In this episode, we sit down with Eva, a support product specialist at Cisco Meraki, who shares her unique role bridging the gap between network support and engineering. We delve into the importance of having a solid networking foundation, the need for adaptability in the ever-evolving tech landscape, and the value of continuous learning and certifications. Eva also gives us insights into her career journey, transitioning from network engineering to Wi-Fi deployments, and how she’s leveraging...

https://youtu.be/Y3hkhyuU70s In this episode of the “Wi-Fi Hardware and Devices” series, we dive into the essential Wi-Fi tools that every network professional should keep in their bag. We’ll discuss various categories of tools, including Wi-Fi scanners, survey kits, packet capture tools, and protocol analyzers. We’ll explore popular options in each category, such as Wi-Fi Explorer Pro, Ekahau Analyzer, NetAlly AirCheck G3, and Wireshark. Additionally, we’ll cover the...

https://youtu.be/kxdC9IkIbLI In this episode of the “Wi-Fi Hardware and Devices” series, we explore why Wi-Fi devices aren’t all the same. We discuss the various factors that contribute to the differences in Wi-Fi devices and how these differences impact network performance and deployment. Key Points: * Wi-Fi devices are built for different purposes, leading to variations in their design and capabilities. * Access Points (APs) differ in: * Form factors...

In this episode, we discuss choosing the right Wi-Fi antennas for enterprise environments. The main topics covered include: * Types of antennas used in enterprise Wi-Fi: * Omnidirectional antennas * Directional antennas * Understanding antenna patterns: * Elevation and Azimuth * Beamwidth * When to use different antenna types: * Omnidirectional antennas for most environments * Directional antennas for high ceilings and high-density...

In this episode of Clear To Send, François Vergès and Rowell Dionicio provide an in-depth overview of Wi-Fi access points. They delve into their evolution, form factors, and how different models cater to varying user needs. They start by discussing the importance of understanding the functionality of your Wi-Fi access points and how they fit within the overall network architecture. They then dive into specific models, including the Juniper Mist AP45, Cisco AP 9166D1, Cisco AP 9120,...

In this episode of Clear To Send, François and Rowell dive into the world of Wi-Fi security and encryption as part of our “Back to Basics” series. We break down the evolution of Wi-Fi security, from the outdated and unsafe methods to the current gold standards. Here’s what we cover: * A brief history of Wi-Fi security, including the now-obsolete WEP and WPA (TKIP) methods * Current security techniques: WPA2 (PSK and Enterprise) and WPA3 (SAE and Enterprise) *...

https://youtu.be/F-jrkxog6NA In this episode of Clear To Send, François Vergès and Rowell Dionicio dive into the topic of optimizing Wi-Fi performance and coverage. As part of our “Back to Basics” series, we explore various strategies and best practices to enhance your wireless network’s efficiency. Key points discussed in this episode include: * Coverage optimization: * Why more power isn’t always better * The importance of choosing the right...

https://youtu.be/8u0hXi-tMIk Meter is going one step beyond AI chat bots with their product Command. It’s a generative UI that goes beyond command line interface and adds visuals to create custom dashboards using a natural language interaction. A network operator can make queries for their network, configure SSIDs, new networks, and other network changes by using plain English. Meter Command allows a network operator to be highly efficient and productive. A simple...

Wi-Fi 7 is just around the corner. It offers new features and complexities to help increase throughput and maintain low latency. In this episode, we’re joined by Arista Networks who gives us a run down on the different versions of MLO. With their testing, they’ve seen a few versions of MLO being used. As well as seeing when MLO gets triggered and how much throughput you can acquire when connecting to the same AP on different bands. For stability, Arista Networks displays how...

https://youtu.be/z-goZs5Z7aY Meraki starts with telling us the Wi-Fi trifecta of readiness. That is Regulatory/specs/certifications, Clients, and Infrastructure. You need all of this. And when you have all of this in place, Meraki adds useful features for the network operator. Features such as Proactive PCAP and Root Cause Analysis. This isn’t just a PCAP file you download. Meraki goes further to tell you what is wrong within the PCAP and what potential solution...

Fortinet has had a strong portfolio. They’ve been able to show all the solutions that are pertinent to a secure Wi-Fi network at every Mobility Field Day they’ve attended. This one is no different. Their end-to-end solutions make it easy for any organization to select Fortinet. It’s no shock that they’ve been able to develop a Wi-Fi 7 access point. But now they’re diving into Firewall as a Service while still providing the flexibility for any organization to migrate between the...

https://youtu.be/I6KASVEiCag Rowell and Jussi discussed the integration and functionality of a new live view feature in Hamina. Jussi explained that the feature pulls data from the vendor, including details such as AP locations, maps, transmit powers, and more, to create a more accurate network coverage prediction. The discussion also touched on the system’s ability to account for environmental factors like wall attenuation, with Jussi noting that the system’s accuracy in this area...

In this episode, we’re speaking with Anil Varanasi – the CEO at Meter. He’s an engineer that set out to solve an infrastructure problem with his brother, Sunil. Meter, founded in 2015, is a Network as a Service company that provides end-to-end networking solutions. From firewalls, to switches, and Wi-Fi – they provide the infrastructure for businesses so they can do what they do best. Their purpose is to build great beautiful networking that combines products and services into a...

Live demos are awesome to see. And when executed very well it is impressive. Arista Networks came to Mobility Field Day 11 ready to wow the delegates. With a Wi-Fi 7 access point in the room and a Google Pixel phone, they were able to show how MLO works in Wi-Fi 7. From their dashboard, it showed how the phone was associated to both 5 GHz and 6 GHz channel on a single access point. In addition to MLO, they also showed a demo of how puncturing would work. An interference...

https://youtu.be/nCLoqCq-1CM Rowell was fortunate to be a delegate for Mobility Field Day (MFD) 11 which was located in Santa Clara, CA. Juniper Networks was the first presenter at MFD11 and just like in previous MFD events, there were many announcements and new features coming to the Mist dashboard. A lot of the discussion does revolve around Marvis and the AI capability. Marvis Minis weren’t announce too long ago for access points and now they will be extended to providing...

In episode 333 of the CTS podcast, your hosts François Vergès and Rowell Dionicio delve deep into understanding Wi-Fi channels and frequencies. During the podcast, they discuss the intricacies of Wi-Fi channel operations and the science behind the frequencies used in Wi-Fi connections. This episode is a treasure trove of knowledge for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of Wi-Fi operations in depth. They also talk about the Automatic Frequency Coordination (AFC) in the...

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...

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...

https://youtu.be/YP_AQXx0nbo 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.

https://youtu.be/Q9SFPY2Xzpw 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...

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...

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...

https://youtu.be/z-DsCKoUSMc 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...

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...