Clear To Send: Wireless Network Engineering Rowell Dionicio and François Vergès

In episode 333 of the CTS podcast, your hosts François Vergès and Rowell Dionicio delve deep into understanding Wi-Fi channels and frequencies.







During the podcast, they discuss the intricacies of Wi-Fi channel operations and the science behind the frequencies used in Wi-Fi connections. This episode is a treasure trove of knowledge for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of Wi-Fi operations in depth.







They also talk about the Automatic Frequency Coordination (AFC) in the context of 6GHz networks. For more details on this topic, listeners can refer to a previous episode, CTS-218: 6GHz PSD & AFC with Chuck Lukaszewski, available here.







Additionally, they provide an infographic that neatly summarizes DFS operations. This infographic serves as a handy reference for those wanting a quick overview of DFS operations and can be accessed here.







As a bonus, they also provide the CTS Channel List 2024 in PDF format. This list is an invaluable resource for those who want to delve deeper into the world of Wi-Fi channels.







Join François and Rowell in this episode as they break down complex concepts into easy-to-understand explanations. You don’t want to miss this comprehensive overview of Wi-Fi channels and frequencies.







Resources









* Episode on AFC: https://www.cleartosend.net/cts-218-6ghz-psd-afc-with-chuck-lukaszewski/







* DFS Operations Infographic: https://semfionetworks.com/blog/dfs-operations-infographic/









Bonus









* Channel List









CTS Channel List 2024.pdf









* Canva link: https://www.canva.com/design/DAGCfsV6hTM/598ua3utagSw–ohX4J-PQ/edit?utm_content=DAGCfsV6hTM&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

We’re headed back to the basics with a series of episodes focused on Wi-Fi fundamentals.







How do devices and access points communicate with each other? How does it work in varying environments?







A standards body defines how different vendors and manufacturers use a standard way to communicate over the air.







Since the inception of Wi-Fi, newer standards were created to build upon the previous versions – increasing data rates, efficiency, and more. New Wi-Fi protocols were born.







In this episode we touch upon the different Wi-Fi Standards and the technology that it is based on.







Resources









* IEEE Timeline: https://ieee802.org/11/Reports/802.11_Timelines.htm







* IEEE 802.11-2020 Standars: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9363693







* MCS Table: https://mcsindex.net/









Bonus









* PHY Graphics updated: CTS 802.11 PHY Table 2024.pdf Canva Link: https://www.canva.com/design/DAGCfrixqSk/GRb4CFU7VOJrpklM2hEkZw/edit?utm_content=DAGCfrixqSk&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

Coming back from WLPC we feel highly motivated. But we also took the time to reflect on the conference, the content, and the people we connected with.







In this episode, we talk about the lessons we’ve learned from WLPC Phoenix.







Those lessons are:









* Not as many real world Wi-Fi 6E presentations







* Wi-Fi 7 is coming sooner than we think







* MLO seems to be the biggest feature of Wi-Fi 7







* You can transfer data through bananas and get PoE







* Lots of presentations from people that work for vendors.







* We need to ask more questions







* We need to listen more closely







* Hearing about different people coming from different perspectives can be really important







* Why having a community is really important







* More eyes on WLPC

https://youtu.be/YP_AQXx0nbo









In a big surprise to us, HPE has announced they will be acquiring Juniper Networks. We’ve been working with Mist Systems since Juniper Networks acquired them.







We’re hoping the acquisition doesn’t impact Mist negatively but we can see why HPE wanted the MistAI technology.







In this episode, we’re going to provide our opinions on the acquisition, what impact this has on the customers, and how partners navigate this acquisition in the coming years.

https://youtu.be/Q9SFPY2Xzpw









Network Access Control (NAC) has always been a challenging technology to implement. It usually meant utilizing someone with an expert level certification to come in and deploy it on your network.







I remember when I was a systems administrator and watched a seasoned network engineer struggle to get it working the right way.







Today, Juniper Networks shows us how implementing a cloud-native NAC can help secure your Wi-Fi and wired networks easily without the hassle of on-premises hardware. The goal is to provide a seamless and scalable way to utilize the benefits of NAC using the Mist dashboard.







Juniper Networks is emphasizing their commitment to eliminating on-premises infrastructure components, managing upgrades, and ensuring flexibility while maintaining simplicity in configuration.







Dive into this episode with our guests, Wes Pervis and Slava Dementyev from Juniper Networks alongside with Bryan Ward of Dartmouth.







We talk about how devices can be onboarded, certificates, policies, insights, and more.







Resources









* Mist Access Assurance Documentation: https://www.mist.com/documentation/category/mist-access-assurance/







* Password vs Certificates for 802.1X: https://www.mist.com/documentation/passwords-vs-certificates-for-802-1x/







* Mist Access Assurance Configuration Guides: https://www.mist.com/documentation/category/configuration-mist-access-assurance/







* SecureW2 solution: https://www.securew2.com/products







* Microsoft intune: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/mem/intune/fundamentals/what-is-intune







* Considerations and known issues when using Credential Guard: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/identity-protection/credential-guard/considerations-known-issues

Rowell and Jussi discussed the use of 3D modeling for Wi-Fi design and validation using Hamina. Jussi demonstrated the tool they use, showing how it can predict signal behavior in a warehouse environment.







They also discussed the importance of 3D modeling for validating project details like shelf heights and the construction of walls.







There’s immense value of this tool for collaboration with non-Wi-Fi professionals.







3D modeling is useful in a stadium environment using slopes and raised floors. Jussi explained how the simplicity Hamina allows for complex designs. The importance of the material of the raised floor was also highlighted.







Jussi goes into how Hamina will be used to perform a validation survey. At Hamina, they developed a mobile app and hardware for this purpose, which stores data locally and uploads it to the cloud when an internet connection is available. The device, which can host four Wi-Fi 6E adapters and includes a USB-C connector for data, supports optional spectrum analysis. Jussi confirmed the device’s battery life is not affected by its size and it can last half a day before needing a charge.







Going into the various survey methods, specifically Point Survey, Line Survey, and Continuous Survey. Jussi explained that Point Survey is a simple method that collects data intermittently, whereas Line Survey collects data continuously but provides a bit more relaxation time between clicks.







As far as functionality goes, Jussi confirmed that the app continuously saves measurements to prevent data loss and can detect the vendor of the Access Point automatically. The app’s analysis features include primary and secondary coverage, channel interference, and the ability to view data for specific frequencies or SSIDs.







Resources







https://www.hamina.com/