The Digital Experience Podcast Video: Recent Episodes
7Signal
Join us as we discuss everything from access points to endpoints and the wireless experiences of everything in between. As the leader in wireless experience monitoring, 7SIGNAL delivers insight into wireless networks and control over Wi-Fi performance so businesses and organizations can thrive. Learn more about us at 7signal.com.
This session is all about YOU! We are bringing 7SIGNAL's panel of Wi-Fi experts to answer any and all questions you may have about Wi-Fi installs and design.
Our panel:
Jim Vajda, Chief Wireless Officer | CWNE #183 Christopher Couch, Sr. Sales Engineer | CWNA
For most of the history of enterprise Wi-Fi, data rates were a good indicator of link quality and over-the-air speed. But with the advent of 802.11ax, all of that has changed. It's time to look past the data rate to something that's actually even simpler once it's understood, MCS.
Jim Vajda, Chief Wireless Officer at 7SIGNAL, will help you understand the new problems with data rates, what MCS is and how to use it, and why MCS should replace data rate in your Wi-Fi vocabulary going forward.
We are thrilled to welcome Keith Parsons back to the panelist table for our next episode. Keith, CWNE #3, is the founder of WLAN Pros and has earned over 60 networking certifications. He is considered one of the world's top authorities on all things Wi-Fi.
Troubleshooting will always be a part of Wi-Fi. In this session, Keith will be walking through 5 tips you can give end users to make problem-solving a little easier.
This year's F1 Dutch Grand Prix saw over 300,000 people. The small track, which holds a capacity of 10K people, will expand to hold a capacity of over 70K. While guest Wi-Fi isn't offered at the event, how are all the press, vendors, and staff supposed to stay connected? You guessed it... a temporary Wi-Fi network infrastructure will be installed.
For this week's session of the Wi-Fi Best Practices Webinar Series, we are thrilled to welcome Raymond Hendrix, CWNE #274. Raymond worked with the Wi-Fi team at the G1 Dutch GP to set up the temporary network that vendors, press, and staff will use during the massive event. So, how was it done? Register to find out!
This... is Dirty Jobs... Wi-Fi edition! We're excited to bring Scott McNeil, Industrial Network and Security Architect, to talk about some of the messiest Wi-Fi jobs he has worked.
During the session, we'll be taking you to some of Scott's industrial site projects to analyze and assess Wi-Fi performance. Then, we'll discuss what fixes he implemented to keep on-site devices connected.
We are thrilled to welcome Keith Parsons back to the panelist table for his session on client roaming data. Keith, CWNE #3, is the founder of WLAN Pros and has earned over 60 networking certifications. He is considered one of the world's top authorities on all things Wi-Fi.
During this episode, Keith will be walking us through a conversation about the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands and their coverage. We'll also be unpacking why and how to design an upgrade to 6GHz.
If you’ve worked in Wi-Fi for any amount of time, you’ve no doubt heard the same best practices and must-do rules that have to be followed for successful wireless. But what happens when the real-world intervenes you have to break those rules?
Hint: It may not be the end of the world.
In this session we discuss these, and more:
- Rigid best practices that often have to be violated
- What REALLY happens to the WLAN when you break the rules
- How to think smarter about real-world wireless when you can’t be textbook-perfect
More than a decade ago, the alarm was sounded because hacking via public Wi-Fi was shown to be very easy and very effective, but things have changed a lot since then.
Jim Vajda, CWNE #183 will make the case that, for most people today, fear of public Wi-Fi is unfounded, and the IT industry's narrow focus on Wi-Fi security misses the broader picture of end-to-end network security. Let's stop the FUD about public Wi-Fi!
In this podcast, we are welcoming back our resident antenna expert, Mike Graham! In this session, we are going to be reviewing our refreshed Antenna Selection and Positioning Guide!
What we'll discuss:
- Antennas 101
- Selecting antenna types
- External antennas
- Antenna placement best practices
- Coverage versus capacity
- Site surveys and RF planning
- How to continuously monitor antenna performance
We are thrilled to welcome Keith Parsons back to the panelist table for his session on client roaming data. Keith, CWNE #3, is the founder of WLAN Pros and has earned over 60 networking certifications. He is considered one of the world's top authorities on all things Wi-Fi!
During this episode, Keith will be walking us through an analysis of client roaming data from empirical evidence.
What you can expect to learn:
- What we see from real client Wi-Fi connections
- What are the ratios between 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax clients in the real world
- Are there differences in MCS rates between different PHY types?
- What might be possible for your own Wi-Fi clients?
- Why we use MCS as a great metric to see clients self-report on their RF environment
In this episode, we are joined by special guest, Bryan Seely, a U.S. marine and world-famous hacker who successfully wire-tapped the U.S. Secret Service and FBI.
This session is a continuation of Bryan’s last session, which was all about wireless security in 2022 and beyond.
Lee Badman is BACK! This time he's here to unpack Wi-Fi 6E.
The 6 GHz band has been open for business since 2020, Wi-Fi 6E AP's are available from all the major enterprise vendors, and many clients are deployed in the wild as well. So, what should we be worried about? Lee Badman is here to talk it out.
In high user density Wi-Fi environments (stadium, arena, campus) a multitude of issues can arise to negatively impact the digital experience of your users.
In this episode, we'll uncover the common problems that can arise and discuss proactive strategies to prevent them.
In this session of the Best Practices Podcast Series, Eric Camulli is back to talk at-home Wi-Fi! Are you considering upgrading your router? Especially for those of us who work from home, having a strong connection is critical.
What we'll discuss:
- Capabilities and limitations
- What to consider before purchase
- Value: Is it worth the money?
Application requirements are at the foundation of WLAN design, validation, and ongoing support. If you don’t know the specific technical requirements being put on your WLAN, how do you know if it is working well enough? Join us for this webinar, and we'll put you in the know.
Some topics we'll cover:
- The importance of application requirements
- Typical application requirements for voice, real-time applications, location services, and high density
- Usage in design and validation
- Measuring SLA’s with Sapphire Eye
- Real use cases
- And more!
Our best practices podcast series gives you actionable information you can use immediately to find and fix Wi-Fi issues.
Jack is back! 7SIGNAL's Jack Clifford is back with us to lead a session all about Wi-Fi channel utilization.
What we'll discuss:
- What is channel utilization?
- Common causes of high channel utilization
- Ways of mitigating high channel utilization
- Using Sapphire Eye to monitor and visualize channel utilization
Everything you wanted to know about WLAN but were too afraid to ask!
Organizations spend millions of dollars on their wireless networks, but very few understand how they really work. With Wi-Fi 6/6E and network refreshes starting to become more popular, it's now to time your entire team understands how WLAN really works and why it should be monitored and secured. This extends to the home networks of your ever-growing remote worker population as well.
Topics you'll learn about:
- How Wi-Fi works
- Root cause of Wi-Fi issues
- Licensed & unlicensed bands
- Channel planning
- Types of interference
- And more!
Welcome back to another session of 7SIGNAL's Best Practices Podcast Series!
This time we will be led by 7SIGNAL's Chris Couch, a Senior Sales Engineer with 7SIGNAL, who joined our team in November 2021. He brings 20+ years of systems and network engineering experience.
Chris will be leading a discussion on wireless connectivity for iOS devices. We'll take a look into Wi-Fi performance analytics to determine performance issues and what can be done to optimize it.
Welcome back for another session of the Best Practices Webinar Series! This time, we are joined by 7SIGNAL's Tuomas Aaltonen for this session on 802.11 management frames.
During the episode, we will give an overview of 802.11 management frames and their role in how a Wi-Fi network functions. We will dive into some of the common management frame types and what information they provide for Wi-Fi stations.
The 6 GHz band has been open for business since 2020, Wi-Fi 6E AP's are available from all the major enterprise vendors, and many clients are deployed in the wild as well. So what's next?
In this episode, 7SIGNAL Chief Wireless Officer Jim Vajda will discuss…
- Introduction to Wi-Fi 6E
- The current status of Wi-Fi 6E
- Real-world use-cases for Wi-Fi 6E
- Technical differences with Wi-Fi 6 in 2.4/5 GHz
- Looking forward
What is a waterfall spectrum graph and how can we use Sapphire Eye to read them? A waterfall spectrum graph measures Wi-Fi signal to help determine its strength and help understand what types of interference exist in the space.
In this session, 7SIGNAL’s Jim Vajda and Eric Camulli are diving deep into Sapphire Eye’s waterfall spectrum analyzer to show you how you can use it to understand your organization’s Wi-Fi performance.
In this episode, we are joined by special guest, Bryan Seely, a U.S. marine and world-famous hacker who successfully wire-tapped the U.S. Secret Service and FBI.
This session is a continuation of Bryan’s last session, which was all about safety in 2022 and beyond.
In the technical field of IT, it is crucial to understand a wide range of skills and IT concepts. Networking certifications are one of the best ways to understand industry standards and expand your competency in the field.
In this webinar, Lee Badman will be discussing the top certifications to advance your knowledge base and your career.
At the end of the session, we are joined by Eric Camulli, who tells us all about 7SIGNAL's training materials and how you can become a 7CWE!
Did you know that Wi-Fi shares channels with weather radar and military users in 5 GHz? The 6 GHz band is occupied by commercial point-to-point links and even mobile TV trucks too. How do we make sure unlicensed Wi-Fi users aren’t interfering with these existing users? In 5 GHz, DFS is the protocol that Wi-Fi must use, and in 6 GHz, it’s AFC.
Watch this session and learn how each works and how they affect your Wi-Fi network.
In this session, we are joined by 7SIGNAL's Chief Wireless Officer and CWNE #183, Jim Vajda. This webinar is all about unlocking OFDMA.
We'll discuss:
- Data rates and airtime
- OFDMA
- Scheduling decisions
- SU frame aggregation
- Wide channel bandwidth
- MU-EDCA parameters
Directional antennas work like a flashlight in the world of Wi-Fi. They modify or “direct” the signal towards a very specific location, not only increasing the gain, but also reducing unwanted reception or interference from surrounding wireless devices.
In this podcast, join 7SIGNAL's Mike Graham and Heather Dremel. We will be discussing directional antennas and use cases for large spaces, indoor and outdoor.
In this podcast, join Heather Dremel and Jim Vajda live from HIMSS22 in Orlando, Florida. This time, we're talking about healthcare use cases for Wi-Fi 6E.
The new availability of the 6 GHz band to Wi-Fi is the biggest improvement to Wi-Fi in 20 years. New AP's with 6 GHz support (Wi-Fi 6E) are on the market now. What are the use cases that will drive their adoption in healthcare? Jim Vajda will share 7SIGNAL's vendor-neutral perspective on Wi-Fi 6E for healthcare WLAN's.
As the culture of device usage changes, how is the WLAN impacted?
From hotspots to screencasting to Smart Home devices, enterprise wireless is under siege by an entire class of devices best left at home from the technical standpoint... but user culture is pushing them into the business Wi-Fi space. The impact is felt in security, performance, policy, and more as they relate to enterprise wireless.
Join special guest Lee Badman as we discuss the enterprise WLAN in a time of changing client culture.
Plus, catch our latest segment of 7 Minutes with 7SIGNAL, where Eric uses our tech to understand how clients perform as they navigate different wireless networks.
In this podcast, join 7SIGNAL's Tuomas Aaltonen, CWNA & CWSP. Tuomas has been with 7SIGNAL for 10 years, spending the last 5 years as a Solutions Engineer in EMEA.
This session is all about co-channel interference. We'll discuss its impact on the performance of your wireless network and give you tips on how to minimize it.
Key takeaways:
- Overview of co-channel interference (CCI)
- How CCI affects your Wi-Fi network
- Different factors affecting CCI with examples from the field
- What you can do to minimize CCI on your Wi-Fi
In this podcast, we are joined by special guest, Bryan Seely, a U.S. marine and world-famous hacker who successfully wire-tapped the U.S. Secret Service and FBI. This session is all about safety in 2022 and beyond.
What we'll cover:
- Hacking 101: who are they, what are they after, and how do they think?
- Protecting wireless: what are the most crucial security controls we can use?
- Solutions: how does a company stay safe?
In this podcast, join special guest Lee Badman - CWNE #200 and Wi-Fi industry expert with decades of experience. This time, Lee will lead a discussion surrounding the question: do captive portals still have a place in the WLAN security landscape?
Key takeaways:
- Captive portal history
- Pros and cons of captive portals
- When captive portals are appropriate
- Recommendations if you opt to use captive portals
In this podcast, join 7SIGNAL's Tuomas Aaltonen, CWNA & CWSP. Tuomas has been with 7SIGNAL for 10 years, spending the last 5 years as a Solutions Engineer in EMEA. This session focuses on WPA3 and OWE Wi-Fi security.
What we'll discuss:
- Overview of both WPA2 and WPA3
- Why WPA3 is needed
- WPA2 vs. WPA3: what's changed?
- OWE overview, process, and comparisons
In this podcast, join 7SIGNAL's Mike Graham, who discusses the differences between 7SIGNAL's throughput tests and speed test sites. He will cover the mechanics of the tests and why the underlying TCP protocol itself has an effect on the results.
Antennas are undervalued and poorly understood elements in WLAN networks. Many times, antennas are the root of Wi-Fi performance problems. But if you understand RF, then there are common sense things we can follow and avoid. Let’s consider 10 common antenna mistakes and their impact on the end-user Wi-Fi experience.
Some topics we’ll cover:
- Sources of antenna interference
- Poor antenna placement examples
- What not to do with antenna placement
- Real use cases
- And much more!
When users complain about poor Wi-Fi experiences to the internal helpdesk, too often the next step is to immediately escalate the issue to the Wi-Fi specialists of the organization. But in the spirit of “first call resolution” what if helpdesk specialists were empowered to quickly identify the root cause of a reported Wi-Fi issue? This would certainly be the least cost option providing the best customer experience.
Whether it be work-from-home or in the office, join us for this weekly webinar where we will explore the following topics…
- A few Wi-Fi fundamentals
- Identifying Wi-Fi root cause
- Once you know, here’s what can you do
In this webinar, we are joined by Lee Badman, CWNE #200, and long-time friend of the Best Practices Webinar Series! This session focuses on physical security and the WLAN.
Questions we'll answer through this webinar:
- What is unique about WLAN when it comes to physical security?
- Are all WLANs created similarly?
- What makes one environment more vulnerable to physical security threats versus another?
- Do your operational policies cover physical security of WLAN assets? Should they?
In this webinar, we are joined by Ken Puffer, former Hospital CTO and CISO, and current Healthcare CTO at ePlus. This session focuses on supporting IoT in complex environments.
Key takeaways:
- Understand how IoT devices enter and disrupt an organization
- How to identify, profile, and manage IoT devices
- Understanding governance, risk, and compliance requirements for IoT
In this webinar, we are joined by 7SIGNAL's Jim Vajda to discuss a fundamental topic in Wi-Fi. What is an 802.11 retry? Why are they important? What do they tell us about the Wi-Fi network? This time we’ll go back to the basics and learn about a foundational topic in Wi-Fi: retries.
We’ll discuss…
- What retries are
- Why they are used
- What they mean
- How they work at the protocol-level
In this webinar, we are joined by Lee Badman, CWNE #200, and long-time friend of the Best Practices Webinar Series! This session focuses on the importance of wireless security policy and what impact it makes on an organization.
Key takeaways:
- Why wireless security policy matters
- Aspects of effective policy
- How to make a policy effective
- Objectives and examples of wireless security policy
In this session, join the 7SIGNAL team along with special guest Baydaa Al-Zubaidi, Senior Network Consultant and Wireless Designer at Bell Canada. We will be discussing how to achieve a successful wireless implementation, and how a lack of communication and collaboration can affect implementation.
Key discussion points:
- Wireless project requirements
- RF design
- Implementing a wireless solution
- The post-exit survey
- Communication and collaboration
Join the 7SIGNAL team along with special guests Firas Shaari from Comcast. In this webinar, Firas discusses the advanced 3 stage testing approach to evaluating new AP’s for Comcast. Come see how they separate the wheat from the chaff at one of the largest telecom companies in the US.
Key takeaways:
- Understand how to set up and execute all 3 stages of testing which include conductive, over-the-air (OTA) and test house
- Using testing to understand performance at levels 1 and 2
- Setting up Access Point testing in different test environments
- How to analyze information received from testing your new Access Point
During this episode, Mike discusses power management mechanisms in Wi-Fi, starting with legacy Wi-Fi and covering additions in each subsequent standard.
Key Takeaways:
- PS-Poll Mode and TIM and DTIM elements
- WMM and Automatic Power Save Delivery (APSD)
- Power Savings with MIMO
- VHT TXOP PS
- And more!
In this episode, join special guest Arjan Kievits in a discussion about high-density Wi-Fi. During the session, Arjan will talk about the emerging demand from higher education organizations to design a network that can properly handle large groups of students during online exams.
Key takeaways: Learn about the requirements, physical challenges, testing results, and [re]designs needed to have a high-performing Wi-Fi network.
In this webinar, join Lee Badman as he leads the discussion on Wi-Fi jamming. We will discuss what Wi-Fi jamming is, what it looks like, and why it occurs.
Some key takeaways:
- What is jamming in relation to Wi-Fi?
- Why would anyone jam Wi-Fi?
- What laws exist related to jamming?
- How can jamming be used in WLAN attacks?
- How can we detect jamming?
During this episode, join 7SIGNAL's Jack Clifford as we discuss all things outdoor Access Points. During the session, Jack will talk through best practices so you can avoid sub-optimal performance.
What we'll cover:
- Design challenges unique to outdoor wireless
- When to use point-to-point and point-to-multipoint network
- Common outdoor Wi-Fi issues and how to avoid them
- Installation requirements of outdoor APs
You did your site surveys, you did a redesign, you checked for code bugs, and yet your end-users still complain about the Wi-Fi. What’s wrong?
In this episode, Jim Vajda, Chief Wireless Officer and CWNE #183, will teach us why Wi-Fi clients are just as important as access points in determining Wi-Fi performance, and they must be addressed for the network to meet its full potential.
Some topics we’ll cover:
- General client best practices
- What to do about BYOD
- Recommendations for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android clients
- Getting client-level visibility with 7SIGNAL Mobile Eye
- And more!
Building on Jim Vajda's episode on wide channel contention, guest host Gjermund Raaen will get into the nuts and bolts of how an 802.11 STA actually performs signal detection in its secondary channels.
Takeaways:
- How a receiving station synchronizes to a receiving frame
- What happens if a station does not see the preamble
- Why does a station not use CCA-PD on secondary channels
The threat of rogues has changed. While some things have improved, such as general awareness and improved security protocols, rogues are still causing issues and finding ways to infiltrate devices. In this session, we discuss the evolution of WLAN rogues. Join Lee Badman, CWNE #200 and Jim Vajda, CWNE #183, as we discuss this topic and much more.
Topics we'll cover:
- An overview of rogues and the motive behind them
- The evolution of rogues and what they look like in the modern world
- Whether rogues are still problematic and what to do when you find them
Today’s WLAN systems promise fantastic speeds and performance, but they have a major strike against them - the endpoints. In this session we’ll look at several real-world Wi-Fi environments to see what various mixes of client types and vintages are in play, and discuss the implications of what it means when the client half of the industry doesn’t keep up with the infrastructure side. Join Lee Badman, CWNE #200, and Jim Vajda, CWNE #183, as we discuss this topic and much more.
Topics we'll cover:
- Infrastructure vs endpoints
- Wi-Fi standards
- Real-world WLAN problem environments
How does Wi-Fi contention work when the channel width is greater than 20 MHz? We encounter AP’s operating with wide channels all the time, so it’s important to know what contention looks like on those channels. Jim Vajda, CWNE #183, will introduce you to all the differences in channel access across the PHY’s and across different channel widths.
Topics we'll cover:
- Everyday 20 MHz EDCA
- 802.11n 40 MHz channel access
- 802.11ac 40/80/160 MHz channel access
- 802.11ax 40/80/160 MHz channel access
- Implications for design
Organizations spend millions of dollars on their wireless devices but few "play nicely" on the Wi-Fi network. Understanding how to find the root cause of wireless device connectivity issues will ensure a better end-user experience, especially roaming problems. In this episode, and we'll put you in the know.
Endpoints we'll discuss:
- Handhelds and barcode scanners (Zebra, SpectraLink, Honeywell and more)
- Mobile phones and tablets (Windows, Android)
- Laptops (Windows, MacOS, Android)
External antennas are undervalued and poorly understood elements in WLAN networks. Even areas like carpeted offices, conference rooms, and lecture halls can benefit from them. If you are considering using external antennas in your WLAN then don't miss this episode. Join 7SIGNAL Solutions Engineer Mike Graham as he shares some practical tips on how to get started with (and get the most out of) external Wi-Fi antennas. Topics we'll cover:
- The costs and benefits of external antennas
- External antenna usage in different environments
- Tips on antenna placement and positioning
- External antenna manufacturers
This topic covers all the reasons captive portals (guest Wi-Fi) cause headaches and frustration for your customers and visitors and how to eliminate them. We've got a full agenda of topics that will even dispel some of the myths around their necessity. Our host will be Jim Vajda, 7SIGNAL's Chief Wireless Officer and CWNE #183. We’ll cover:
- How captive portals break normal connectivity
- How increases in security have made the problem worse
- The painful end-user experience
- The legal opinion of a network engineer
- Strategies to get your organization’s approval to disable your guest Wi-Fi captive portal
There are existing vulnerabilities in Wi-Fi security protocols and hardware components that are introduced by manufacturers. These include poorly secured administrator access and vulnerable services. Understanding the basics of wireless LAN security can help keep your wireless network safe and prevent downtime.
Topics we'll discuss:
- Security threat actors
- IEEE 802.11 original standard (WEP)
- IEEE 802.11i, WPA & WPA2
- IEEE 802.11r, IEEE 802.11w, IEEE 802.11s
- WPA3
- Wireless Intrusion Detection System
- VLANs, VPNs
- And more!
Wi-Fi performance is vital to business. Whether you have employees relying on it to complete their assignments, customers who expect reliable internet service while visiting, or mission-critical devices that continuously transfer data, you need internet functioning at high levels. Establishing wireless key performance indicators (KPIs) helps this process, creating a baseline to measure efficiency and stability. What KPIs matter most? This is the episode for you.
Key takeaways:
- Establishing a baseline
- Our favorite KPIs
- Micro & macro KPIs
- Going beyond throughput, MOS and latency
- And more!
With the massive shift to remote work, many employees are still relying on home equipment that’s not up to the task, including antiquated routers supplied by cable companies. It’s more important than ever to make sure you or your employees’ devices can keep with the productivity and performance demanded by modern work applications.
Key takeaways:
- Understanding home router features
- Packaging spin vs reality
- Router speed vs ISP speed
- What is a mesh system
- How to monitor your digital workforce
- QOS for remote networks
Everything you wanted to know about WLAN but were too afraid to ask.
Organizations spend millions of dollars on their wireless networks, but very few understand how they really work. With Wi-Fi 6/6e and network refreshes starting to become more popular, it's now to time your entire team understands how WLAN really works and why it should be monitored and secured. This extends to the home networks of your ever-growing remote worker population as well. Watch 7SIGNAL's VP of Customer Success, Eric Camulli and we'll put you in the know.
Topics you'll learn about:
- How Wi-Fi works
- Root cause of Wi-Fi issues
- Licensed & unlicensed bands
- Channel planning
- Types of interference
- And more!
Join 7SIGNAL as we discuss IEEE 802.11bh and the importance of randomized and changing MAC addresses (RCM). David Halasz, CWNA and former 802.11i and 802.11ah Task Group Chair, will lead this week's discussion. You'll leave understanding the current and future state of RCM and why it should be part of your Wi-Fi network.
In this episode, we’ll discuss:
- The MAC address and how it is used in Wi-Fi networks
- Reasons you need random value for the MAC address
- Why IEEE 802.11bh is doing further work on MAC address randomization
- And more!
In high user density Wi-Fi environments, a multitude of issues can arise to negatively impact the digital experience of your users. Join us for this week's episode, where we'll uncover the common problems that can arise from these environments and how you can outline proactive strategies to prevent them.
In this episode, we’ll discuss:
- How problems are presented to the end users and Wi-Fi administrators
- Common problems in high density environments
- Effective strategies to prevent these issues
- Real use cases
- And more!
Join special guest Lee Badman, CWNE #200, as we discuss the future of 2.4 GHz. The 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi space gets a bad rap at times. The more vocal critics have even gone so far as to declare it “dead”, but there’s a lot to talk about when it comes to Wi-Fi’s oldest and busiest spectrum. This episode will impact your future buying decisions. Don't miss it!
In this episode, we’ll discuss:
- Why does 2.4 GHz get dragged through the mud by WLAN professionals?
- What is the real story behind how this space is used in Wi-Fi today?
- Why this spectrum isn’t going away, and why we shouldn’t want it to.
- And more!
Join 7SIGNAL as we take a deep dive into MCS, MOS and Digital Experience. During this episode, you'll gain a better understanding of these KPI's and how they are used to monitor the end-to-end digital experience of your end users. Jim Vajda, 7SIGNAL's Chief Wireless Officer and CWNE #183, will provide the information you need to elevate your strategic value to your organization.
In this episode, we'll discuss:
- 7SIGNAL Strategic Vision for Mobile Eye
- Digital Experience Monitoring
- What is MCS and why is it important?
- MCS for Windows
- What is MOS and why is it important?
- And more!
Keith Parsons, CWNE #3 and Founder of WLAN Professionals, held a special live Q&A session with host Jim Vajda, CWNE #183 and 7SIGNAL Chief Wireless Officer. Listen for advice on planning, designing, deploying, commissioning, optimizing and monitoring your enterprise WLAN. In this episode: * WLAN strategy * Wi-Fi 6/6e * Industry trends * Tips & tricks * How to's * Industry resources * And more!
Join 7SIGNAL's VP of Customer Success, Eric Camulli, as we discuss how to read and intemperate a Wi-Fi spectrum analysis and why it's important. In this episode, you'll learn how to identify different forms of interference by examining the signatures of radio waves in the 2.4 and 5 GHz spectrums. A spectrum analysis is a layer 1 technology for identifying presence, type, level and location of RF interference.
On this episode, we'll discuss:
- 7SIGNAL vs. your AP vendor
- Proactive approaches to Wi-Fi monitoring
- End user traffic packets
- TCP & UDP protocols
- When to use a spectrum analysis
- And more!
Join 7SIGNAL's Mike Graham as we discuss what it takes to make Wi-Fi fast! From signal strength and SNR requirements for the high data rates to wide channels and high modulation rates. We'll even talk Wi-Fi 6E/6 GHz and the future of high speed Wi-Fi, and discuss how super-high bandwidth applications (like VR Headsets) can impact the network.
On this episode, we'll discuss:
- Layers 1 & 2 of the OSI Model layer
- Signal strength & SNR
- Wide channels
- Receiver sensitivity
- And more!
This week, we take a deep dive into IEEE 802.11az and what is to come for the next generation Wi-Fi location.
In this session, we will cover:
- Current Wi-Fi location methods
- Use cases for next generation Wi-Fi location
- Some of the technology involved
- And more!
What is up with 6GHz? In this session, we will dive into some of the basics of 6GHz - discussing how clients find an AP to join in 6GHz, the channel plans in different regulatory domains and much more. Join us for this episode with Keith Parsons, and we'll give you the insights you need for what's to come with 6GHz.
In this session, we will take a closer look at spectrum analysis in network design - we'll cover not only the basics of what you can detect in spectrum analysis, but also its various use cases and applications.
Some topics we'll cover:
- What you can see with spectrum analysis in network design
- When you would use spectrum analysis in network design
- Why would you use spectrum analysis in network design
- And more!
In this episode, we are joined by special guest, Lee Badman! RFP time can be stressful, with a lot riding on it. It’s one thing to simply shop for new WLAN hardware, but capturing what true cost of ownership (TCO) for a wireless system will be over time can be daunting.
In this session, we'll discuss:
- Why the topic of TCO matters at RFP time
- Common pitfalls to getting TCO wrong
- Suggestions to keep budgets in check, and to keep you in the drivers seat when dealing with vendors
- And more!
Ensuring an optimal digital experience for your end users requires a thorough understanding of the wired network infrastructure and how this affects WLAN design. In this episode with Chris Minton, 7SIGNAL Solutions Engineer, we dive into several use cases of how the setup of these networks coincide with one another.
We'll discuss how the following play into WLAN design:
- Wired Physical Network Infrastructure
- Wired Network Services
- Wired Network Infrastructure Power
- And more!
Is the Wi-Fi getting blamed for poor device connectivity? Find out how to know definitively what's causing the issues.
Organizations spend millions of dollars on their wireless devices but few "play nicely" on the network. Understanding how to find the root cause of wireless device connectivity issues will ensure a better end user experience.
Devices we'll discuss:
- Pickers & Scanners (Zebra, Vocera, Spectralink, Honeywell, GE and more)
- Mobile phones (Windows, iOS, Android)
- Laptops (Windows, MacOS, Android)
What you'll learn in this episode:
- The basics of Wi-Fi client roaming
- How to troubleshoot roaming performance for individual clients, as well as groups of similar clients
- The mechanics of roaming
- Common Wi-Fi roaming issues
- How to detect roaming issues with 7SIGNAL's Mobile Eye
Organizations spend millions of dollars on their wireless networks but very few people understand how they really work. Understanding how Wi-Fi works will help you troubleshoot and diagnose Wi-Fi issues faster.
Topics you'll learn about:
- Root cause of Wi-Fi issues
- Licensed & unlicensed bands
- Channel planning
- Types of interference
- And more!
If your organization is like most, you have a budget process that must be followed to allocate funds. When planning a Wi-Fi project, it is important to understand all aspects and stages of the project in order to determine an appropriate budget. We'll help you layout a plan and give you a process to follow that can help justify your spend.
What you'll learn in this episode:
- Understanding cost elements
- Justifying your spend to your boss
- Planning the design and installation phases
- And more!
Organizations spend millions of dollars on their wireless networks but very few people understand how they really work. Understanding how Wi-Fi works will help you troubleshoot and diagnose Wi-Fi issues faster.
Understanding how Wi-Fi works will make it easier for you to understand how to find and fix wireless issues. With this knowledge you can get to the root cause of Wi-Fi issues faster and ensure a better end user experience.
Standards we'll discuss:
- IEEE 802.1
- IEEE 802.11
- IETF
Organizations we'll discuss:
- FCC (Federal Communications Commission)
- IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers)
- Wi-Fi Alliance
What you'll learn in this episode:
- How standards establish how fast the data transmission speed is between the router and devices wirelessly connected to it
- The pertinent standards and regulatory bodies for WLANs
- Types of operations that get standardized
According to the Wi-Fi Alliance, there are 9 billion Wi-Fi devices on the market and 3 billion new devices being added each year. This means new wireless technology is constantly being added to your network - and your boss is expecting it to work flawlessly. How will you keep up? What does the future hold for the Wireless Engineer?
Topics you'll learn about:
- Industry and salary trends
- New wireless technologies
- Certifications to consider
- Planning for the future
- And more!
Orthogonal frequency-division multiple access, or OFDMA, is one of the key improvements to the 802.11ax standard. But what does it mean and how will it change the airtime usage in Wi-Fi when the frames are sent with OFDMA frame format? Our special guest, Gjermund Raaen, will talk about the airtime usage for 802.11ax OFDMA frames and compare it to frames sent with 802.11ac frame format. He will use his Wi-Fi AirTime calculator to show airtime usage for both frame types.
During this episode, we'll cover:
- The difference between 802.11ax DL OFDMA Frames and 802.11ac frames
- Using the Wi-Fi AirTime calculator to calculate airtime usage
- Real use cases
- And more!
Everything you wanted to know about Wi-Fi security basics but were too afraid to ask!
There are existing vulnerabilities in Wi-Fi security protocols and hardware components that are introduced by manufacturers. These include poorly secured administrator access and vulnerable services. Understanding the basics of wireless LAN security can help keep your wireless network safe and prevent downtime.
Topics we'll discuss:
- Security threat actors
- IEEE 802.11 original standard (WEP)
- IEEE 802.11i, WPA & WPA2
- IEEE 802.11r, IEEE 802.11w, IEEE 802.11s
- WPA3
- Wireless Intrusion Detection System
- VLANs, VPNs
For this episode, we are joined by special guest, Lee Badman! The costs associated with network downtime may be obvious in some regards, but also hidden and hard to quantify. In this session, we’ll talk about the inevitability of downtime and how to be ready to minimize costs when it hits, as well as those costs in their various forms. Whether it’s measured in dollars lost, reputational damage, or by several other metrics, understanding the full impact of network downtime is crucial for anyone in the field of networking.
Some topics we'll cover:
- The different costs of downtime.
- The impact on the digital experience.
- Proactive ways to minimize costs.
- Real use cases.
- And more!
The Wi-Fi site survey is fundamental to understanding any WLAN environment. It also happens to be misunderstood at times - many know what site surveys are, but don't understand how short their shelf life is. Let's dive into some of the key elements of these surveys so we can better comprehend their value and impact.
In this session, we’ll talk about:
- The shelf-life of a wireless survey
- What a wireless survey provides (and what it doesn’t provide)
- Heatmaps as selling point, support tool, source of frustration
- Why all surveys are not created equal
- And more!
We're doing our part to help combat the Covid-19 crisis by giving organizations the power to find and fix Wi-Fi issues for their remote workforce. This week, we'll teach you how to access and use the industries #1 remote troubleshooting platform.
The new normal for network engineers and IT professionals is directing attention away from corporate networks and toward home networks where troubleshooting can be much more complex.
In this episode, you'll learn how to:
- Get visibility into network performance, no matter where your clients are
- Give end-users actionable advice to improve their home network performance
- Validate end-to-end connectivity to critical application servers
- Validate that home networks meet your application requirement
- Access and use Mobile Eye
Project management is evolving to strategizing rather than straight-forward execution. Understanding the basics of project and program management can help keep your WLAN projects on-time and on-budget.
Topics we'll discuss:
- 4 most common project management styles
- Tips and tricks for keeping your projects on-time and on-budget
- Understanding stakeholder needs
- Goal setting
- Defining deliverables
- Assessing risk
- And more!
Wi-Fi 6E is the biggest change to Wi-Fi in a generation. Are you ready for it? Learn from 7SIGNAL’s Jim Vajda about the basics of Wi-Fi 6E, what to expect this year, along with technical differences with Wi-Fi 6 in the legacy bands.
Some topics we'll cover:
- What is Wi-Fi 6E and why is it important?
- What use-cases will drive early adoption?
- Timing for the enterprise
- A technical comparison of 802.11ax in 6 GHz vs. 2.4/5 GHz
- And more!
Many IT groups must now support work-from-home users and their home networks where they have no visibility and control. Further, these users are using enterprise applications on residential-grade internet circuits. Without visibility, you don’t know where to start troubleshooting, let alone proactively identify WFH users suffering from poor Wi-Fi. We’ll look at how Mobile Eye delivers visibility into WFH Wi-Fi networks, along with actionable problem identification that can be used to resolve real WFH Wi-Fi problems.
In this episode, you'll learn how to:
- Get visibility into network performance, no matter where your clients are
- Give end-users actionable advice to improve their home network performance
- Validate end-to-end connectivity to critical application servers
- Validate that home networks meet your application requirement
- Access and use Mobile Eye
- Real use cases
- And more!
This week, we are joined by special guest, Lee Badman! As automation permeates ever more aspects of business operations, the temptation to use Wi-Fi to connect it all is strong. But despite Wi-Fi’s appeal, it’s not always the best option. One example of this is in Building Automation Systems (BAS).
In this session, we’ll discuss:
- What is a BAS?
- Why isn’t Wi-Fi the best fit?
- What other choices are out there for BAS?
- How the wirelessly connected world on the whole is evolving
- And more!
The structure of our Wi-Fi comes from two different design types - single channel and multichannel. Understanding the basics of these two channels can help you determine which is the best to utilize when encountering certain Wi-Fi roadblocks, such as interference and roaming.
In this episode, we discuss:
- Definitions of single channel and multichannel design models
- The historical context behind these two approaches
- Advantages and disadvantages of each model
- Troubleshooting
- And more!
What impact will Covid-19 have on the Wi-Fi industry? Some believe that Wi-Fi will emerge stronger and more relevant than ever. Jim Vajda, CWNE #183, explains why when he interviews Claus Hetting, the CEO and Chairman of Wi-Fi Now.
Interview topics:
- The impact on home Wi-Fi
- Demand for optimized networks
- Higher-performance gateways and extenders, including those supporting Wi-Fi 6
- The impact on the cellular industry and reduction in 5G spending
- Why Wi-Fi will emerge stronger after Covid-19
- And more!
Covid-19 has caused a significant disruption to our lives on so many levels. With network engineers and IT professionals directing attention away from corporate networks to home networks, troubleshooting has become more complex. Learn the tips and tricks that will help you support the employee at-home digital experience that has become your new normal.
In this episode, you'll learn how to:
- Get visibility into network performance, no matter where your clients are
- Give end-users actionable advice to improve their home network performance
- Validate end-to-end connectivity to critical application servers
- Validate that home networks meet your application requirement
Organizations spend millions of dollars on their end points but very few people understand how they really work. Understanding how end points interact with the Wi-Fi will help you troubleshoot and diagnose problems faster. This week's topic centers around discovering client device types and understanding the impact they have on the network. Join this webinar, and we'll put you in the know.
Topics we'll cover:
- How the network sees end points
- How to gather device data from the network
- Understanding why some clients perform better on networks than others
- How adapter and driver combinations affect device performance
Added bonus! Earn 1 CWNP credit toward your next certification just for attending. Our best practices webinar series gives you actionable information you can use immediately to find and fix Wi-Fi issues.
Quality of Service (QoS) is crucial to enhancing the digital experience of your end users. This week, we'll take a closer look at how QoS and managing network resources can be utilized in Multi-Service WLANs.
Some topics we'll cover:
- What is QoS?
- How does QoS work?
- Ways in which traffic is prioritized.
- How is this used in Multi-Service WLANs?
- Real use cases
- And more!
Understanding common non-Wi-Fi protocols and how they work together (and interfere with one another) will make it easier to find and fix wireless issues. With this knowledge you can get to the root cause of Wi-Fi issues faster and ensure a better end user experience. This episode will put you in the know with common non-Wi-Fi protocols in the enterprise, their use cases, the spectrum they use, and how they work together.
Topics we'll discuss:
- Bluetooth (BLE)
- Cellular solutions (LTE, LTE-U, 5G & CBRS)
- Zigbee and other 802.15.4 protocols
- Ultra Wideband
- And more!
Power saving is a crucial aspect in IEEE 802.11 WLANs for conserving battery life of mobile devices. This week, we'll take a closer look at the various power saving modes of operations and the possible implications these can have on the network.
Some topics we'll cover:
- What are the power saving modes of operation?
- How do these modes of operation work?
- How traffic flow can be affected by power savings.
- How is this used in IEEE 802.11 WLANs?
- Real use cases
- And more!
Organizations spend millions of dollars on their wireless networks but now, the future success of the business depends on remote workers using personal equipment. Understanding how Wi-Fi works will help you troubleshoot and diagnose Wi-Fi issues faster. Join this webinar, and we'll put you in the know.
Some topics we'll cover:
- Root cause of Wi-Fi issues
- Licensed & unlicensed bands
- Channel planning
- Types of interference
- Real use cases
- And more!
For this episode, we are joined by special guest, Keith Parsons! Let’s talk a bit beyond the marketing hype of Wi-Fi 6...what is real, and what might be a bit premature? In this session, we will take a deep dive into the differences and capabilities of Wi-Fi 6 compared to Wi-Fi 5 with real use cases to uncover which provides the best data. Come enjoy a lively discussion with supporting test results.
Here are some topics we will cover:
- Is Wi-Fi 6 more efficient than Wi-Fi 5?
- Does 802.11ax perform better than 802.11ac today?
- What can we expect in the future?
- Should you buy Wi-Fi 6 infrastructure or devices?
- And more!
For this episode, we are joined by special guest, Devin Akin!
Does the ridiculous pace of change in Wi-Fi technology make it difficult for you to plan for future infrastructure and client device upgrades? Do you ever wonder if there are some really painful gotchas that nobody has mentioned to you? Join 7SIGNAL and Divergent Dynamics in an enlightening episode covering the future of Power-over-Ethernet (PoE), infrastructure data cabling, RF spectrum, and Wi-Fi access points. This detailed look at where Wi-Fi and its supporting technologies are going will enable you to avoid costly purchase mistakes and unnecessary legal risks.
Some topics we'll cover:
- The future of Power-over-Ethernet (PoE)
- The future of structured data cabling
- The future of license-free RF spectrum
- The future of Access Points (APs)
Join 7SIGNAL's Jim Vajda, Director of Global Wi-Fi Solutions, CWNE#183 and special guest Keith Parsons, Managing Partner at Wireless LAN Pros, CWNE#3 as they discuss technology and its role in the new normal - "Work from Home". On this episode, you'll learn how the Covid pandemic has changed our world and Jim and Keith will explore how technology has been helping and hurting progress.
Topics we'll cover:
- Portability and mobility importance
- The evolution of remote work
- Is work from home here to stay?
- What additional changes in technology do we need?
- Travel restrictions & industry conference changes
- Changes in work culture
- And more!
Covid-19 has caused a significant disruption to our lives on so many levels. With network engineers and IT professionals directing attention away from corporate networks to home networks, troubleshooting has become more complex. Learn the tips and tricks on this webinar that will help you support the employee at-home digital experience that has become your new normal.
On this webinar you'll learn how to:
- Give help desk and level 1 support visibility into network performance, no matter where your clients are
- Give end-users actionable advice to improve their home network performance
- Validate end-to-end connectivity to critical application servers
- Validate that home networks meet your application requirements
- And more!
Real access points and real clients don't always behave the way we assume they will, and that has implications for design, capacity planning, validation, and application performance. Insights from a Wireless Network Monitoring system can be used in place of the usual assumptions to improve the accuracy of WLAN design and support ongoing operations.
Organizations spend millions of dollars on their wireless networks but very few people understand how they really work. Understanding how Wi-Fi channel utilization works will help you troubleshoot and diagnose wireless issues faster. Join this webinar, and we'll put you in the know.
Topics you'll learn about:
- Basics of Wi-Fi channels
- Co-channel interference
- Channel planning
- Channel utilization
- And more!
Antennas are undervalued and poorly understood elements in WLAN networks. Many times, antennas are the root of Wi-Fi performance problems. But if you understand RF, then there are common sense things we can follow and avoid. Let's consider 10 common antenna mistakes and their impact on the end user Wi-Fi experience.
Some topics we'll cover:
- Sources of antenna interference
- Poor antenna placement examples
- What not to do with antenna placement
- And much more!
Understanding common non-Wi-Fi protocols and how they work together and interfere with one another will make it easier to find and fix wireless issues. With this knowledge you can get to the root cause of Wi-Fi issues faster and ensure a better end user experience.
Topics we'll discuss:
- Bluetooth (BLE)
- Cellular solutions (LTE, LTE-U, 5G & CBRS)
- Zigbee
What you'll learn on this webinar: Understand common non-Wi-Fi protocols in the enterprise, their use cases, the spectrum they use, and how they work together.
The different methods of traffic flow and data transfer in IP Networks can greatly influence the digital experience of your users. This week, let's dive in to the basics of Multicast and Broadcast and how they are handled on Wi-Fi networks.
Some topics we'll cover:
- The definitions of Multicast and Broadcast traffic.
- How are these used on Wi-Fi Networks?
- How are unicast packets acknowledged on Layer 2 vs. Ethernet?
- Real use cases.
- And more!
In this episode, Mike Graham, Solutions Engineer, and Jim Vajda, CWNE #183, discuss site survey reports. We'll dive into the pains and uses of site survey documents - and how they can be improved.
Topics we'll cover:
- Audiences for these reports
- Report elements that each audience needs
- Report elements that are often omitted
- Common report writing practices
- Real use cases
- And more!
Is it the client or the Wi-Fi?
Learn how to get to the root cause of connectivity issues.
Organizations spend millions of dollars on their wireless devices but few "play nicely" on the network. Understanding how to find the root cause of wireless device connectivity issues will ensure a better end user experience.
Devices we'll discuss:
- Pickers & Scanners (Zebra, SpectraLink, Honeywell and more)
- Mobile phones (Windows, iOS, Android)
- Laptops (Windows, MacOS, Android)
What you'll learn in this episode:
- The basics of Wi-Fi client decision making
- Troubleshooting home networks for remote employees
- The basics of Wi-Fi client decision making
- How to troubleshoot roaming performance for individual clients, as well as groups of similar clients
- How to troubleshoot coverage, congestion and interference issues
- The mechanics of roaming
- Common Wi-Fi issues
- How to detect roaming issues with 7SIGNAL's Mobile Eye