Wireless

Microsoft Windows 10 will have a number of improvements when it launches tomorrow, including a revamped Start menu, a speedy Microsoft Edge web browser, a built-in Cortana digital assistant and the ability to stream games from an Xbox One console to another device. But there is a controversial feature shipping with Windows 10 called Wi-Fi Sense — which will be enabled by default.

Poor router security puts your network at risk. While we know that running a tight ship starts with router security, what you may not know is some security settings may slow down your entire network.

The primary choices for router-based encryption are WPA2-AES and WPA2-TKIP. Today we’re going to talk a bit about each and show you why AES is the clear winner.

A lack of connectivity options in devices like smartphones is clearly what stops location-based advertising from being the saviour of physical retailing.

That, or something like it, seems to be behind the Wi-Fi Alliance's “Wi-Fi Aware” project, announced at CES in January and now launching its product certification program.

Today, a phone will likely offer multiple methods of mobile connectivity and Wi-Fi, Bluetooth (with Bluetooth LE for beaconing) and NFC.

You probably don’t spend much time thinking about your wireless router—until it stops working, that is. Our inattention to routers has been a security problem for years, most recently last week when Brian Krebs reported that researchers at the Fujitsu Security Operations Center had discovered hundreds of routers were being used to spread a financial fraud malware called Dyre.

After spending a total of 110 hours researching 25 different Wi-Fi extenders (and testing 10 of them), plus analyzing reviews and owner feedback, we found that the $100 Netgear EX6200 is the best Wi-Fi extender for most people right now.  It costs as much as a great router and it shouldn't be the first thing you try to fix your Wi-Fi range, but it has the best combination of range, speed, flexibility, and physical connections of any extender we tested.

Researchers at Oregon State University emerged from their smoke filled labs with a technology that can increase the bandwidth of Wi-Fi systems by 10 times.

The technology, which uses LED lights, can be integrated with existing Wi-Fi systems to reduce bandwidth problems in crowded locations, such as airport terminals or coffee shops.

LED technology developments have made it possible to modulate the LED light rapidly, meaning that a “free space” optical communication system is possible. The system uses inexpensive components.

The evil twin is not just a schlocky plot device for TV crime shows and absurd soap operas, it’s also a threat to your company’s data.

It’s relatively easy for a criminal to set up an evil twin rogue wireless access point that mimics one that your users and visitors connect to, whether on your premises or in a public place, with the intention of stealing usernames and passwords.

The chairman of the youth wing of the Swedish Pirate Party successfully fooled attendees at a major Swedish security and defense conference into connecting to an open Wi-Fi network that he controlled—as a way to protest mass digital surveillance.

According to The Local, an English-language newspaper in Sweden, Gustav Nipe watched earlier this week as around 100 politicians, military officers and journalists logged into a network called “Open Guest” and proceeded to search for various non-work-related things including “forest hikes” and monitor eBay auctions.

Security cameras aren't a new product category for D-Link, but the company has just announced an addition to the lineup -- the $120 HD Wi-Fi Camera (model number DCS-935L).

The DCS-935L claims to deliver a 720p resolution, a 78-degree horizontal field of view, night vision with a 16-foot range and integration with the Mydlink app on your Android, iOS or Windows device.

MAC address filtering allows you to define a list of devices and only allow those devices on your Wi-Fi network. That’s the theory, anyway. In practice, this protection is tedious to set up and easy to breach.

This is one of the Wi-Fi router features that will give you a false sense of security. Just using WPA2 encryption is enough. Some people like using MAC address filtering, but it’s not a security feature.