I can Wi-Fi. You can Wi-Fi.
So you are setting up your home wireless router. Whether this is because: you don't want to use the ISP provided router anymore, you are trying to recoup that $12/mo that they charge you to lease their device, or maybe you want to learn a little about Wi-Fi and how to manage it at home. This article will be a long, all-in-one knowledge base for things you might need or want to know about your home wireless network. This is not a step by step guide on how to set up a perfect home network just a reference for knowledge. The sections are laid out as listed in the table of contents. I hope this helps!
Table of Contents
Wi-Fi Basics
2.4Ghz & 5Ghz BLUF
2.4Ghz
5Ghz
Router Capabilities
Wi-Fi 1
Wi-Fi 2
Wi-Fi 3
Wi-Fi 4
Wi-Fi 5
Wi-Fi 6
Modems
Best Practices
Devices
Devices
Before we dive in, there is one thing that you must know about Wi-Fi. The answer to almost every question regarding Wi-Fi is, "It Depends"(Sam Clements). This is not intended to be a condescending answer or a canned response, the truth is that almost every answer to a Wi-Fi question is dependent on so many factors that there is no single, easy answer. Interference, client device capabilities, router capabilities, and needs of the Wi-Fi environment are just a few of the factors to consider. I will touch on most of these throughout the article.
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| https://planetechusa.com/blog/faster-wifi-802-11ax/ |
Wi-Fi Basics
How does Wi-Fi work? Magic! Well not exactly, but seems that way!
The technology of Wi-Fi uses Radio Waves to transmit and receive data. The radio frequencies used for Wi-Fi are considerably different from than those used for radios or cell phones. Wi-Fi operates in the Gigahertz range of the spectrum while radios operate in the Megahertz range. This allows Wi-Fi and Radios to operate without negatively impacting each other. This also explains why you can receive radio signals in your car miles away from the antennas broadcasting. The lower the frequencies, the longer the wavelength and the farther it will travel before it fades away. This is important to remember when we discuss Wi-Fi frequencies.
There currently are two frequencies that are available for Wi-Fi public use, 2.4Ghz, and 5Ghz. Each has advantages and disadvantages.
BLUF
If you are just looking for a quick, not so detailed, blurb on 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz. Here it is:
Many factors contribute to which frequency you should/can use. 2.4Ghz may reach a farther distance due to its lower frequency, the attenuation from walls and other obstructions are lessened. Only use one of three channels on 2.4Ghz: 1,6, or 11. 5Ghz has many more channels than 2.4GHz which reduces the chance of CCI or ACI, it has a shorter effective distance but can carry much higher data rates over it. In short, devices farther away should probably use 2.4Ghz, while closer devices should probably use 5Ghz if they are capable.
If you are looking for more details, they can be found below. Happy reading.
2.4Ghz
The 2.4Ghz spectrum is open for use from the frequency of 2412Mhz to 2462Mhz in the US. There are 11 available channels with the Center of channel 1 being 2412Mhz (There are 14 channels in all in the US, we only use 11). Each channel is 20Mhz wide with a 2Mhz buffer. So, that means that channel 1 starts at 2400Mhz and ends at 2422Mhz. If you do the math, or feel lazy and look at the figure below, you will notice that there are overlapping channels! In fact, in 2.4Ghz Wi-Fi, there are only three channels that do not overlap, these being channels 1,6 and 11.
Those of you setting up your home Wi-Fi network might notice many people using channels 1,6, and 11. You might see no one on channel 5? Why not use it? Well unless there is no one around you using the 2.4GHz spectrum, using a channel other than 1,6, or 11 will cause interference to all overlapping channels. This is referred to as ACI (Adjacent Channel Interference). I would call this being a bad neighbor. It will cause bad data transmissions and increase retry rates of both client devices and routers in all the channels affected.
ACI is far worse than CCI (Co-Channel Interference) which is caused by multiple APs or Routers on the same channel. Devices might experience contention for the medium and have to wait for their turn to transmit data to the router, the 802.11 standards are designed to handle this more so than ACI.
A common option seen in home routers is the option to transmit 40Mhz wide channels on 2.4GHz. While in a clean environment this will increase your bandwidth and download speeds, this is absolutely a “NO NO.” Never do this in an environment where many other people are using the 2.4Ghz spectrum. This is one of the best ways to end up on the Bad-Fi twitter page! It causes more ACI than choosing a 20Mhz wide non-overlapping channel. Imagine taking channel 6 in the image below, and doubling its width. As you might suspect it will interfere with every channel on 2.4GHz, definitely not a good thing. At the time of writing this, I currently have a neighbor doing this...I have not located him yet, but when I do, I will absolutely ask him to change his configuration.
The speeds available on the 2.4Ghz spectrum vary depending on interference, PHY type, or Wi-Fi Type being used. More on those below. But the lowest end of the spectrum is 1Mbps, and the highest is somewhere between 450Mbps- 600Mbps depending on the setup. These are all overshadowed by the speeds of the 5Ghz spectrum. However, because 2.4Ghz is a lower frequency, it has a longer wavelength which means it can travel farther, and the attenuation (loss of amplitude or signal strength) is less. This means if you have a large house and only one router the chances of using 2.4GHz to reach the corners of the house are more likely.
5Ghz
The 5Ghz spectrum is better than 2.4Ghz in many ways! First thing: the potential speeds! Speeds can range from 54Mbps to 11Gbps. Can't keep up with that! Second thing: less potential interference. While 2.4Ghz has 11 available channels, 5Ghz has 22 channels available! Reference the figure below for this section.
You might recall I mentioned that 2.4GHz starts with a 20MHz wide channel and can be expanded to 40Mhz(don't do it). While there are not enough channels on 2.4Ghz for a 40Mhz wide channel to work properly without causing interference, on 5Ghz there are enough channels that you can increase your channel width up to 40Mhz, or even 80Mhz without causing severe interference. Some routers and APs have the capability to increase the channel width to 160Mhz. While the greater channel width offers greater speeds to a single client, there are not many clients that are capable of utilizing all that channel width.
The channels in the UNII-1 and UNII-3 are the most commonly used in home routers. Those who have access to UNII-2 and UNII-2E will notice the line that says DFS, and the line that says Weather Radar. While you cannot use the three channels being used by the weather radar, you can use the ones labeled DFS. DFS channels are used by ATC and other radar devices and will have priority on that frequency channel. So if you choose channel 104 for example, be aware that your router by FCC regulation must move off of that channel if it detects any radar on that channel. It can then move back should the channel clear up.
The channels in the UNII-1 and UNII-3 are the most commonly used in home routers. Those who have access to UNII-2 and UNII-2E will notice the line that says DFS, and the line that says Weather Radar. While you cannot use the three channels being used by the weather radar, you can use the ones labeled DFS. DFS channels are used by ATC and other radar devices and will have priority on that frequency channel. So if you choose channel 104 for example, be aware that your router by FCC regulation must move off of that channel if it detects any radar on that channel. It can then move back should the channel clear up.
Those in apartments or most homes, should generally stick with 20MHz or 40MHz or 80MHz wide channels and stick to UNII-1 or UNII-3 channels.
While 5Ghz has greater speeds, the wavelength is also shorter which means the attenuation is greater through walls and other obstructions. If your devices are near the router and are capable, you should try to utilize 5GHz as much as possible.
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| https://www.engeniustech.com/go-guide-channel-transmit-power-wi-fi-networks-2/ |
Router Capabilities
There are many routers out there. Many factors go into choosing the correct router. While the color and coolness factor is definitely important...they don't impact your Wi-Fi network. The first thing you need to look at is the capabilities of your router, which type of Wi-Fi can it handle? Well, read on below to learn about the old and current and upcoming capabilities of Wi-Fi routers.
Wi-Fi 1 (802.11b)
802.11b or Wi-Fi 1 as it has recently been deemed. Was ratified by the IEEE in 1999. This technology is limited to 2.4Ghz only. It increased the max bandwidth from 1Mbps to 11Mbps.
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| Wi-Fi 1 distance from the router. https://www.imgtec.com/blog/802-11b-802-11b-question/ |
This technology is extremely outdated and in fact, hurts Wi-Fi networks these days. While all routers and Access Points (AP) are capable of supporting Wi-Fi 1, it is strongly encouraged to remove this support from your network. If you happen to have a device from the early 2000s that is still working and has Wi-Fi capabilities, you might need to leave 802.11b active. IF you do have a device like this...I urge you to upgrade the device. This standard slows the entire network down.
Wi-Fi 2 (802.11a)
Wi-Fi 2 was ratified in 1999. This standard uses the 5Ghz frequency only and has a bandwidth of up to 54Mbps. It is not the best of the available technologies out there. While this technology was available in the early 2000s, there are not many consumer devices that utilized the 5Ghz frequency as Wi-Fi 1 was a cheaper technology. Wi-Fi 2 is using a different technology called OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing). This is getting a little technical so I will leave the explanation of what that is for another time.
Wi-Fi 3 (802.11g)
Wi-Fi 3 was ratified in 2003. This standard brought the OFDM technology of 802.11a but operated on the 2.4Ghz frequency similar to 802.11b. It has a bandwidth limit of up to 54Mbps as well. This was definitely a big jump for consumers in the mid-2000s. The routers and APs were getting better as well, with better transmit power and receive sensitivity.
Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n)
Wi-Fi 4 was ratified in 2009. This standard introduced a new technology, MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) which allows multiple transmitters and receivers to work simultaneously. This standard can potentially reach a speed of 300Mbps. With the right
Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
Wi-Fi 5 was ratified in 2014. This is a massive jump in technology for Wi-Fi. We are able to reach speeds up to 2.3Gbps with the right environment setup. This is achieved through utilizing 5Ghz only and increasing the size of the width of the channels up to 160Mhz. Wi-Fi 5 also introduced Transmit beamforming which, simply put, directs the transmitted data towards a client, making communications more efficient. Another technological increase was the advancement of MIMO, which was able to use multiple antennas to transmit and receive simultaneously to a single client, MU-MIMO (Multiple User Multiple Input Multiple Output), which allowed a simultaneous transmitting and receiving with multiple clients at a time. This does not affect the speed of one person individually but the speed and efficiency of the network as a whole. This is currently the best widely available Wi-Fi standard. Most client devices and routers/APs are capable of Wi-Fi 5. It is important to note that there was a "refresh" of Wi-Fi 5. It is known as 802.11ac wave2. This was introduced in 2016 and is the technology that can reach those higher gigabit speeds. More changes came in Wave 2, but that can be covered another time.
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
Wi-Fi 6 has not been ratified yet. It is currently being worked on by the IEEE and is expected to be officially released in 2019. This technology is a spectrum efficiency standard. It increases speeds up to a whopping 11Gbps in ideal situations. The most significant technological advancement is the better utilization of the unused spectrum of the channel. Currently, if a device is talking to a router, it sends its information and stops talking. The next device gets to send its data when the airwaves are clear. This standard allows multiple devices to communicate at once. If device A is sending a small amount of data that only uses half the bandwidth of the channel, device B can post some of its data in the unused bandwidth allowing more efficiency of the overall network. This efficiency is for both 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz. A full detailed description of this is fascinating and complex. I might write a post about it later. But for now here is a link to an excellent white paper on it: 802.11ax. While this is still being ratified, the router, AP and device manufacturers are already making devices that can support Wi-Fi 6, so when it is ratified, they can be the first out the door with this technology.
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| Example of OFDM vs. OFDMA. OFDMA is being used by Wi-Fi 6. |
Modems
In order to replace your ISPs router, you will need a router of your own as well as a modem. The ISPs generally have an all in one Modem/Router.
A modem is a device that converts a Coaxial Cable medium to an Ethernet medium. If your modem is older, it might not be able to support the speeds you are paying for from your ISP. IF you are looking for a modem, they just need to be rated for good speeds. It is also important to make sure they work with your ISP. Each ISP have pages on their website that allow you to look at which modem types work with them.
This site is a decent place to look up good modems for your ISP: Approved Modems |
| https://www.123rf.com/photo_36168208_home-network-diagram.html |
Best Practices
You bought a router and a modem! Congrats! You are ready to set it up! Well after plugging everything in, what is next? What are some important things you need to know? Keep these things in mind.
Location
Your wireless router will operate best if it is centrally located in your apartment or house; it will provide a more balanced wireless network than if it was on one side of the house or the other. This all depends on the materials your walls are made of and what is in them. If you have a Concrete wall in the middle of the house, it will be rather difficult to get a Wi-Fi signal far beyond that wall.
Default Login
After you set up your router and log in for the first time, please make sure you change the admin default password to your router! No one thinks about it. But if you do not change it, anyone can look up the default password and log into it if they are on your network. That will not be a good day for you if they have some malicious intentions.
SSID Choice
Choosing your SSID can be a fun part! People really show their creativity here. There are many things you can name your network. A lot of routers have your 2.4GHz, and 5GHz networks separated, for example, network_2.4 and network_5. That can be good if you know for a fact your devices operate on one network or the other. However, if you have devices capable of both which most are these days. It is better to have the same SSID for both Radios. This will allow your device to negotiate with the router and pick which network works best for the device. A lot of newer routers have the capability to encourage devices to use 5GHz if they are capable and in range. This will free up the 2.4GHz spectrum for other devices.
Password
As far as your wireless network goes choose a complex password! Nothing super easy. Generally 8 characters, with at least a capital letter, a lowercase letter, a number, and one symbol. For example P@ssw0rd!. I strongly recommend you do not use "password" as your password, all variations are extremely easy to guess.
Channel
Keep in mind your choice of Wi-Fi channel has a significant impact on your network. So, try to pick one that is not being used as much, as long as 2.4Ghz is on 1,6, or 11. Never 40MHz on 2.4GHz!!!
Hiding SSID
Many people believe that hiding your SSID is a great security measure. That it will stop someone from seeing your network. It, in reality, does not add any security at all and just makes connecting your own devices more complicated and only hides the name of your network; as far as hacking Wi-Fi goes, the name is not that important. It does not hide your network entirely.
Devices
One factor that you may not have considered while trying to test or figure out your home wireless network...the devices on the network matter just as much as the router you choose to use. If you have an old phone or laptop from the early 2000s, you could have the best router and pay for the top speeds from your ISP. However, that device will not be able to handle more than Wi-Fi 1; which will slow down your network as a whole.
Looking up the capabilities of your devices is essential when trying to reach specific speeds. That being said there are not many Wi-Fi 6 capable devices out there yet. They will start to arrive this year. Keep in mind there are many IOT (Internet of Things) devices, such as Amazon light plugs that link to an Alexa device that do not use 5Ghz networks. A good 2.4Ghz network is important due to device limitations.
Conclusion
I know this is a rather long post. I am working on setting up smaller posts for each section, but this is an all-in-one reference for knowledge so you can look up some things for your home Wi-Fi network.
If you were here to learn a little, I hope I was able to help! Thanks for reading.
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