We’re headed back to the basics with a series of episodes focused on Wi-Fi fundamentals.

How do devices and access points communicate with each other? How does it work in varying environments?

A standards body defines how different vendors and manufacturers use a standard way to communicate over the air.

Since the inception of Wi-Fi, newer standards were created to build upon the previous versions – increasing data rates, efficiency, and more. New Wi-Fi protocols were born.

In this episode we touch upon the different Wi-Fi Standards and the technology that it is based on.

Resources

• IEEE Timeline: https://ieee802.org/11/Reports/802.11_Timelines.htm
• IEEE 802.11-2020 Standars: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9363693
• MCS Table: https://mcsindex.net/

Bonus

• PHY Graphics updated: CTS 802.11 PHY Table 2024.pdf Canva Link: https://www.canva.com/design/DAGCfrixqSk/GRb4CFU7VOJrpklM2hEkZw/edit?utm_content=DAGCfrixqSk&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

The post CTS 332: Intro to Wi-Fi Standards and Technologies appeared first on Clear To Send.

Coming back from WLPC we feel highly motivated. But we also took the time to reflect on the conference, the content, and the people we connected with.

In this episode, we talk about the lessons we’ve learned from WLPC Phoenix.

Those lessons are:

• Not as many real world Wi-Fi 6E presentations
• Wi-Fi 7 is coming sooner than we think
• MLO seems to be the biggest feature of Wi-Fi 7
• You can transfer data through bananas and get PoE
• Lots of presentations from people that work for vendors.
• We need to ask more questions
• We need to listen more closely
• Hearing about different people coming from different perspectives can be really important
• Why having a community is really important
• More eyes on WLPC

The post CTS 331: 10 Things We Learned From WLPC Phoenix appeared first on Clear To Send.

In a big surprise to us, HPE has announced they will be acquiring Juniper Networks. We’ve been working with Mist Systems since Juniper Networks acquired them.

We’re hoping the acquisition doesn’t impact Mist negatively but we can see why HPE wanted the MistAI technology.

In this episode, we’re going to provide our opinions on the acquisition, what impact this has on the customers, and how partners navigate this acquisition in the coming years.

The post CTS 330: HPE And Juniper Networks Unite! appeared first on Clear To Send.

Network Access Control (NAC) has always been a challenging technology to implement. It usually meant utilizing someone with an expert level certification to come in and deploy it on your network.

I remember when I was a systems administrator and watched a seasoned network engineer struggle to get it working the right way.

Today, Juniper Networks shows us how implementing a cloud-native NAC can help secure your Wi-Fi and wired networks easily without the hassle of on-premises hardware. The goal is to provide a seamless and scalable way to utilize the benefits of NAC using the Mist dashboard.

Juniper Networks is emphasizing their commitment to eliminating on-premises infrastructure components, managing upgrades, and ensuring flexibility while maintaining simplicity in configuration.

Dive into this episode with our guests, Wes Pervis and Slava Dementyev from Juniper Networks alongside with Bryan Ward of Dartmouth.

We talk about how devices can be onboarded, certificates, policies, insights, and more.

Resources

• Mist Access Assurance Documentation: https://www.mist.com/documentation/category/mist-access-assurance/
• Password vs Certificates for 802.1X: https://www.mist.com/documentation/passwords-vs-certificates-for-802-1x/
• Mist Access Assurance Configuration Guides: https://www.mist.com/documentation/category/configuration-mist-access-assurance/
• SecureW2 solution: https://www.securew2.com/products
• Microsoft intune: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/mem/intune/fundamentals/what-is-intune
• Considerations and known issues when using Credential Guard: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/identity-protection/credential-guard/considerations-known-issues

The post CTS 329: Network Access Control in the Cloud (Sponsored) appeared first on Clear To Send.

Rowell and Jussi discussed the use of 3D modeling for Wi-Fi design and validation using Hamina. Jussi demonstrated the tool they use, showing how it can predict signal behavior in a warehouse environment.

They also discussed the importance of 3D modeling for validating project details like shelf heights and the construction of walls.

There’s immense value of this tool for collaboration with non-Wi-Fi professionals.

3D modeling is useful in a stadium environment using slopes and raised floors. Jussi explained how the simplicity Hamina allows for complex designs. The importance of the material of the raised floor was also highlighted.

Jussi goes into how Hamina will be used to perform a validation survey. At Hamina, they developed a mobile app and hardware for this purpose, which stores data locally and uploads it to the cloud when an internet connection is available. The device, which can host four Wi-Fi 6E adapters and includes a USB-C connector for data, supports optional spectrum analysis. Jussi confirmed the device’s battery life is not affected by its size and it can last half a day before needing a charge.

Going into the various survey methods, specifically Point Survey, Line Survey, and Continuous Survey. Jussi explained that Point Survey is a simple method that collects data intermittently, whereas Line Survey collects data continuously but provides a bit more relaxation time between clicks.

As far as functionality goes, Jussi confirmed that the app continuously saves measurements to prevent data loss and can detect the vendor of the Access Point automatically. The app’s analysis features include primary and secondary coverage, channel interference, and the ability to view data for specific frequencies or SSIDs.

Resources

https://www.hamina.com/

The post CTS 328: Simple 3D Designs and Validation with Hamina (Sponsored) appeared first on Clear To Send.

In this episode, we discuss the evolution of the Wi-Fi access point form factor.

You may have noticed that the size of Wi-Fi access points is increasing. Why is this happening? We provide some answers in this episode.

We also talk about the challenges vendors face in providing directional antennas on the 6 GHz band, and how some are able to solve this issue for low-power indoor access points.

We invite you to watch this episode on YouTube to see the different AP models we shared during the episode.

Let us know what you think and share your AP beauty shots with us on Twitter.

Enjoy!

Resources

Here a few datasheet of Wi-Fi 6E access points we covered during this episode:

• Cisco Catalyst C9166D(1) → https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/wireless/catalyst-9166-series-access-points/catalyst-9166-series-access-points-ds.html
• Juniper AP45 → https://www.juniper.net/content/dam/www/assets/datasheets/us/en/access-points/ap45-datasheet.pdf
• Juniper AP24 → https://www.juniper.net/content/dam/www/assets/datasheets/us/en/access-points/ap24-access-point-datasheet.pdf
• Ruckus R760 → https://webresources.ruckuswireless.com/datasheets/r760/ds-ruckus-r760.pdf
• Aruba AP650 → https://www.arubanetworks.com/assets/ds/DS_AP650Series.pdf
• EnGenius ECW336 → https://www.engeniustech.com/engenius-products/cloud-managed-6-ghz-4×4-indoor-tri-band-wireless-wifi-6e-access-point/
• Actiontec WF-196 → https://fccid.io/SFKWF196/User-Manual/User-Manual-Rev01-6123937.pdf

The post CTS 327: The Evolution of AP Form Factor appeared first on Clear To Send.

In WLPC Prague 2023, there were a lot of great presentations. It’s a must-attend Wi-Fi conference where you can connect with smart Wi-Fi people.

You’re guaranteed to leave feeling inspired and you’ll have ideas of what you will want to do next with your Wi-Fi network or even your career.

In this episode, we’re going to highlight some of our favorite presentations. We have listed them down below for your viewing pleasure.

Few presentations to highlight:

Wave Antenna → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkEr45DXS9g&list=PLXJsNZqZEF9Y8CWiynffBgnZfjPpSkkSZ&index=12&pp=iAQB

Jim Palmer’s session on 6 GHz devices and AFC → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xC3WKR61XwA&list=PLXJsNZqZEF9Y8CWiynffBgnZfjPpSkkSZ&index=41&pp=iAQB

Evolution of Wi-Fi Beacons – Jean Macq→ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuNT1LkgGuw&list=PLXJsNZqZEF9Y8CWiynffBgnZfjPpSkkSZ&index=13&pp=iAQB

The different versions of 802.1X – Karsten Iwen → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiAFcSLa0EE&list=PLXJsNZqZEF9Y8CWiynffBgnZfjPpSkkSZ&index=20

Thought Provoking presentations:

Warehouse Wi-Fi is possible without external antennas – Oguzhan Eren→ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-_WmZ0LGEc&list=PLXJsNZqZEF9Y8CWiynffBgnZfjPpSkkSZ&index=34&pp=iAQB

Off with the offset → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gboMeL9SDk&list=PLXJsNZqZEF9Y8CWiynffBgnZfjPpSkkSZ&index=3&pp=iAQB

Will AI make site survey a thing of the past – Drew → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezNbouWVfGY&list=PLXJsNZqZEF9Y8CWiynffBgnZfjPpSkkSZ&index=26&pp=iAQB

Tools Presentations

Hamina announced their Nomad tool and their partnership with Oscium

Sidos gave more information about how they tool works

WLAN Pi integrated new services (including Grafana)

Intuitibits announces full Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 support for Wi-Fi Explorer & Wi-Fi Explorer Pro for Windows

Tool introduced by Timo to do surveys differently (SpectQ). Does a Lidar Scan and a Wi-Fi / 5G scan at the same time. Gives you additional set of data for analysis.

Aaronia spectrum Analyzer

Fun Presentations

Wi-Fi X in 10 minutes → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jquMBdxnUU&list=PLXJsNZqZEF9Y8CWiynffBgnZfjPpSkkSZ&index=6&pp=iAQB

The post CTS 326: Greatness from WLPC Prague appeared first on Clear To Send.

Rowell and François discussed their experiences with deploying OWE and WPA3 on a higher education Wi-Fi network. Rowell noted that the adoption has been slow due to device compatibility issues, particularly in higher education where many devices are personal and outside of their control. They opted for a slow rollout strategy to monitor and gather information, emphasizing the importance of planning. Rowell admitted that their strategy was a hope for the best, as they couldn’t be certain about the device updates.

This episode is sponsored by WiFi Scanner.

Different SSIDs are used for OWE and eduroam with WPA3. Device compatibility was tested with the new mode and addressed potential user concerns. There was also a consideration for the need for educating the team about the new configuration and verification process.

Rowell discussed the method he used to gather statistics and troubleshoot issues related to the use of OWE. He mentioned that he rolled out the change silently to a few buildings and decided not to notify the end users about the change to avoid an increase in tickets. Rowell also explained that they transitioned to Mist and chose to roll out the OWE change per site, limiting it to specific buildings.

What about Wi-Fi 6E and WPA3 deployment? Rowell explained that they initially had issues with devices supporting 6 GHz, leading to connectivity problems. The transition to WPA3 was largely successful, with no complaints from users, and they are now using 8 buildings with OWE transition mode and WPA3-Enterprise only. The discussion concluded with a brief mention of an issue with meeting room devices connecting to Wi-Fi.

The post CTS 325: Transitioning to OWE and WPA3 in Higher-Ed appeared first on Clear To Send.

In this episode, we are having the pleasure to welcome Greg Ennis on the show. Greg is the author of the book called Beyond Everywhere, How Wi-Fi Became the World’s Most Beloved Technology.

Greg is one of the founders of the Wi-Fi protocol. He has worked with organizations such as the IEEE and the Wi-Fi Alliance to create and democratize this technology. Having had the privilege of witnessing the creation and success of Wi-Fi, he decided to write a book about its history, using his own story as a foundation.

Here is how the author describe what the book is about on his website:

Billions of people rely upon Wi-Fi every day. With 18 billion Wi-Fi devices around the globe, and with 4 billion more sold every year, it supports over half of all internet traffic. But we all simply take it for granted — our ever-present companion, so prevalent as to be virtually “beyond everywhere”, working exactly the same in Cairo, Beijing, and Tierra del Fuego, in planes and cars, hotels and shops, connecting laptops, cellphones, TVs, cameras, thermostats and just about everything else. How did this come to be?

Beyond Everywhere tells the entire dramatic Wi-Fi story, spanning two decades and three continents — its origins including an FBI sting operation, the intense battles among rivals as the standard was being developed, to its final explosive success all over the globe. Written by one of Wi-Fi’s key players, this is the definitive inside story of how Wi-Fi became the world’s most beloved technology.

The book is really good and I would encourage you guys to read it. Working in the Wi-Fi industry, you will find it very interesting.

Resources

• Greg Ennis’ website: https://www.gregennis.net/
• Get the book from amazon (US): https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Everywhere-Became-Beloved-Technology/dp/B0CCCS2G48/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3J49QOYF6TMIU&keywords=beyond+everywhere&qid=1695416778&sprefix=beyond+everywhere%2Caps%2C110&sr=8-1
• Get the book from amazon (CA): https://www.amazon.ca/Beyond-Everywhere-Became-Beloved-Technology/dp/B0CCCS2G48/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1SK4QJPBKN2UZ&keywords=beyond+everywhere&qid=1695416857&sprefix=beyond+everywhere%2Caps%2C121&sr=8-1
• Listen on Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Beyond-Everywhere-Audiobook/B0C95GD88H?eac_link=DjKffjsaC0kH&ref=web_search_eac_asin_1&eac_selected_type=asin&eac_selected=B0C95GD88H&qid=BCqx867mzU&eac_id=143-0773183-1063462_BCqx867mzU&sr=1-1
• Greg’s Fun Facts: https://www.gregennis.net/wifi-fun-facts-2

The post CTS 324: Interview with Greg Ennis author of Beyond Everywhere – How Wi-Fi Became the World’s Most Beloved Technology appeared first on Clear To Send.

This episode is sponsored by Arista.

In this episode, we are welcoming Sriram Venkiteswaran, Director Product Management at Arista. The focus of this episode is to talk about Arista’s NAC solution called AGNI (Arista Guardian For Network Identity).

Here are the topics discussed during this episode:

• What is Arista’s AGNI and what does AGNI bring to Identity Solutions now?
• Connections between the APs and AGNI over RadSec
• Modes of authentications supported by AGNI
• Integration of AGNI with Cloud Vision and the rest of the Arista products
• The use of UPSK to handle access based on identities
• Network segmentation using UPSK

Check out the YouTube video if you want to see a demo of the AGNI environment.

Documentation

Community central AGNI

Resources

• AGNI Brief Solution: https://www.arista.com/assets/data/pdf/Arista-AGNI-Solution-Brief.pdf
• AGNI Product Page: https://www.arista.com/en/products/network-access-control
• AGNI Documentation: https://arista.my.site.com/AristaCommunity/s/global-search/%40uri#q=AGNI&t=All&sort=relevancy

The post CTS 323: What Arista Guardian for Network Identity brings to wired and wireless networks appeared first on Clear To Send.

We had the pleasure of having Kevin Robinson, President and CEO of Wi-Fi Alliance Services, on the show with us. He introduced the new Wi-Fi Alliance subsidiary called Wi-Fi Alliance Services and discussed the AFC services they offer. Wi-Fi Alliance Services was announced on August 3rd. The subsidiary is currently focused on providing AFC services […]

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