Sniff Wi-Fi

Everybody likes high Wi-Fi speeds.  Because high Wi-Fi speeds mean that the channel is being used more efficiently ( often false ).  An efficient channel means that there's more available throughput ( only in sterile test environments ) and more available throughput means that more users can be supported concurrently ( completely wrong ). Unfortuantely, high Wi-Fi speeds sometimes  ( all the time )  come at a cost.  To get higher Wi-Fi speeds, wider channels must be used ( which makes the Wi-Fi suck ).  Using wider channels means that fewer channels will be available ( plus it ups minimum RSSI requirements, which just about guarantees a bad design ).  It is therefore essential that wireless professionals analyze the environment and carefully choose whether to use 40 MHz or 80 MHz wide channels ( or they could stop wasting everyone's time and just stick to 20 MHz channels ). But this blog post isn't about choosing the correct channel bandwidth...

Clickbaitttttttttt! "Three Essential Tools"...  Brilliant!  Years ago, I would've been embarrassed to have such a click-baity headline.  No longer. Why the change, you ask?  I don't know.  It could be that I'm in the Money stage of my career.  (You see, I relate most things in life to pro wrestling.  A pro wrestler's career has three stages: Titles, Money and Legacy.  When you're young and you don't know any better, you want titles.  Being " Intercontinental Champion " [or, in the case of an IT guy, " Network Administrator "] fulfills you.  Management takes advantage of that by underpaying people who are in the Titles stage.  Once someone reaches the Money stage, they are no longer impressed by titles.  "You want to make me Intercontinental Champion?  Great.  What's my paycheck?"  The final stage is the Legacy stage, which most of us never reach.   The Rock is in the Legacy stage.  He has won titl...