This is Technology Bytes, episode 82, for September 29th, 2024.

Technology Bytes is a microcast where I share brief bytes on interesting technology.

Enjoy, and here we go.

So in general, as you already know, in this microcast, I talk about technology that I’ve used or that I’m using, that I enjoy using, and just expand on that a little bit, my initial thoughts on things, my ideas about how to use it, how to get the most out of technology.

But today I’m going to talk about a technology that I use, but in a different scenario, I guess, and what I would like to do, what I’m having problems with, those kind of things, while I talk out potential solutions for my Wi-Fi.

Yes, today we are talking Wi-Fi.

So when I say that it’s a technology that I’m not using, it really is not true, because I have Wi-Fi in my house and I use it every day, and I stream content, I look up information, I record and publish a podcast.

So that’s kind of weird that I say it’s a technology that I’m not using.

But really what I’m talking about is some options for maybe improving my Wi-Fi with things that I haven’t used before.

And there are two paths that I could take, I think.

One is to get a better router.

Right now I’m just using what comes with Cox in the service that I purchase, and I know it’s not the best of routers.

I used to use an Apple router until they stopped making them.

But maybe one good router would be enough.

I don’t have a big place.

It is two stories.

I struggle with Internet reaching my master bedroom, and I get, yeah, just problems with Wi-Fi that far from my router, although the signal looks to be good.

So there’s one path, a good router, stronger signal, more coverage in my house.

And then the second option that I was thinking about is kind of a mid-tier mesh.

I don’t obviously need Wi-Fi 7.

I do have a new iPhone that I think has a Wi-Fi 7 radio, but I’m not sure spending that money is necessary.

I’ve never used a mesh system.

I’ve tried to fake it before, but it really didn’t work.

And so I was looking at maybe a three-piece system as a mesh, something on the lower end that I can more easily afford, and using that maybe to make my Wi-Fi stronger.

So why is this a problem?

Well, there’s a few things that have happened in the last week or so.

And, well, for a while, the Wi-Fi coverage in my bedroom is not as strong as I would like it to be.

We’re still able to stream content on our TV through the Apple TV.

I’m still able to read news on my iPad.

But very often we just have connectivity problems.

And I’m not really sure why because it looks like the signal is strong, but the actual signal that comes to our devices seems to be problematic.

And so trying to improve that is something that I think would be good.

And then the other thing that just started happening, so I have a lot of smart stuff in my home.

I’ve told you about that before.

One of the things that I have is a smart garage door opener.

And if the Wi-Fi is bad in my bedroom, you can imagine that it’s not super good in my garage.

And then what happens generally is that’s not that big a problem because we can connect to our home through the Internet.

And so when we leave the garage, we can interact on our phones with our smart home and do the things, close the garage is the main thing, but locking outside doors and those kind of things as well.

And for some reason, I have AT&T as a service, and for some reason they have disappeared at my home.

I don’t know why.

I don’t know why it would change.

I change phones, but that’s not the reason.

My wife has the same phone.

We just aren’t connecting, and I don’t know what AT&T did.

I don’t understand why it’s changed, but those problems have led me to think about how I can improve my Wi-Fi coverage.

With the mesh system, if I put something in the living room, I put something at the front door, I put maybe something at the top of the stairs, then that might give me good coverage throughout the home and even out into my garage and maybe out in front of my garage so that as my wife pulls out, she’s still connected to the home and can do the things that we need to do when we leave.

So again, two options, a stronger Wi-Fi router or a good mid-tier mesh.

So I’ve mentioned what I need, not need, but what I would desire, I guess, from a Wi-Fi signal and how I might get to that so that I can improve the coverage that I have at the moment.

And one of the ideas behind that, getting another router, whether you go the mesh route or whether you just get a stronger router with a better, stronger Wi-Fi signal, is everything in my house is connected to my current Wi-Fi system.

And I think, and just talking this through, that I think I can set up another wireless router, give it the same SSID that I use currently, hardwire it in with the Ethernet cable to my router, my modem from, it’s a modem router combo, from Cox.

So now I’ve got a hardwire to a better wireless system that provides Wi-Fi to the house and then turn off the Wi-Fi radio in the modem router from Cox.

And I think if I do it that way, then it will not interrupt any of my service that I currently have with all my smart devices, with all my Apple TVs, with my phones and iPads and all those kinds of things.

And I hope I’m right about that if I end up going down one or the other of these paths.

So I’ve told you the problem.

I told you what my desire is.

And then I want to talk a little.

Oh, yeah.

And I told you how I think I would make it happen from a technology point of view.

But what is the dream?

Well, I would really, if I had the money, like to have a mesh system in my house, only because I’ve never used one before.

I think it would be an interesting technology to try.

It still is a little bit expensive, but I think it would provide what I want.

And just another toy to play with is always kind of fun.

But it is also money that maybe I don’t need to spend at this time.

Maybe there’s a better solution that you are thinking of at this moment.

Who knows?

But oftentimes I spend money on dreams and desires when there is maybe a just as good a solution as I’m trying to consider with what I have.

So, for instance, maybe I could more centrally locate my Cox router so that it has more central access to the entire home.

The problem with that is that I end up having to put cables in places that make it unappealing.

And right now everything can be kind of concentrated in the living room hub, kind of at least semi hidden by the TV stand and those kind of things.

And maybe that’s the struggle.

But also there’s a cost that goes with it.

Mesh systems are more expensive.

I think I get a good, strong, signaled, single point router that would do much better than the Cox router that I have and maybe solve the problem.

But it’s not that much fun to play with.

And I think having a mesh would be nice or would be fun.

I don’t know if it’s necessary.

Maybe it’s nice as well.

So anyway, that’s the thoughts for this week of Wi-Fi issues.

Actually, it is technology I’m using, but looking to change to something I haven’t used in quite some time and trying to decide what’s the best path for me.

So that is all I have for today.

If you have comments, suggestions or questions, you can send them to technologybytes at merigfamily.com.

As always, I want to thank you for listening to the Technology Bytes microcast and I look forward to the next time we are together taking another bite of technology.