Updated! Version 2.0 of this book explicitly covers iOS 17, iPadOS 17, macOS 14 Sonoma, and Windows 11, and it’s still almost entirely accurate for iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS 15 Sequoia.
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 18 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?
- Is a mesh network a good idea—and if so, what do I need to know?
- 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?
- What’s different about the latest standards—Wi-Fi 6E, Wi-Fi 7, and 802.11be?
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).
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.
About Glenn Fleishman
Take Control Books Executive Editor Glenn Fleishman spent 30 years writing for publications like The Atlantic, Fast Company, The Economist, The New York Times, Macworld, and TidBITS. Glenn now focuses his time on Take Control Books, Six Colors (as a columnist), and his own micro-publishing endeavor, Aperiodical, where he writes books about type, printing, comics, and language history, like Six Centuries of Type & Printing and How Comics Are Made. You can find Glenn on Mastodon and Bluesky. Reach him by email at glenn@glennf.com.
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