Get more from your Wi-Fi network

Take Control of
Wi-Fi Networking and Security

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 1.4 of this book now covers iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and macOS 13 Ventura.

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 16 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?
  • 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?

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.

Covers macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, and Chrome OS.

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 Version 1.4

Since the last version of this book appeared, more Wi-Fi 6E equipment has hit the market, and we’re starting to see a better sense of what it will offer, how much it will cost, and how computer makers will incorporate it. The book is updated throughout with minor changes and additional information related to a growing availability of 6E equipment that uses the 6 GHz frequency band.

This update also includes changes related to the releases of iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and macOS 13 Ventura in the third quarter of 2022, which changed some Wi-Fi related configuration options or the interface related to them. Ventura required a number of changes you’ll find concentrated in “Connect in macOS and Turn on Hotspot Sharing.”

What Was New in Version 1.3

This update included substantial revisions related to the availability of Wi-Fi in the 6-gigahertz band. In 2021, devices shipped with support for that band alongside the older 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands in use for decades. A device that supports the 6 GHz band uses a version of the 802.11ax standard, which the Wi-Fi Alliance has labeled Wi-Fi 6E.

This bandwidth expansion required extension revision throughout the book, notably in the sections “Wi-Fi Spectrum and Wi-Fi Standards” and the chapter “Pick a Wi-Fi Channel.”

This version also includes updates related to the release of iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and macOS 12 Monterey.

  • Read Me First
    • Updates and More
    • What’s New in Version 1.4
    • What Was New in Version 1.3
    • Basic Terminology
  • Introduction
  • Wi-Fi Quick Start
  • 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 10 or Later
    • Connect in Android
    • Connect in Chrome OS
  • 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
    • Punch Through Automatically
    • Set a Default Host for Full Access
  • Share Printers and Disks
    • Add a Printer
    • Set Up a Shared Disk
  • 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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