The Lance J. Technoweb

I have a love/hate relationship with the TP-Link DECO X20 . I have a few of these set up in other peoples' homes. There are the things that I love about the X20, but they have serious limitations that I strongly dislike. I would recommend them to some people, but I would never buy one for my own home. Here are the details why. Overview The Deco X20 is a cute-looking WiFi6 (802.11ax) mesh router system. You can buy them in one , two , or three node packs. You can add more nodes later if you wish. One of my setups is a three node system, and one is a two node system.  It might be wisest to buy the three pack and sell off any nodes you don't need. Each node is a dual radio device, with optional Ethernet back-haul. Each node has two Ethernet ports that can be used for wan uplink, lan, or client device They look like pretty little cylinders with an external power brick. The Good These are stupidly easy to set up. There is very little configuration that needs to happen. They are pre...

I have several MikroTik RB952Ui hAP AC Lite routers.  They're located in closets, basements, attics, and on desktops.  Each location results in different needs in terms of power.  Happily, the hAP AC Lite is quite flexible when it comes to power.  Here I document the three different ways I have powered my MikroTik AC Lite routers. Power Solutions: Active PoE+ Splitter, Passive PoE Injector, and Standard wall adapter Standard Power: MikroTik (or aftermarket) Wall Wart The default way to power the AC Lite is by using its standard "barrel-style" power port, which is far more flexible than your typical router.  The AC Lite accepts power between 10 and 24VDC.  When using the MikroTik in a desktop configuration, I use the stock 24 volt MikroTik power adapter .  The stock adapter output specifications are as follows: 24 VDC 1200 mA  2.1mm barrel Center Positive  Passive Power-over-Ethernet solution: TP-Link Power Injector Sometimes it is useful to ...

I recently upgraded my current home Internet infrastructure with a Mikrotik Routerboard router.  My legacy WiFi equipment had been based exclusively on 802.11n, which still works well but is now two generations old.  I decided to upgrade with a " MikroTik RB952 hAP AC Lite " router, in hopes that it becomes my "personal standard" for home networking. The MikroTik home router is small, inexpensive (under $50), and highly configurable.  It is reasonably modern, with an 802.11ac radio. It runs MikroTik's RouterOS operating system, which is comprehensive, frequently updated, and provides far more capability than I need.  It also seems to be possible to run OpenWRT on this router . I was using Apple Airport routers (easy, capable, reliable, but no longer manufactured) and GL.iNet's OpenWRT based routers (flexible and inexpensive, but mine were the 2.4 GHz only models).  They all served me well with no complaints.  I figured that now was the time to try somethin...

I have two buildings on my property, and I wanted to bring Internet to my garage without pulling a wire. Previously I was using the barely-adequate reach of my house's WiFi, but it was just a little too far and it would drop frequently enough to be painful. My solution is a WiFi Directional access point - the TP-Link CP210. I chose the CP-210 because it was inexpensive. It only supports the 2.4 GHz band, but my goal was quality over performance. In all, it does this job perfectly. I mounted the CP-210 in my attic because it was easier to install that way. If I really wanted to I could mount it on the outside, but that means drilling holes and climbing a ladder and other things that I don't want to do. After all, it works great from inside - an outside mount isn't going to give me anything more except more work. I simply pointed the CP-210's antenna to my garage and that was it. Easy and effective. The CP-210 has a bunch of useful configuration options - it isn't jus...

I love my GL.iNet Mini routers, but one issue I have with them is that they are so small that they are hard to mount on a wall. Yes, I could buy a specialty bracket, but it seems like there is a faster and cheaper way.  Enter my solution: A home-made bracket that can be made in minutes using heavy paper or transparency film. A little cutting and folding and tape, and in minutes I have a reasonably robust router mount. Homemade GL.iNet Router Bracket Creating the Bracket The PDF document allows for four brackets to be created from a single 8.5" x 11" sheet of card stock. That's far less than penny for numerous brackets. Win! Here is the process after you download the PDF document: Print it on heavy card stock or on plastic film. Cut out the shaded areas with scissors or a sharp knife.  Cut on bold lines. Fold on the dotted lines Use some tape and/or glue to make a little box that you can tack or staple to the wall Bracket ready to be glued or taped together I find these ...

For the past 7+ years I have been running the same class of WiFi equipment: The Apple Airport Express N v2. I have been exceedingly successful of running these routers.  They are rock-solid devices, and they support many more channels than the typical expensive "prosumer" routers, since the Airport Express supports DFS.  Why did the tech press slam the Airport Express as being "overpriced and under-powered"?  Because the tech press is filled with idiots. How awesome is DFS?  Let me tell you. I live in the city where there are 40+ visible WiFi access points in my vicinity.  Each of these routers are all trying to scream over one another to be heard. There are only really 6 or so non-overlapping WiFi channels (2.4GHz and 5 GHz).  Each of the standard channels have at least 5 visible access points. Except the DFS channels, which no one seems to use. So when I boot up MY Airport Express, it lands on Channel 52, where there is literally no competition.  My ...

I have been happily buying and installing GL.iNet routers for a several years now, so I guess I should document why I like them so much. I mostly use GL.iNet routers to wirelessly bridge networks together.  They are highly configurable, programmable, reliable, and affordable. Figure 1: Using an MT300N to bridge two distinct networks together How I got started with GL.Inet routers. Prior to my GL.iNet purchases, I was buying inexpensive routers from Netgear and Trendnet that could support DD-WRT.  DD-WRT is cool because it can amp up basic WiFi router hardware with a  reasonably capable operating system on top.  Sadly, DD-WRT isn't always a dream to work with.  I found myself wasting a lot of time with DD-WRT. While planning out the networking for my new home office, I stumbled on the GL.iNet router series and figured it'd be good to give one a try.  After all, they're extraordinarily inexpensive. Now, 4+ years later, I can say that it was a...

Aftermarket Brick for my Airport Extreme I have two Airport Extremes, but one was without its power adapter.  It was lost in transport, and Apple-original Extreme AC adapters are very expensive. Instead of having a useless paperweight around, I decided to buy an aftermarket adapter that meets all the specifications. Modern USB power bricks are great, but only recently could they provide enough power for something like a high-end WiFi router.  And sadly, there are many unscrupulous sellers that sell inexpensive "Extreme compatible" bricks for a premium.  I decided that I wanted an affordable adapter. The Specs of the Original The A1202 Power Adapter Specs Label I was lucky enough to have an original Extreme power brick, the Apple A1202 adapter that came with my other Extreme.  I read the specs, I tested it with my multimeter, and I measured the physical connector with my micrometer!  This is what I found: 12 Volts DC 1.8 Amps (per label) Center pin is positi...

My WiFi performance was suffering, and so I decided to do something about it and upgrade my router. When I say my WiFi performance was suffering, I really mean it:  I live in a large high-rise apartment building and there are 100+ WiFi access points visible from my home office.  All of the contentious traffic was severely curtailing my WiFi reliability.  I was lucky to get 1 Mbit/second throughput.  Sometimes I was lucky to stay connected even with my WiFi router in the same room. I decided it was time to go for 5 GHz, which is a WiFi band which is used less frequently and which has a tougher time traversing walls.  And of course I wanted DD-WRT support.  The set of features I was looking for included: Trouble-free DD-WRT support 5 GHz 802.11n Support Simultaneous dual band capability Inexpensive.  Maybe even cheap.  For me this means under $50.  Under $35 is even better! It sounds like an easy task to bring all this together: A...

I recently visited my dad while on a business trip when I coincidentally discovered that DD-WRT is now available for his TEW-652. The TEW-652BRP has been a great router for my father, but it isn't what I'd call "feature rich". An upgrade to DD-WRT is a big bonus. I live 2500 miles away from my non-technical father, and so a well-specified router that helps me manage his network remotely is important to both of us. This article will explain what I did to finally get DD-WRT working on my TEW-652BRP v1.0R. About the TEW-652brp It's a nice looking little black 802.11n, 2.5 GHz router. It was amazingly inexpensive (usually way under $30), and  the TEW-652brp is available through Amazon. Mine is a version 1.0R, you'll likely want the same version. Out of the box, it works quite well - it has been stable, and I was fairly happy with the stock firmware. But it was short on features - I like having VPN, SSH, and flexible DHCP services on the home netwo...

I get a lot of people asking me to look at their computer because it has become "slow". Sometimes I find an old PC that can't keep up with these modern times, or a malware infested Windows box that needs a complete reimaging. But often times I find that the performance problem isn't in the computer at all. Instead, the performance problem is in the home network. If your computer seems to be behaving slowly, you might want to try the following easy speed tips. Do some initial network analysis Before you being, test your Internet service's performance and compare it with what your provider promises. I use the performance tests at speedtest.net quite often. Keep a log of your typical performance. If you can, try speed test both wirelessly, and wired via an Ethernet cable. Compare the performance numbers you see with the speeds promised by your ISP. Restart your Wireless Router. A wireless router is actually a small, specialized computer with a bunch of network...

I recently upgraded my Belkin F5D7230-4 v2000 802.11g router with DD-WRT. For those not familiar with DD-WRT: It's alternative software for a large number of routers. This replacement firmware provides a boatload of features and capabilities that let you maximize your router's potential. After all, the core of a router is a computer. I didn't have much luck with it with the original Belkin-provided firmware. But with DD-WRT it has been fantastic: fast and stable, with a good range of features. I was surprised that router is supported by DD-WRT - the v2000 has a limited amount of memory, but sure enough it was on the official support list. With only 2 MB of on-board flash storage, it can't do everything. But with DD-WRT it can do way more than many new, expensive routers. Limitations of the V2000 with DD-WRT You should know that there is a limitation with this particular router and DD-WRT. For technical reasons, the old "Cable Modem" port doesn't work. ...