Showing posts with label Networking. Show all posts
It’s been quite a while that Windows 10 has launched and still people are reluctant whether they should upgrade to it or not. There’s no straight cut answer to this, but we always try our best to help you through the decision.
Wi-Fi Sense is secure. Let me show you how | Shutterstock
From what I feel, Wi-Fi Sense, a new feature included in Windows 10, has managed to freak out a lot of people when it comes to security and privacy. But it’s not what you think it is. So in today’s post, I will explain what the feature is all about and how it’s completely under your control.
What exactly is Wi-Fi Sense
First of all, the Wi-Fi Sense is nothing new and exclusive to Windows 10. The feature was first launched on Windows 8.1 Mobile platform which later made its way to the desktop version of Windows 10. So to explain things in the simplest way, you can think of Wi-Fi Sense as a feature that shares your Wi-Fi password to your contacts so that they can connect automatically once they are near your Wi-Fi network.
But there’s nothing to freak out here. It’s not the Skynet or the Genisys that you should be worried about. It’s totally under your control. Let’s see how.
How is Wi-Fi Sense Sharing your Wireless Network
When you install Windows 10, Wi-Fi sense is enabled by default. So every time you connect to a wireless network, you will get an option Share network with my contacts. If you check this, the wireless password will be shared to your contacts from Outlook Skype and Facebook (if connected) and they would be able to auto connect to the wireless network, next time they are around.
If you are using a Microsoft account on Windows 10, the Wi-Fi info is automatically shared with contacts from Skype and Outlook if they are on Windows 10. You can also connect your Facebook account and give Wi-Fi sense access to your contacts over there. The only thing that’s out of line is that the wireless info can either be shared with all the contacts, or none. There’s no provision to select specific contacts to share the wireless password.
How to Control Wi-Fi Sense Settings
The Wi-Fi sense settings can be controlled through the Modern Network and Internet settings. Here, under the Wi-Fi option, click on Advanced options. The page will list all the Wi-Fi network you have connected to and which of them has been shared to your contacts by Wi-Fi sense.
It’s here that you can select the contacts which whom the wireless passwords can be shared. If you need to forget any wireless network, it can also be done from here.
If you connect a guest to your wireless network using the WPS button, or you are manually typing the password of your Wi-Fi, the guest cannot share it using Wi-Fi sense if not already shared. Windows 10 would need you to type the Wi-Fi passphrase again when you are planning to share it. But you can’t always hide the password from your friends. In such scenarios, there’s a better way to disable Wi-Fi Sense.
Opting Out from Wi-Fi Sense Completely
Let’s say you own a Bistro or a cafe or you are a home user who don’t want anyone who connects to your network to share the Wi-Fi password. There’s a way you can opt out from the feature completely, but the settings needs to be done from your router. Windows 10 will not activate Wi-Fi Sense on any wireless SSID which has the phrase _optout in it.
So let’s say your wireless name is GuidingTech and you want to exclude it from Wi-Fi sense on any Windows 10 computer, just rename the wireless name to GuidingTech_optout or Guiding_optout_Tech. That’s all, next time when you connect to the said network, it will not ask you to share the wireless information.
Conclusion
So that was all there is to know about Wi-Fi Sense in Windows 10. Enterprise networks are never included because of LEAP configuration which requires additional credentials.
Do you ever attempt to join a Wi-Fi network on your iPhone or iPad and either get an error message stating that the device is unable to join? Perhaps, and arguably even more frustrating, is when you’re left hanging with no sign of an Internet connection as the progress indicator spins or falsely displays a successful connection. This can happen regardless of whether your signal is strong or weak.
Get past troubles with connecting your iPhone to a Wi-Fi network | Shutterstock
There are a few steps you can take to fix these issues and join the Wi-Fi network of your choice. However, keep in mind that these aren’t guaranteed fixes for every situation as sometimes the issue could be related to the network itself and therefore out of your control.
Renew the Lease
The first and likely the most easy step you can take toward resolving Wi-Fi connection woes is to just renew the lease on the Wi-Fi. This basically sends a request to start the connection again with the IP address that you lease on the network. This won’t work all of the time to fix issues, but it may work depending on your situation’s circumstances. It’s a harmless shot to take.
Just go to Settings and then Wi-Fi on your iPhone. Locate the Wi-Fi network your iPhone indicates that you’re technically connected to and press the blue Info icon on the right. All the way at the bottom, tap Renew Lease and tap it once more when prompted.
Nothing will happen, but try opening Safari to see if you can open a web page now. Hopefully this successfully fixed your problem, but if not, keep reading.
‘Forget’ the Network
Sometimes it’s helpful to just refresh your iPhone’s connection with the Wi-Fi network. This can be done in Settings. Then choose the Wi-Fi category and tap the blue Info button next to the connected network. At the very top, tap Forget This Network.
Note: When you “forget” a locked network, your iPhone will get rid of the stored password, so be sure you know it if you want to connect again in the future.
This step is optional but recommended as it could increase your chance of success. After you “forget” the network, return to the Wi-Fi panel and turn off Wi-Fi entirely for about 10 seconds. Then turn it back on. This is one extra step you can take to ensure you’re starting on a clean slate.
Lastly, find the same Wi-Fi network and select it to try connecting again. Enter the password if prompted.
Reset Your Settings
If both of the above fail you, you can always try resetting your iPhone’s network settings. This restores the network settings to the device’s factory defaults. All saved Wi-Fi passwords will be lost, so beware.
To reset network settings, go to the Settings app and tap General. Scroll all the way down to tap Reset. Finally, tap Reset Network Settings. After being prompted, verify that this is indeed what you wish to do.
Give your iPhone a few seconds, then navigate back to the Wi-Fi connection panel in Settingsand try connecting to your Wi-Fi network.
Important: Keep in mind that if the three above solutions didn’t fix your Wi-Fi issues, it might be out of control. If you notice that you can’t connect to a Wi-Fi network on various devices, it’s probably an issue with the network and/or router. On the flip side, if you notice your iPhone is having trouble connecting to multiple networks, you could have a deeper software or even hardware issue in need of repair.
There may be many reasons you Mac has trouble connecting to a wireless network. To help in these situations, Apple includes some basic wireless troubleshooting tools in the Airport menu. The magic is in the option key.
No need to go to extreme measure. Use what Apple gives you for free | Photo by OndraSoukup
Detailed Connection Information With the Option Key
To find out all the details about your current wireless connection, hold down the option key and select the Airport icon from your menu bar. From the start, Apple tells you all the details about the network and how you are connected to the Internet. Some of the key information includes:
- IP Address: Do you have one or is it a self-assigned IP address?
- Router Address: Once you have that address, you can test your connection to the router?
- Internet: Can you get to the Internet from here, or is the problem at the router?
Want to disconnect from that network: No need to turn off Wi-Fi, just pick Disconnect from that same menu.
Apple’s Wireless Diagnostics Application is Hidden
Apple includes a bunch of utilities in the Mac OS and usually puts them in the Utilities folder in Applications. A few though are hidden in the /System/CoreServices/Applications folder. Fortunately though, the Wireless Diagnostics app is also available from the Airport wireless menu when you hold down the option key.
Save a step: If you use this application often, drag an alias of it to the desktop.
A Checkup Before it Starts
When you first open the application, it wants to test your network connection. You’ll lose your connection for a minute, so close out anything you’re working on. The test is optional, but don’t close the window. When you close the introduction window, the application closes.
Looking for this option in Windows? It’s in there so check out our guide on how to use it.
After it runs a test, it will either report a problem and suggest a fix or say everything is working as expected.
To see the details of your connection, select Continue to summary. A nice feature Apple added to this application is a logging mechanism. That’s handy if you are tracking different settings in your router or different locations in your home or office.
The application gathers all this information into a diagnostic report it puts on the desktop along with any suggestions that would improve your connection. The compressed diagnostic report contains technical information an experienced network engineer can use. For the rest of us, Apple’s suggestions based on the diagnostics are the most helpful.
Forget your wireless password? Sadly this utility won’t help, but this guide will.
Detailed Tools From the Window Menu
Apple hides some of the best features even deeper in this application. Remember not to close the Assistant window (the first option) or else the application closes.
Not enough info information here? Check out some apps for the Mac and iOS for advanced troubleshooting.
Info
These are some of the details listed when you hold down the option key, but you have a few more pieces of information here. The Info lists the DNS you are connected to and the wireless connection type, such as 802.11n.
Logs
These are the same type of logs the Wireless Diagnostics creates. Not much use to the average Mac user. These are the logs you’d send to a support person when you have a problem.
Scan
This feature looks at all the wireless networks it sees and looks at how you can connect to them. In crowded areas, these details help you find the best router to connect to. If you’re setting up a router yourself, this function lets you find the least crowded channel.
Problems connecting your iPhone to Wi-Fi? We have a few tips covered just for those who do.
Performance
Here is where we get to the good stuff. If you aren’t sure what’s wrong with your connection, this is where you’ll find the details you need to fix your problem. Keep this function open as you move to different areas. You’re looking for the best signal under quality with the least amount of noise under signal. This area is also the part of Wireless Diagnostics you use to find the ideal spot for your router. Change a router setting or location and see how it changed the performance.
Scanning Complete
These features won’t fix your wireless problems, but will give you some information to solve it yourself. If that doesn’t work, it lets you work with a support technician to figure out what’s wrong.
