Choosing a New Internet Provider?

Be sure you ask the right questions.

I’ve gotten a couple of calls in recent months from family and friends who have changed providers and suddenly found themselves without Wi-Fi. I always start by asking them the same questions;

Does your new router/cable modem have Wi-Fi? To which they usually answer; how can I tell?

Okay, did your new provider leave you with Wi-Fi credentials, ie: SSID and WEP Key/Password, and if not, is that info listed on the router’s label? The answer to this is usually; hmmm, there’s a lot of numbers on the label…

At this point I politely cut them off and say; I’m going to need to stop by. When I do, I often find that their new gear doesn’t support Wi-Fi, and it seems to happen most often when people switch over to Comcast.

I’ve got Verizon FiOS at home, and you know what they say; once you go glass, you never go back, but some people don’t have that option. If your only choice is between Verizon DSL and Comcast Broadband, sooner or later you’re going to make the switch to Broadband.

The problem is, Verizon provides Wi-Fi with all of their products; get internet service, get Wi-Fi. With Comcast, it seems you need to specifically ask for Wi-Fi, as their standard cable modem doesn’t have built in Wi-Fi, only their “Advanced Wireless Gateway” does, and if you don’t ask, oh well…

Smart phones, tablets, laptops, smart TV’s, we’ve become very dependant on Wi-Fi these days. It’s become ubiquitous, something we expect and take for granted. Data invisibly streaming all over the place; it’s amazing when you stop to think about it.

Whoosh; there go our Thanksgiving pictures on their way up to my wife’s iPad, buzzing past me as I sit wirelessly streaming my iTunes library to my entertainment center. It’s a brave new world.

As I said, we really take it for granted, until someone pulls the plug, that is. When the Wi-Fi goes down, or you lose it when you switch providers, it’s a real problem, but not an insurmountable one.

Comcast will ship you their Wireless Gateway, for a fee, if you find yourself in this position and you call and complain, or you can just set up your own Wi-Fi router, which I recommend. It’s relatively easy, and is a more flexible solution for homes/businesses that present Wi-Fi coverage difficulties.

Below are some links to previous posts on both our website and blog that will help you setup and tweak your basic home network and boost your Wi-Fi signal, but the most important takeaway here is; when you’re thinking of switching providers, ask them if they provide Wi-Fi.


Choosing a provider

Setting up a home network

Wireless Network Settings and Solutions

Wi-Fi Security - Disabling SSID Broadcast

If you're using Wi-Fi in your home or business you should make sure you take the proper steps to safeguard your network and computers. While many people enable WEP and Authentication on their routers, it's just not enough.

There are always people scanning for available Wi-Fi networks (think about the last time you were on vacation, you were probably scanning for available networks yourself!), and if they can find yours and they're smart enough, they can break in. Here's a few simple tips to help you keep war drivers, and the neighbors, out.

First thing you want to do is change your router's admin password. Every manufacturer has a default password, and every unit they ship is configured with it, so when you're doing the router's initial setup, change it. While this won't keep interlopers from using your network, it will prevent them from getting into the router and changing it's settings.

The next thing you want to do is enable WEP and Authentication. This will encrypt your data and will only allow systems with the right "Key" to access the network. For more information on WEP and other security protocols you should visit the Wi-Fi Alliance web site. You can find a brief overview of WLANS and their recommended security practices here.

The last step is to change the SSID (Service Set Identifier) and turn off it's broadcast. This is the step many users miss.

The SSID is the name of your network, and just like the router's admin password, they all ship with the manufacturers default setting enabled. When you scan for available networks on your computer, it's the name you see pop up on the list. Usually you will see the manufacturers name, D-Link, Netgear or something similar. Sometimes you'll see something clever like jimsnetwork or maryjane. Don't do this. Not only are you making it easy for someone to figure out, you're also broadcasting your personal information to anyone with a Wi-Fi enabled device in your vicinity. I see routers in my neighborhood that are either set to the default SSID, or someones name, and they're unsecured. Don't be these people.

Change it to something random, like bLtzpHk8, and be sure to make a note of it and keep it somewhere safe, preferably with your router's documentation.

Next, you want to turn off SSID Broadcast. This setting is usually on the performance tab of the router's setup. Once you disable broadcast, people will see only the manufacturer's name when they scan, not the real SSID, and they won't be able to connect. You'll have to enter the correct SSID in your computer or phone's Wi-Fi setup to be able to see or connect to the router.

Simple but secure.