before to speed up your internet experience. The problem is that if something goes wrong with the cache, you might lose access to the site.

To flush the cache:

• Open the Start Menu
• Type CMD and run the Command Prompt app
• Type ipconfig /flushdns and hit Enter

That’s it, your DNS cache is now emptied and if that was the problem everything should work again.

Use Alternative DNS Servers

Sometimes internet access issues are caused by the DNS servers themselves being unreliable or down. Most internet service providers run their own DNS servers and will configure them through the router by default.

You can change which DNS servers your specific device or router uses so that you always use a faster or more reliable choice.

IP Address Conflicts

Every device on your local network has a unique IP address assigned to it by your router, assuming that your router and devices are set up to use dynamic IP assignment. This is the default, but in some circumstances a device or the router itself has been set up to use static IP addresses.

There are plenty of reasons to use static IP addresses, but if two devices on the network happen to be configured to use the same address, neither can use the network.

Resolving IP address conflicts really needs an article all to itself and, wouldn’t you know it, we happen to have just such an article. So if you think there might be an IP address conflict on your network, check out How to Fix an IP Address Conflict.

Check Your ISP For Downtime Or Reset Your Connection Remotely

You’ve reached the last troubleshooting tip and your internet is still not working. It’s not a specific device, it’s not your router, nothing in your local domain seems to be to blame. Well, that only leaves your actual internet service provider.

The good news is that many ISPs will put notices about downtime on their websites, which you can check using a mobile phone or someone else’s internet. You can also simply phone them and ask if there’s a known issue at their end.

Even if there isn’t one, sometimes you can fix issues by requesting a network reset from the ISP side of things. This may be possible to do through self-service on their site or you’ll have to request it using a support ticket. If that still doesn’t work, keep them on the line for some much-needed technical support!

The post 10 Troubleshooting Tips If Your Internet Is Connected But Not Working first appeared on Online Tech Tips.

If you disable SSID broadcast, it’s true that the network name will not show up when someone searches for available networks using their standard wireless network adapter.

However, this does not hide the network itself in any way. With the right software or technique, anyone can “see” your network and connect to it as they normally would with the network ID and password.

In this article you’ll learn how SSID broadcasting works, how people can still connect to “hidden” networks, and finally how you can disable SSID broadcast on your router. If you only want to see how to disable SSID broadcast, you can scroll down to the last section of this article.

How a Router SSID Works

When you first turn a wireless router on, most routers are set up by default to broadcast the name of the wireless network. This is known as the Service Set Identifier, or SSID.

A standard wireless adapter and its associated software will recognize and list all available SSIDs for networks that are within range.

When someone disables SSID broadcast on any of those networks, the network will no longer show up in the wireless adapter’s list of available networks.

For example, if the router is adjusted so that the network shown above called Netgear61-5G no longer broadcasts its SSID, that network will not appear when anyone scans for available networks.

This only happens because when you disable SSID broadcast, the SSID name changes to NULL, which will not show up in any list of available networks.

This doesn’t mean the network is inaccessible, it just means the identifier isn’t broadcast.

If blocking access to your network is what you really want to do, stop here and read our guide on preventing someone else from using your Wi-Fi network.

How People Can See Networks With Disabled SSID

The 802.11 standard for wireless networks requires the router managing the wireless network to send out “management beacon packets” that provide basic information about the Wi-Fi network. The routers send this out regardless of whether or not they’re transmitting an SSID for the network.

There are free and paid software packages anyone can get that can not only see Wi-Fi networks that have no SSID, but they can also identify the SSID fairly easily.

The software can “see” those management packets and identifies available networks that way, rather than by SSID. It can also connect to the network by either attempting an initial connection to obtain SSID, or intercepting packets to and from other clients. When the disabled-SSID network responds to any requests, those responses include the network SSID name.

Hint: Enabling Wi-Fi encryption can help protect against this kind of unwanted interception of packets.

Different monitoring applications have different levels of capability. One example of a free software application that lets you see whether there are any nearby “hidden” networks is NetSpot. 

You can see networks that aren’t broadcasting their SSID in the list that comes up when you launch the app. Those are identified with Hidden SSID listed under the SSID field.

Other free tools like WifiInfoView actually take this a step further. Not only can you view hidden networks, but you can connect to them as well.

When you launch WifiInfoView, you’ll see a similar list of networks. You can even right click on the hidden networks and connect to them.

You still need to know the network password in order to connect, but not having the SSID will not prevent a connection attempt from being made.

Other software applications that let people see Wi-Fi networks where the SSID is not being broadcast include:

• Acrylic WiFi (Paid)
• Aircrack-NG
• Kismet
• Commview for Wifi

How To Disable SSID Broadcast On Your Router

If you still want to disable SSID broadcast on your router, it only requires a few steps. Before you can do this, you’ll need to know how to connect to your router using the admin password.

To get your network’s router IP address, open a Windows command prompt and type the command ipconfig/all and press Enter.

Scroll down all of the returned information until you see the Default Gateway IP.

Open a web browser and type this IP address (in this example, 192.168.0.1) into the URL field and press Enter. This will take you to the router login screen where you’ll need to log in using the admin password.

If you’ve never changed your admin password, then it’ll be the default admin password you can find on your router. 

Note: If you are using the default password, it’s a good idea to change it in order to better secure your WiFi network.

Netgear Genie

Once you’re logged into your router, you’ll need to find the Wireless menu to change the SSID broadcast setting.

On Netgear Genie, you’ll find this under the Basic tab. Select the Wireless menu, and then disable the Enable SSID Broadcast checkbox for the 2.4Ghz or 5Ghz network you want to hide.

You’ll need to select Apply at the top of the page for the changes to take effect.

On other Netgear routers, you may find this in the Advanced tab, by selecting Wireless settings and unchecking Enable SSID Broadcast. (On older Netgear routers, this may be Enable Wireless Router Radio).

Disable SSID Broadcast Other Routers

The procedure to do this varies from router to router. On other routers, follow the procedure below for the router that matches yours.

• Linksys: Select Wireless and Basic Wireless Settings from the menus. Set SSID Broadcast to Disabled. You’ll need to do this for both 2.4GHz and 5 GHz.
  
• D-Link: Select Setup and Wireless Settings from the menus. Then select Manual Wireless Network Setup and set Visibility Status to Invisible. Alternatively, you can select Enable Hidden Wireless. Select Save Settings to enable changes. (On older D-Link Routers, you’ll need to disable the Wireless Radio button under the Wireless menu.)
  
• Belkin: Select Wireless in the left menu and then select Channel and SSID. Deselect the checkbox next to Broadcast SSID.

If none of these instructions match your router, or if your router model isn’t listed here, check your router’s manual. You should be able to find and download it from the manufacturer’s website.

The post How to Disable SSID Broadcast on Your Wireless Router first appeared on Online Tech Tips.