The world’s FIRST modern computer interface. A GUI, a mouse, a desktop. It’s all there. FIFTY years ago. This is such a cool story. “I’m sitting in front of a computer, looking at its graphical user interface with overlapping windows on a high-resolution screen. I interact with the computer by pointing and clicking with a mouse and typing on a keyboard. I’m using a word processor with the core…
Kjetil Teigen Hansen @mrteigen wrote up a pretty in-depth overview of his 6GHz testing with various devices. 6GHz is an exciting prospect, but it’s still a bit from fully baked. Various devices manufacturers make different decisions and there is no standard yet for device decision-making. But, like all things, with time, there comes some consolidation across the industry. “The amount if issues I…
Spoke at WLPC 2023 in Phoenix. I said some stuff. What are “Active Surveys”? When should you do one? What do you get out of one? For this and more, watch the video!
If you missed this year’s WLPC (Wireless LAN Professionals Conference) in Phoenix, all the sessions have been uploaded to YouTube and ready to be viewed now! ٩(^‿^)۶ WLPC Phoenix 2022 Playlist ↗
If you’re the kind of nerd that likes to get into the minutiae of things - have I got some reading for you! The final and FINALLY APPROVED 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) Standard is now available for download. You’ll need to setup a free account with the IEEE standards body, but that’s it. Get it here!
Apple added a nice terminal utility called Network Quality. Basically, it’s a command-line speedtest which outputs details like this: Click for to Embiggen! 😃 This looks at your ISPs speed - it’s not a local throughout test like iPerf, but nice none-the-less. Read about it here.
Want to know more about 6GHz Wi-Fi? Aruba has put together a nice 20-some-odd page white paper on 6GHz. The whitepaper goes over the new regulations surrounding 6GHz usage, new features, new network discovery methodologies, design recommendations for the Enterprise, and frequency coordination with incumbents. Get it here!
In a previous article I did a high-level overview of what wireless site surveys are and what they are used for. In this article I'll dive in a little deeper to give some insight on what packet captures and RF Monitor-Mode are, are and what they can reveal. There are two modes a wireless NIC can be in - connected/disconnected, and monitor-mode. Connected is exactly what it sounds like - the NIC is…
Ways to pcap WiFi on der Windows in order of $$$$… • Wireshark, npcap & supported NIC (free + $20 to $50) • @WLANPi ($150-ish?) • @TamoSoft CommView for WiFi ($499) • @MetaGeek Eye P.A. ($799) • @LiveActionIT Omnipeek ($pendy) • @Ekahau Sidekick (Extra $pendy ) — Ξ D D I Ξ ★ F 0 R Ξ R 0 (@HeyEddie) May 18, 2021 I got more in-depth stuff on packet captures over on the YouTubes ⇢
I hate manatees. Manatees are evil. They look all sweet and gentle-like, lulling you into a sense of comfort, and safety. THAT’s when they get you. They soar out of the water, high above you, and then, using their razor sharp fangs, rip your throat out! Dead! That’s what you are… DEAD ! Your last thoughts being, “Oh, my, these manatees are so sweet and gentle, I just want to - Oh, my God. I didn't…
(OR, WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH THROUGHPUT TESTS?) In the previous article , I elaborated on what wireless site surveys are, what they are for, and what they can show us. In this post, I'd like to go a bit deeper into Active Surveys, what they are, and what are they used for. As I stated in the previous article, an Active Survey implies that your are conducting a survey while adapter(s) you are using…
(This blog swiped from my company website.)😎 What is a wireless site survey? Seems like a pretty straight forward question until you hear someone ask for a "predictive" survey. How does that work? how do you "predict" a survey? The truth is, there is no such thing as a "predictive" site survey. We can make a PLAN, or a Predictive DESIGN/MODEL. And better yet, we can collect data before we start…
I need your help! The new M1 Macs seems to have broken wireless packet capture. Macs have been a go to tool for many wireless engineers because of the ease of native wireless pcaps. Now, it’s broken. Can y'all help a brother out and do some testing on your M1s and see if you're getting the same results? Even better, can you SEND me your pcap (if you are so inclined)? Thanks! 😃
Did a little (long) video on Wall Attenuation measurement and why it’s important to get the best data into you WLAN designs. I go over some basic RF math, Inverse Square Law, Free Space Path Loss, and the nerdy things here too. Enjoy!
Those of you lucky enough to have a Mac are very familiar with @AdrianGrandos WiFi Signal app that shows detailed information about your Mac’s wireless connection. This is a useful tool for doing some basic troubleshooting for your connection. Unfortunately, Windows has not had the ability to see this information easily, if at all. That has changed with a new tool developed by the great, and…
Now we move on to Linux! Learned myself how to do multi-adapters on Ubuntu with Wireshark. I am sooooo excited!😬 There's more. ⬇ Ubuntu 2019.3 Wireshark 3.0.5 Netgear A6210 HANDY COMMANDS: INSTALL AIRCRACK-NG sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install aircrack-ng SET NICS TO MONITOR MODE sudo airmon-ng check (Checks for possible interfering processes.) sudo airmon-ng check kill (Kill ‘dem…
Due to a recent “snafu” with my Omnipeek licensing, I was on the hunt for multi-channel packet capture alternatives. I believe these two options are currently the best and easiest way, to do this on Windows. Yes, you can do this with the Ekahau Sidekick, but a.) it requires a Sidekick, and 2.) you can really only do two channels (any more and the two internal NICs start channel hopping). Below are…
As usual, @KeithRParsons takes a complex topic and offers up a short, concise overview of CBRS for WLAN engineers, over at the WLAN Professionals blog .
Basic intro on how to do a wireless (Wi-Fi) packet capture on Windows, on the cheap, using Wireshark 3.0 and the Netgear A6210. IMPORTANT STUFF!👇 TABLE OF CONTENTS: 01:54 - Wireshark installation particulars. 04:01 - Supported NICs 07:05 - Putting NIC in RF Monitor Mode 09:31 - Setting the channel to capture on STUFF: Wireshark 3.x Netgear A6210 IMPORTANT! You MUST install the Netgear drivers, to…
The first in what will be a regular set of videos on Wi-Fi related things. To start things off: a series of videos on packet capture and analysis. Ep. 001 is a basic intro on wireless packet captures, on a Mac, using Wireshark and Adrian Granados' Airtool . Ep. 002 will be on doing the same thing, but on Windows! 😱
In case you missed my WLPC Wireshark talk here’s the 802.1X process file… with COMMENTS.😬 It’s just the specific frames in the 802.1X process saved into a separate file with comments for each of the frames. Hopefully, it will give an decent understanding of what is actually happening during this process. ENJOY! The great Michael Peńa. Here’s that actual .pcapng file for your use. And if you’re…
WLPC 2019 is upon us and I’m off to Phoenix, AZ. But, first, I got a little shoveling to do. ❄️ Looking forward to seeing all my fellow Wi-Fi nerds and learn some stuff! View this post on Instagram En route to #WLPC Phoenix! But, first, a little shoveling. 😬 https://badfi.com/blog/2019/2/18/en-route-to-wlpcphoenix A post shared by ♒︎ Bad-Fi ♒︎ (@badfishow) on Feb 18, 2019 at 11:51am PST I’ll be…
Nice, straight forward Infographic on DFS Operations by @VergesFrancois All of @MisterMultipath ‘s blogs posts on 11ax are gold, Jerry! GOLD! And here’s a detailed whiepaper on 11ax from National Instruments. Another relatively inexpensive way to pcap on Windows - WLANPiShark: Wireless Capture With a WLANPi on Windows via @WifiNigel Mike Albano's Client Capabilities List - An oldie, but a goodie,…
Ooooooh… this looks nice. Besides looking pretty and offering PoE+, to ALSO has: 12v barrel connect out, and 5V USB out. Now, if they would only add 100W USB-C out. 😏 We've got a great new battery pack ready to ship! Introducing the @AccelTex Accelerator! PoE/PoE+/USB/12V Battery! https://t.co/ZH4DuKYjSX pic.twitter.com/jFinv0DoM2 — The Wi-Fi Stand (@wifistand) January 21, 2019 View fullsize View…
Good read from TechPlayOn . It’s short and to the point and outlines the differences between 11ax and LTE which has been using and reaping the benefits of OFDM-A for years. “ It was last year when I first read/ discovered about 802.11ax on one of the websites mentioned below as references. Ever since I tried to collect more information and wanted to write about the same. But every passing day/…
FEYNMAN learning strategy in THREE points: 1. Continually ask "Why?" 2. When you learn something, learn it to where you can explain it to a child. 3. Instead of arbitrarily memorizing things, look for the explanation that makes it obvious. pic.twitter.com/tcVcrmuHLT — Richard Feynman (@ProfFeynman) January 10, 2019
Knowing is half the battle. Understanding how your devices make decisions helps you determine design requirements to build better WLANs. Here’s documentation on how Apple and Samsung devices make roaming decisions. macOS & iOS Wireless Roaming for Enterprise Apple was kind enough to provide this information for iOS. macOS Wireless Roaming for Enterprise iOS Wireless Roaming for Enterprise 802.11k,…
I'm asked all the time how I travel with just ONE bag. So, I made a video! I am currently on an Around-the-World trip going from Denver to Abu Dhabi to Bangkok to Gold Coast, Australia then back to Denver. This will be about a three week excursion teaching the ECSE Design Course. I have brought one bag for all my items. I do this for a few reasons: 1. I refuse to check anything. So, I never have…
UPDATED: 05/28/2019 HOLD THE PRESSES!!! So, as of Wireshark 3.0, you can do RF Monitor mode captures in Windows using inexpensive NICs. Specifically, the Netgear A6210. Here’s write up on how to set this up, but nothing special is required other than Wireshark 3.0, or newer, and a supported NIC (Netgear A6210). So, of course, this comes with some caveats. The main one is that this does not support…
Thanks to the gentle nagging of @WiFiNigel I finally got around to posting SOME of the things I've been wanting to post. It's been sitting in a text file for several months without me ever getting around to posting it. And thanks to @JamesGarringer for inspiring me to think about maybe writing it. Wireshark may be free, but it's a powerful and useful beast. Knowing how to use your tools, and set…
I don't have much experience with SCA (Single-Channel Architecture), other than what I've read, and some not-so-pleasant experiences with Ubiquiti. Mitch Dickey ( @Badger_Fi) does, and has some really good stuff to say. He writes about troubleshooting a problem at a high school that implemented an SCA solution. The problem turned out to be Co-Channel Contention. WAT?! Yup. But, before you think…
7 Ways to Fail as a Wireless Expert by @Steven_Heinsius at Cisco LIVE! Hotspot 2.0 – Making WiFi Roaming Like Cellular A tutorial by @WJComms Getting Data Out of the Windows ‘netsh wlan show interfaces’ Command by Genteman's Gentman, @WiFiNigel MegaMIMO?! ¯\_(°_o)_/¯ Mobility Field Day Live with Aruba - Videos How Apple Watch unlocks your Mac. (Shhhh, it’s 802.11v) by @NetworkingNerd The Internet…
I was introduced to this new app called Li.st which also conveniently happens to be their URL. It's for creating and sharing list of things. Anything you want - text, pictures, URLs, etc. I wasn't sure what use I would I would have for it, but it turns out I do have a few and I really like it. So, here are a few of the first ones I made, and I'm working on a few others. Albums that changed my life…
Shout out to @WiFiNigel for helping me figure this one out. I'm sure there are other folks out there that have figured this out, but I never did... until now. So, I'm in the middle of a design in Ekahau Site Survey (ESS) for a fairly large manufacturing facility (about 1.2 million square feet) and I'm using a specific AP with various antennas types depending on the use-case at the facility. When…
Go To Sleep, Go To Sleep, Go To Sleep Little iPhone by @Ben_SniffWiFi. Apple's overly-aggressive power saving sometimes affects Wi-Fi. It’s Not Just a Number, It’s the Journey…. @GCateWiFi shares his journey to CWNE. [VIDEO] Mobile device roaming behaviors & client troubleshooting by @WirelesssGuru. George Stefanick once again showing why he's the Guru. All the videos from this years Aruba…
Not all mobile devices are created equal and not all agree on the best ways to roam when connected to Wi-Fi networks. A recent poll of Wi-Fi experts agree 80% of Wi-Fi issues are client related. Wi-Fi clients are like humans. LINKS: George's Blog → More videos from this years Aruba Atmosphere Conference →
Yup, that sums it up #wifi #cwnp pic.twitter.com/Ea5RhiPQnC — Ty Bowser (@pimpmywifi) March 24, 2016
View fullsize View fullsize View fullsize Cool online demo of NetScouts all new AirCheck G2... Permalink
802.11 Arbitration White Paper Posted this before, but can't over-emphasize the importance of understanding this to understand how Wi-Fi works. Compensate not Calibrate Adjusting your WLAN design requirements based on target client devices. Your NICs -65 may not (will not) be you phone's -67. NetScout AirCheck G2 It’s finally out! Man, I hate keeping secrets. 🤓 Quotes from K-12 Building…
And another one is added the collective. Brocade to acquire Ruckus Wireless. What's Primary and Secondary coverage? @DevinAkin wrote a blog about it. FCC’s “nutrition labels” for broadband show speed, caps, and hidden fees Hmm, this is nice. BOOKMARK THIS: How to manage WLANs on Windows from the command prompt. (Hint: it's netsh.) Yeah, baby. One of May favorite "passive-aggressive" moves. 😈…
It’s interesting that Aruba showed off “Clarity”, a new feature in its network management product AirWave, at Atmosphere. It’s interesting because it seems that lately there have been discussions about users blaming Wi-Fi for non-Wi-Fi related issues. I even blogged about it myself a few weeks back. And recently, Lee Badman posted the "soon to be famous cocktail napkin" he drew, to explain how…
This is a great talk, from a great guy, with a fantastic post of view.
"Integrity and the WLAN Profession” WLPC session by @samuel_clements is a “must watch” for any WLAN engineer. Building networks where the sun don't shine. @bmroute doing some cool Wi-Fi stuff in the netherworld. Is there a need for a Spectrum Policy within the Enterprise? by @JustDoWiFi. I can totally see the need for this especially in critical environments like hospitals. Understanding OFDM CWNE…
Chuck Lukaszewski, from Aruba, talks at the Wireless LAN Professionals Conference about what's coming after 802.11ac. Well, it's a lot. So much about how we understand Wi-Fi to work is going to be turned on its head. Two-way MU-MIMO, infrastructure control/influence on clients, SMALLER channels, and more. This is a must watch for anyone involved in wireless. And here's a link to ALL the videos…
Announcing the Ekahau Master Wi-Fi Certification Jussi from Ekahau just announced this at WLPC. Pretty excited about this new program! SSID Overhead, Now There's an App for that! WLPC is just full of firsts! @RevolutionWiFi announced an app version of his SSID Overhead calculator built by @RAdzima. Great tool for determining if your SSID count is causing any appreciable effect on your WLAN. Also,…
Estimated reading time: 1 minute, 24 seconds. Contains 280 words Well, it's that time of year again - Wireless LAN Professionals Conference (WLPC). This is the 3rd (U.S.) conference, and my 3rd as well. I look forward to this gathering of Wi-Fi geeks all year. I tell anyone who asks about learning wireless - if you can only go to ONE conference - this is the one. My first WLPC was in 2014 in…
When is Wi-Fi blocking justified? by Peter Thornycroft How Levi’s Stadium Delivered 10 TB of Wi-Fi for the Super Bowl Webinar from Chuck "I'll NEVER be on the Twitter" Lukaszewski. Don't miss this one! Ruckus Tackles In-Building Cellular Problem Hmm. Interest peaked. For more on CBRS (3.5 GHz) read Ruckus' blog . WLPC TenTALK by Martin Ericson: VoFi Phones and DFS Channels Things to consider. This…
UPDATE: See the comment below by Andrew Von Nagy. It clarifies what I said about hidden SSIDs and DFS. I'm a huge advocate of using DFS channels in most medium to large deployment scenarios. But, you should always validate your channel plan and make sure it doesn't cause issues with you WLAN. By that I mean verify that your devices actually do support DFS. It’s possible certain devices support…