The Digital Experience Podcast

Best Practices for Supporting Wi-Fi Clients

You did your site surveys, you did a redesign, you checked for code bugs, and yet your end-users still complain about the Wi-Fi. What’s wrong?

In this episode, Jim Vajda, Chief Wireless Officer and CWNE #183, will teach us why Wi-Fi clients are just as important as access points in determining Wi-Fi performance, and they must be addressed for the network to meet its full potential.

Some topics we’ll cover:

• General client best practices
• What to do about BYOD
• Recommendations for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android clients
• Getting client-level visibility with 7SIGNAL Mobile Eye
• And more!

How CCA-SD Works on Secondary Channels

Building on Jim Vajda's episode on wide channel contention, guest host Gjermund Raaen will get into the nuts and bolts of how an 802.11 STA actually performs signal detection in its secondary channels.

Takeaways:

• How a receiving station synchronizes to a receiving frame
• What happens if a station does not see the preamble
• Why does a station not use CCA-PD on secondary channels

The Evolution of WLAN Rogues

The threat of rogues has changed. While some things have improved, such as general awareness and improved security protocols, rogues are still causing issues and finding ways to infiltrate devices. In this session, we discuss the evolution of WLAN rogues. Join Lee Badman, CWNE #200 and Jim Vajda, CWNE #183, as we discuss this topic and much more.

Topics we'll cover:

• An overview of rogues and the motive behind them
• The evolution of rogues and what they look like in the modern world
• Whether rogues are still problematic and what to do when you find them

Just How Fragmented is the Wi Fi Client Space?

Today’s WLAN systems promise fantastic speeds and performance, but they have a major strike against them - the endpoints. In this session we’ll look at several real-world Wi-Fi environments to see what various mixes of client types and vintages are in play, and discuss the implications of what it means when the client half of the industry doesn’t keep up with the infrastructure side. Join Lee Badman, CWNE #200, and Jim Vajda, CWNE #183, as we discuss this topic and much more.

Topics we'll cover:

• Infrastructure vs endpoints
• Wi-Fi standards
• Real-world WLAN problem environments 

Wide Channel Contention

How does Wi-Fi contention work when the channel width is greater than 20 MHz? We encounter AP’s operating with wide channels all the time, so it’s important to know what contention looks like on those channels. Jim Vajda, CWNE #183, will introduce you to all the differences in channel access across the PHY’s and across different channel widths. 

Topics we'll cover:

• Everyday 20 MHz EDCA
• 802.11n 40 MHz channel access
• 802.11ac 40/80/160 MHz channel access
• 802.11ax 40/80/160 MHz channel access
• Implications for design

Wireless Device Connectivity 101

Organizations spend millions of dollars on their wireless devices but few "play nicely" on the Wi-Fi network. Understanding how to find the root cause of wireless device connectivity issues will ensure a better end-user experience, especially roaming problems. In this episode, and we'll put you in the know.

Endpoints we'll discuss:

• Handhelds and barcode scanners (Zebra, SpectraLink, Honeywell and more)
• Mobile phones and tablets (Windows, Android)
• Laptops (Windows, MacOS, Android)

Understanding External WLAN Antennas

External antennas are undervalued and poorly understood elements in WLAN networks. Even areas like carpeted offices, conference rooms, and lecture halls can benefit from them. If you are considering using external antennas in your WLAN then don't miss this episode. Join 7SIGNAL Solutions Engineer Mike Graham as he shares some practical tips on how to get started with (and get the most out of) external Wi-Fi antennas.
 
Topics we'll cover:

• The costs and benefits of external antennas
• External antenna usage in different environments
• Tips on antenna placement and positioning
• External antenna manufacturers

How Captive Portals Punish Your Guests

This topic covers all the reasons captive portals (guest Wi-Fi) cause headaches and frustration for your customers and visitors and how to eliminate them. We've got a full agenda of topics that will even dispel some of the myths around their necessity. Our host will be Jim Vajda, 7SIGNAL's Chief Wireless Officer and CWNE #183. 
 
We’ll cover:

• How captive portals break normal connectivity
• How increases in security have made the problem worse
• The painful end-user experience
• The legal opinion of a network engineer
• Strategies to get your organization’s approval to disable your guest Wi-Fi captive portal

Wi-Fi Security 101 - The Basics

There are existing vulnerabilities in Wi-Fi security protocols and hardware components that are introduced by manufacturers. These include poorly secured administrator access and vulnerable services. Understanding the basics of wireless LAN security can help keep your wireless network safe and prevent downtime.  

Topics we'll discuss:

• Security threat actors
• IEEE 802.11 original standard (WEP)
• IEEE 802.11i, WPA & WPA2
• IEEE 802.11r, IEEE 802.11w, IEEE 802.11s
• WPA3
• Wireless Intrusion Detection System
• VLANs, VPNs
• And more!

Wi Fi KPIs That Deserve More Attention

Wi-Fi performance is vital to business. Whether you have employees relying on it to complete their assignments, customers who expect reliable internet service while visiting, or mission-critical devices that continuously transfer data, you need internet functioning at high levels. Establishing wireless key performance indicators (KPIs) helps this process, creating a baseline to measure efficiency and stability. What KPIs matter most?  This is the episode for you.

Key takeaways:

• Establishing a baseline
• Our favorite KPIs
• Micro & macro KPIs
• Going beyond throughput, MOS and latency
• And more!