Wireless networks have come a long way, but this technology can still be frustratingly elusive to get right. And it doesn't help that there's a seemingly limitless pipeline of new marketing hype. I feel your pain - and I've got you covered! 

• Do you need a mesh network?

• What version of the WiFi standard is best? 

• Is it necessary to create separate SSIDs for each radio band? 

• How many access points is too many? Or not enough?! 

• How can you keep your computers and personal devices segregated and safe from your Internet-of-things devices? 

• Why is WiFi Calling performing so badly? 

• Is WiFi even the root cause of the problems you're experiencing?

Every situation is a little bit different, but my methodology is always the same: Understand what you need, analyze what you've got, make recommendations based on experience that I feel confident will improve your situation, work with you to implement a project that fits your budget, and finally TEST IT to make sure it delivers. 

The best wireless experience is built on great ethernet cabling. That's right: WiFi done right often means connecting all the access points with wires. 

Mesh networking - connecting multiple WiFi access points without ethernet cabling -  is often the source of a poor WiFi experience. Yes: mesh can deliver completely adequate coverage and speed in many situations, and it is better now than ever before, but the technology has real world limits.

I commonly help customers who have  just upgraded to 10 Gbps fiber service from their ISP, but are only getting 150 Mbps over wifi in many areas of their home. That's around two orders of magnitude slower.

I can always start by tuning your mesh network, but the highest performance solution requires wire: low voltage, category 6 or 6a ethernet cabling, to be exact. I install it in your walls. under your floors, above your ceilings, or discretely on the outside of your building. It's nearly as invisible as the radio waves it powers - just WAY, WAY FASTER.

Your broadband modem is typically installed by your Internet Service Provider (ISP). Originally its job was to just convert the traffic flowing back and forth from your local home network to the rest of the Internet. Over time, this device has taken on additional features like providing wifi and routing local Internet traffic, too. That's good news for people living in very small homes – studio apartments or ADU's, for example – because they are perfectly efficient in those situations. 

If you live in almost anything larger, I can improve your network by replacing your modem, (or disabling some of its redundant features), and installing a more high performance solution from Eero, Synology, or UniFi. My recommendation will depend on your goals, your budget, and the details of your site – number of rooms, floorplan, building materials, and the location of any existing network infrastructure.

The project starts with an assessment of all these details. I'll give you some options and my recommendations. In many cases I can complete your upgrade the same day, or at least the first phase.   For larger projects I'll write up a proposal, special order your equipment, and schedule the work for another day. 

The physical network wires in your building commonly (though not always!) route back to a single location in the building where they land in a networking panel that sits flush with the wall surface, or a rack mounted to the wall, or even just a makeshift space between exposed wall studs. I usually find this in the garage, a closet, crawl space, attic, or utility room. There will always be a power outlet nearby, and it's normal to see  a mixture of coaxial (television) cable, ethernet (network) cable, legacy phone wires, and the sensor wires for a wired alarm system – all in the same location.

If you don't already have a panel or rack, it's not technically necessary to install one, but this equipment is inexpensive, and it will dramatically improve the quality and safety of your installation, make it easier to service in the future, to install new devices and support emergent technologies, and increase the resale value of your property. 

A really useful upgrade is an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS), which gives your network additional resilience during power outages. Even if you have a whole house battery, I recommend putting your network closet on a UPS, as well.

For every project, I take great pride in creating a coherent, organized, high quality installation at the physical center of your building's network: Labeling, bundling and strapping cables, eliminating unused equipment and infrastructure.

Testing the speed of your network is often one of the first things I do on site when I arrive, one of the last things I do before I leave - and at key moments during the installation and configuration of your network, too! 

While anyone can open a web browser and run a speed test, one of my strengths is interpreting the data I'm collecting and knowing what steps to take to improve the results I'm seeing. This comes from my experience installing and tuning networks for many, many customers.

Determining the root cause of poor performance is foundational to making reliable improvements. I use best practices and specialized instruments to help me understand what's causing a slow down. Once I have that information I use it to make refinements, if possible, or give you options for how to best proceed, if not.

Regardless of the tuning journey, I always end by making sure your devices are connected to your new network, and that the performance results meet or exceed your expectations.