Home network and Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi standards, bands, coverage and the diagnostics that actually narrow down a slow connection.
2.4 GHz vs 5 GHz vs 6 GHz: which band for which device
How to split devices across 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz: real path loss numbers, the DFS stability tax, 6 GHz power caps, and the band steering setting that breaks IoT.
DNS explained, and whether changing your resolver helps
How DNS resolution, TTL and caching really work, why a faster resolver almost never speeds up browsing, and the three reasons that do justify switching.
Double NAT and CGNAT: how to tell which you have, and what actually breaks
Your router's WAN IP settles it: an RFC 1918 address means home-side double NAT, 100.64.0.0/10 means ISP CGNAT. Here is what each breaks and what fixes it.
Ethernet cable categories: Cat5e through Cat8, and what you need
Cat5e carries Gigabit and 2.5 Gbps at 100 meters, Cat6A is the honest upgrade for a wall run, and Cat8 stops at 30 meters for speeds no home device reaches.
Guest networks and keeping smart home gear off your main LAN
A guest SSID is a firmware convenience, not a security boundary. How client isolation, a second subnet and an 802.1Q VLAN differ, and what each one breaks.
IPv6 at home: what changes and what to do about it
IPv6 gives every device a routable address and retires NAT, but routable is not the same as reachable. What changes on a home line, and what to check.
Mesh vs range extender vs powerline: an honest comparison
Extenders halve throughput on a shared radio, mesh only escapes that with a dedicated backhaul or a cable, and powerline speed depends on your house wiring.
Port forwarding and UPnP: how they work and what they expose
A forwarded port is a permanent NAT rule that accepts anyone. UPnP lets any device on your LAN write one with no password. Here is what that costs you.
Router, modem and gateway: what each one actually does
A modem converts the line signal, a router forwards packets, and NAT and DHCP are separate jobs on top. What bridge mode changes, and why double NAT happens.
Why your Wi-Fi is slow: a diagnostic order of operations
Diagnose slow Wi-Fi in cost order, starting with a wired baseline test and ending with new hardware, so you only spend money once you have proof.
Wi-Fi 6 vs Wi-Fi 6E vs Wi-Fi 7
Wi-Fi 6E is just Wi-Fi 6 on the 6 GHz band and Wi-Fi 7 adds 320 MHz channels plus MLO, but spectrum rules and your broadband plan decide the rest.
Wi-Fi security: WPA2, WPA3 and what actually protects you
WPA2 hands attackers a capturable handshake to crack offline. WPA3's SAE removes it, but transition mode gives the hole back. What to set and why.