Wi-Fi Assist is an interesting new feature in iOS 9 that aims to prevent connectivity issues by automatically switching to a cellular data connection when a user’s Wi-Fi signal gets too weak. While this will be helpful and appreciated my the majority of users, there are some cases where Wi-Fi Assist will do more harm than good. Here’s why you may want to disable Wi-Fi Assist and how you can do it.
How to Find the MAC Address of Your iPhone or iPad
Most users never need to worry about their device’s MAC address, but if you need to connect to a secure network, limit the connectivity of your own home network, or simply troubleshoot a network problem, you’ll need to find your device’s MAC address. Here’s how to find the MAC address on the iPhone and iPad.
The BearExtender Turbo Brings 802.11ac Wi-Fi to Older Macs
Apple introduced 802.11ac Wi-Fi to the Mac last year, but you needed to buy a new Mac to enjoy the standard’s improved speed and features. Now any recent Mac can connect to an 802.11ac network with the BearExtender Turbo, an external USB Wi-Fi device. Read on for our full review and benchmarks.
Quantenna Plans 10 Gigabit Wi-Fi Chipset for 2015
Wi-Fi speeds may soon easily surpass consumer-level wired networking, according to wireless manufacturer Quantenna Communications. The company this week unveiled plans to release a new Wi-Fi chipset in 2015 that can reach a theoretical maximum of 10 gigabits per second, nearly eight times faster than the maximum theoretical speed offered by current 802.11ac Wi-Fi implementations.
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How to Change a Network Location in Windows 8
Windows 8, like its predecessor, uses broad “location” categories to help users configure appropriate network settings. When users first connect to a network on their PC, they can choose to categorize the connection as either “Home,” “Work,” or “Public,” with each choice increasing the default security and limiting sharing options. “Home” and “Work” are considered “private” connections while “Public” is, as its name suggests, considered a “public” connection. These categories can be very helpful for quickly configuring PCs on new…
802.11ac Routers Compared: Apple, Belkin, Netgear & Linksys
When Apple released its 2013 updates to the AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule Wi-Fi routers in June, the company added support for the latest and fastest wireless standard, 802.11ac. Our first look at the 802.11ac AirPort Extreme showed very promising performance, with speeds nearing 550 megabits per second in some scenarios, a result that was nearly five times faster than the preceding 802.11n standard. But Apple was not the first to the next-gen Wi-Fi game. Although 802.11ac won’t be finalized…
Pure Speed: 2013 802.11ac AirPort Extreme Benchmarks
Update: In addition to the AirPort Extreme tests, below, we now also have performance benchmarks comparing the AirPort to other 802.11ac-class routers from Belkin, Netgear, and Linksys. After our initial AirPort Extreme and MacBook Air demonstrated hardware problems, we waited several days to obtain replacements, which have finally arrived. While we still have much more planned in terms of reviewing the new AirPort Extreme, we wanted to get you some preliminary bandwidth numbers as quickly as possible, so here are our…