Take Control of Wi-Fi Networking and Security cover
ISBN:978-1-990783-46-3
Version:2.0
Pages:125
Size (PDF):2.5 MB
Date:January 16, 2024
Get more from your Wi-Fi network

Take Control of
Wi-Fi Networking and Security

Second Edition
Glenn Fleishman
(1 customer review)

Setting up and securing a Wi-Fi network can be complicated and confusing. This book helps you over every hurdle involved in picking gateways, setting up a network, adding devices, and securing the network and connected phones, tablets, and computers. It’s useful for those who have set up networks in the past and want to replace them with new gear, as well as people who have never built a Wi-Fi network before.

All Take Control books are delivered in two ebook formats—PDF and EPUB—and can be read on nearly any device.

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Updated! Version 2.0 of this book now covers iOS 17, iPadOS 17, macOS 14 Sonoma, and Windows 11.

Perhaps you already have a Wi-Fi network running in your home and office, but you’re dissatisfied with it. Or maybe you’re setting up a new house, apartment, business, or school room with Wi-Fi and need to know the basics about what to get and how to configure it. In either case, this book is for you. After over 18 years of writing regularly about Wi-Fi and answering reader questions, author Glenn Fleishman finds that the same issues still crop up:

  • How do I spend the least money to the best effect?
  • What’s the best place to put my Wi-Fi gateways?
  • Is a mesh network a good idea—and if so, what do I need to know?
  • How can I get both high throughput (speed) on my network and solid coverage across everywhere I want to use Wi-Fi?
  • What can I do to secure my network against outsiders near my house and elsewhere on the internet?
  • How do I add networked hard drives and printers?
  • Interference is slowing my network; what can I do to reduce it?
  • What’s the best way to extend my network to a garage, yard, or nearby building?
  • What’s different about the latest standards—Wi-Fi 6E, Wi-Fi 7, and 802.11be?

This book answers those questions in depth, as well as many others related to Wi-Fi, including how to set up a personal or mobile hotspot with all major operating systems, how to access computers on your network remotely, and why you should use a VPN (virtual private network).

Also available: You can save money by buying this book as part of a three-book bundle, which also includes Take Control of Securing Your Mac and Take Control of iOS & iPadOS Privacy and Security. Buy all three books for $25.78, which is 40% off the combined cover prices of $42.97. Add 3-Book Bundle to Cart

If you have any question about overhauling your network, setting up a new one, or just finally figuring out something that’s never worked, this book has the answer.

Glenn Fleishman

About Glenn Fleishman

Glenn Fleishman is a veteran technology writer who has contributed to dozens of publications across his career, including Macworld, Fast Company, and Increment. He has also written dozens of editions of books in the Take Control series. He spent 2019 and 2020 building 100 tiny type museums full of real printing artifacts. Glenn lives in Seattle with his wife and two children.

What's New in the Second Edition

The development of Wi-Fi slowed down by the late 2010s after a turbulent first 15 years or so. But no technology stands still, especially as demands increase for higher throughput for video, better coverage and range, and more consistent transmission to keep streaming playback smooth and solid.

Since the first edition of this book, I rolled in changes large and small. This second edition provides a more thorough overview of what’s new and brings the title up to date for 2024. In particular, this book is fully updated for the Wi-Fi 6E, Wi-Fi 7, and 802.11be specifications (see “Wi-Fi Standards”), the expanding availability of the 6 GHz band (see “Pick a Wi-Fi Channel”), and the broad availability of mesh networking gear (see “Build a Mesh Network”). See “The 2020s for Wi-Fi” for an in-depth explanation of major changes.

The update also refreshes the book for the latest operating system releases: Android 14, iOS 17, iPadOS 17, macOS 14 Sonoma, and Windows 11. (For macOS users, I assume you are using Ventura or later, which replaced System Preferences with System Settings; for Windows users, Windows 11.)

  • Read Me First
    • Updates and More
    • What’s New in the Second Edition
    • Basic Terminology
  • Introduction
  • Wi-Fi Quick Start
  • The 2020s for Wi-Fi
  • Learn Wireless Basics
    • Adapters and Access Points
    • Wi-Fi Spectrum
    • Wi-Fi Standards
  • Pick Wi-Fi Network Gear
    • Make a Plan
    • Build a Standard Network
    • Build a Mesh Network
  • Pick a Wi-Fi Channel
    • Spectrum Trade-Offs
    • Troubleshoot Your Connections
    • Testing from Device to Access Point
  • Configure Your Network
    • Learn About Dynamic Assignment and Private Addresses
    • Get a WAN Address
    • Hand Out LAN Addresses
  • Connect to a Network
    • Connect in macOS
    • Connect in iOS and iPadOS
    • Connect in Windows 11 or Later
    • Connect in Android
  • Connect with a Personal Hotspot
    • How to Share a Personal Hotspot
    • Turn on Hotspot Sharing
    • Connect to a Personal Hotspot
  • Reach Your Network Remotely
    • Know Your Options
    • Map Ports for Remote Access
    • Set a Default Host for Full Access
  • Share Printers and Disks
    • Add a Printer
    • Set Up a Shared Disk
    • Punch Through Automatically
  • Secure Your Network
    • Simple Tricks That Don’t Work
    • Use Built-In Encryption
    • Allow Guest Networking
  • Secure Yourself
    • Protect Particular Services
    • Encrypt Files and Email
    • Umbrella Protection with a VPN
  • Appendix A: What and Where Is a MAC Address?
  • About This Book
    • Ebook Extras
    • About the Author
    • About the Publisher
  • Copyright and Fine Print

Alphabet Soup Replaced with Numbers

Posted by Glenn Fleishman on October 3, 2018

Oct. 3, 2018 — The Wi-Fi Alliance announced it’s shifting from labeling certified products with the technical specifications developed at the IEEE engineering group in favor of a simple generational numbering system. Thus, 802.11n becomes Wi-Fi 4, 802.11ac is now Wi-Fi 5, and the slowly emerging 802.11ax will be known as Wi-Fi 6. The changes aren’t fully retroactive: they’re not going back to earlier specifications than 802.11n, as those are no longer widely in use (although they’re supported through backwards compatibility). But it’s a shorter and easier way to market and explain technology, and to see an obvious numeric progression. A future edition of the book will adopt the new numbering scheme, which will take many months to roll out, as packaging and manuals are updated and redesigned. Older products still sold actively may not be updated at all, too.

1 review for Take Control of Wi-Fi Networking and Security

  1. Duane Mitchell (verified owner) –

    Excellent book. It covers everything I need to know. I consider myself knowledgeable on routing and security to begin with. My older system needs updating and the info in this book helped me choose. I currently have a DD-WRT based system of a router/repeater. I was hoping to see some reference to that type of router but didn’t. I like this nerdy kind of setup where everything is configurable. Alas…it’s probably a book in itself.

    Duane Mitchell

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