I remember when I first had wireless in my house.  I had that brand new 802.11 B radio that did very well covering my entire house and I was ecstatic to use my laptop without a wire!  Over a decade later, I now have upgraded my wireless several times along the way and found myself with the fastest slow wireless around?  What do I mean?  From the specifications, I should be able to do about a gig speed through wireless, yet in my kid’s bedrooms, the iPads barely pull YouTube videos and many times I cannot connect, yet I still have a good signal?

I was recently brought up to speed on why this happens.  First, the new wireless bands may not go as far as that original 802.11 B.  (Sure it depends on your house, device and more) Next, the amount of interference has increased tenfold.  When I installed my first wireless router,it was the only wireless signal I could see.  Now, there are at least 12 at all times.  Last and maybe the most impactful, is the device I am using to connect to the wireless has changed.  If I try and connect my laptop, I have no problem anywhere in the house and could probably connect at the neighbors.  However, the iPhone and tablets have less powerful radios.  While they can see the signal, they may not have the strength to connect back to the source!

So, I have upgraded the wireless at my house again.  As you probably know, if you have read anything I have written, I am a gadget guy!  So instead of one AP (Access Point), I now have three.  And on these three, I average 15 devices each!  (Yea, I have a gadget problem)  However, the speed is significantly improved and when I am in the yard, no Pandora streaming issues for me!