A new company is giving to carry a fiber optic community to Cleveland. Here’s what that implies

July 20, 2023 Floo

SiFi Networks, a privately owned telecom organization dependent in New Jersey, is hoping to bring their citywide broadband to each individual Cleveland tackle at no expense to the metropolis.

The network would give any world-wide-web suppliers accessibility to a higher-velocity fiber optic community, which transports world wide web to a dwelling or enterprise. If constructed, the network could assist bridge the electronic divide in Cleveland, wherever the city suggests two-thirds of inhabitants and firms are with no accessibility to fiber networks.

What is a fiber optic network?

Imagine of fiber optic as a road offering world wide web to your dwelling or organization. As opposed to some other broadband fibers that could use wires and utility poles, fiber is an underground network that transmits the world wide web by way of gentle pulses by skinny glass or plastic tubes. This process allows for more quickly net speeds.

SiFi’s proposal in essence builds the infrastructure for yet another business to offer the service. SiFi has an open network product, which will allow for any web service provider to use their infrastructure. This will hypothetically give shoppers more choices for choosing companies because individuals providers would not have to construct their possess fiber optic network in Cleveland and could use a single that is presently created.

Why do they want to deliver it to Cleveland for cost-free?

With two-thirds of the city with out relationship to fiber optic networks, the investment could spell massive gains decades from now for SiFi.

“We’re so considerably guiding other metropolitan areas,” stated Mayor Justin Bibb’s Senior Plan Advisor Austin Davis, citing Cincinnati at 90% fiber connectivity as in contrast to Cleveland’s roughly 30%. “No organization would want to go to Cincinnati for the reason that it previously exists there. But there is a real possibility in this article, which is thrilling for us.”

The group is backed by the multibillion-dollar European pension fund APG, which seems for regular, extensive-term investments.

The moment laid, the fiber community can be utilized by net supplier products and services, which will spend Sifi to use the fiber optic network to produce online to consumers.

The world-wide-web itself will not be free. As provider providers start out to employ the community, clients will probably be charged current market fees, but Davis stated additional levels of competition could necessarily mean reduced price ranges. SiFi claimed it also presents a subsidy to deprived families.

Eventually, Davis stated, it is about increasing the ceiling for Cleveland’s capacity. Far more accessibility to a fiber optic community is beautiful for not only possible people, but new firms wanting to come into the metropolis, significantly significant-tech teams or providers with considerable data storage demands.

“Appropriate now, we’re not aggressive. We’re not even in the dialogue,” Davis explained. “The technology and the infrastructure is going to continue on to evolve, and this is the infrastructure the future is crafted on.”

What does SiFi want from Cleveland City Council?

Sifi’s proposal, endorsed by Bibb’s administration, would grant the city’s

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Find Free Wi-Fi Almost Anywhere Your Travels Take You. Here’s How

June 16, 2023 Floo

Vacation is the perfect opportunity to disconnect, but that’s mainly from work and other responsibilities, not everything. You’ll undoubtedly still want a good internet connection for keeping in touch with friends and family on social media, researching local places to eat or streaming your favorite shows when you have the down time.

So what happens when you’re out and about, away from your home Wi-Fi? Or what if your home internet isn’t that speedy in the first place?

In this guide, we’ll give you a quick rundown on how to quickly get online using a hotspot, and how to find free Wi-Fi anywhere in the world. (You can also learn how to tell if your Wi-Fi is slow due to internet throttling, how to speed up your Wi-Fi and our picks for the best VPNs.)

What is a hotspot?

A hotspot is a central location or device that offers wireless access to the internet, and any network device can connect provided it has the right access. Depending on your mobile provider and plan, you may be able to use your smartphone as a hotspot.

There are two different types of hotspots: public and private.

In the above scenario where you’ve paid your mobile provider for the ability to create a hotspot with your smartphone, the smartphone is the physical device that creates wireless access for other Wi-Fi-enabled devices, like laptops, desktop computers and streaming devices. This is an example of a private hotspot.

A public hotspot is usually created by a business to provide internet service when visitors, customers and clients are on site. Many free, public Wi-Fi connections are hotspots. But for the sake of accuracy, it is important to note a difference between standard Wi-Fi and a hotspot.

What’s the difference between Wi-Fi and a hotspot?

Whereas hotspots are a physical location or device, Wi-Fi is a wireless technology that devices can use to send information to each other. If you have Wi-Fi at home, it’s because you have a Wi-Fi router quarterbacking all of your wireless gadgets, and an internet service provider that’s connecting that router to the internet.

So long as you set a strong password, a private Wi-Fi network like that is going to be more secure than a public hotspot because you control who and what connects to it. Public hotspots, on the other hand, are open to anyone within range, which is why it’s a good idea to use a VPN or some other security measure if you need to do anything sensitive, like shopping or sending money.

A Telstra technician installs a 5G-capable public Wi-Fi hotspot

How to find free Wi-Fi or free public hotspots

While this probably won’t be possible at home (unless you happen to live really close to someone who has an unsecured network), there are usually lots of options for

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Your Router Is in the Wrong Spot. Here’s Where to Move It to Speed Up Your Wi-Fi

May 20, 2023 Floo

Few things are more frustrating than a slow home internet connection. It’s a massive headache if you work from home, if you’re trying to install smart home gadgets, or if you just want to unwind with some Netflix at the end of the day. So what can you do if your Wi-Fi always seems to be unstable, regardless of what internet service provider you have or how many devices are connected?

The good news is there’s an easy way to optimize your Wi-Fi network and address these issues — and it’ll only take you a few minutes.

Shopping for a faster internet speed?

We’ll send you the fastest internet options, so you don’t have to find them.

There are a lot of factors that determine internet speeds and while there are a few tricks or guidelines you can follow to improve the overall wireless speeds and coverage in your home, one of the most crucial factors is the location of your router. And the best place is not always where the technician sets it up. So keep reading to learn about the best place in your home for your router and other tricks for faster Wi-Fi. You can also check out our picks for the best Wi-Fi 6 routers, the best mesh routers and the best Wi-Fi extenders. (And if you have a mesh router, make sure you check out our guide for where and how to set that up the right way, too.)

See also: T-Mobile Home Internet Review

Choose the right router for your space

First things first: It all starts with choosing the right router or other equipment. Not all routers are the same and the size and layout of your home will determine what type of wireless network you need.

For most apartments and smaller homes (under 1,500 square feet), a single wireless access point should suffice. That said, if your router is several years old, you may want to consider upgrading to a newer model with support for 802.11ax, or Wi-Fi 6. That’s the latest generation of Wi-Fi technology, and it’ll give you the fastest wireless speeds possible and the best overall coverage.

For bigger, multilevel homes, it’s worth considering making the upgrade to a mesh network to offer consistent coverage throughout the entire house. Once the main access point is installed, if you find a far corner of your home doesn’t have solid wireless coverage, just add another node to that area. Problem solved.

To learn more, check out our list of the best mesh routers of the year (our top pick is the TP-Link Deco W7200). If you need some additional guidance, consult our router buying guide.

Just remember: Regardless of whether you have a single access point or a mesh network, where you place the primary access point still matters.

OK, so what’s the best place to put your router?

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Slow Wi-Fi? Your Internet Provider May Be Throttling Your Speed. Here’s How to Tell

May 13, 2023 Floo

When your internet isn’t performing up to standard, your first thought probably won’t be to blame your internet provider. After all, there are many reasons why your internet could be moving slowly.

It might be because of an outdated router or a less-than-ideal router location. You might be able to solve slow speeds with an easy fix, like upgrading to a mesh network (which also has to be set up in the right spot) or simply restarting your modem and router.

Shopping for a faster internet speed?

We’ll send you the fastest internet options, so you don’t have to find them.

But if you’ve already attempted many of these tried-and-true methods and your internet speeds are still subpar, the issue might be something your internet service provider is intentionally doing: bandwidth throttling.

Yes, you read that right. Your ISP could be making your Wi-Fi slower on purpose. Because of a 2019 Supreme Court decision in which the court declined to hear an appeal on net neutrality, ISPs can still legally stifle your internet, limiting your broadband if you’re streaming more TV than they want and serving slower connections to websites owned by their competitors.

One solution to slow Wi-Fi (if it’s caused by internet throttling) is a virtual private network. Basically, ISPs need to see your IP address to slow down your internet, and a good VPN will shield that identity — though this comes with some limitations and downsides, which I’ll discuss below. We’ll walk you through how to tell if throttling is to blame and, if not, what to do about fixing your crummy Wi-Fi. (You can also learn more about how to get free Wi-Fi anywhere in the world.)

Step 1

First, troubleshoot your slow internet connection

So your Wi-Fi is slow and you think your service provider is throttling your connection. Before you jump to those conclusions, it’s important to run through the usual troubleshooting list: Check that your router is centrally located in your home, reposition its antennas, double-check your network security and so on. If you want to read about more ways to optimize your Wi-Fi, check out our suggestions.

If you’ve run through the laundry list and your Wi-Fi is still chugging slowly, move on to the next step.

Screenshot by David Priest/CNET

Step 2

Test your internet speed

Norton

Step 3

Find a reliable VPN

Screenshot by David Priest/CNET

Step 4

Compare your speed with the VPN

Next, test your internet speed somewhere like Fast.com or Speedtest.net. Compare the results with the same test when your VPN is active. The use of any VPN should cut your speed considerably, so the speed tests should show a discrepancy, with the VPN-active speed being notably slower than the VPN-inactive speed. But a VPN also hides the IP address that providers use to identify you, so if your speed test with the VPN is faster than without the VPN, that may mean your ISP is targeting your IP

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Your Wi-Fi Router Is in the Wrong Spot. Here’s Where to Move It for Faster Internet

March 7, 2023 Floo

This story is part of Home Tips, CNET’s collection of practical advice for getting the most out of your home, inside and out.

A slow home internet connection can make even the simplest Google search super frustrating. If you find that your Wi-Fi is always unstable, no matter what internet service provider you have or how many devices are connected, what do you do? Sometimes having your router professionally installed might not even solve the immense problem of a slow, weak internet connection. That’s a massive headache if you work from home, if you’re trying to install smart home gadgets, or if you just want to unwind with some Netflix at the end of the day.

The good news is there’s an easy way to optimize your Wi-Fi network and address these issues — and it’ll only take you a few minutes.

Shopping for a faster internet speed?

We’ll send you the fastest internet options, so you don’t have to find them.

There are a lot of factors that determine internet speeds and while there are a few tricks or guidelines you can follow to improve the overall wireless speeds and coverage in your home, one of the most crucial factors is the location of your router. And the best place is not always where the technician set it up. So keep reading to learn about the best place in your home for your router and other tricks for faster Wi-Fi. You can also check out our picks for the best Wi-Fi routers, the best mesh routers and the best Wi-Fi extenders. (And if you have a mesh router, make sure you check out our guide for where and how to set that up the right way, too.)

Choose the right router for your space

To learn more, check out our list of the best mesh routers of the year (our top pick is the TP-Link Deco W7200) and if you’re not sure where to begin in choosing your next router, consult our router buying guide.

Regardless of

… Read More... Read More

Here’s How to Find All Your Wi-Fi Passwords on Your Mac and Windows

March 4, 2023 Floo

You should never use the same password more than once, but using so many different passwords can make it difficult to remember all of them. If you don’t write them down somewhere, you may never remember certain passwords again, including the one for your Wi-Fi network.

Usually your Wi-Fi password should be printed on the back of your router, but if it’s not, don’t sweat it. There’s another way to find the passwords to all of the Wi-Fi networks you’ve ever connected to. They’re all on your computer somewhere.

As long as your Windows or Mac computer has connected to that network before, the Wi-Fi password is permanently stored in your settings. It may require a bit of digging on your part, but all of the passwords are there, saved and ready to be shared with anyone who wants to connect to Wi-Fi.

Here’s how to find the passwords to all of the Wi-Fi networks you’ve ever connected to on MacOS and Windows. For more, discover 17 essential settings for customizing your MacBook or how to get the most out of Windows 11.

How to find Wi-Fi passwords in MacOS

Every password you’ve entered and saved on a Mac is stored in Keychain Access, the password management system for MacOS. And that includes Wi-Fi network passwords.

To start, use the search feature to open the Keychain Access app and do the following:

1. Click on System under System Keychains in the sidebar.

2. Next, click on Passwords at the top of the window.

3. Find the Wi-Fi network you want the password for and double-click on it.

4. Finally, check the box next to Show password and enter your password when prompted.

Keychain Access app pop-up on MacBook — Find all your stored Wi-Fi passwords in the Keychain Access app on MacOS.

Screenshot by Nelson Aguilar/CNET

The password field will then show the password you used to log in to that Wi-Fi network. You can double-click in the password field to select the password and copy it to your clipboard, if needed.

How to find Wi-Fi passwords on Windows

Finding the password to the Wi-Fi network you’re currently connected to is simple on Windows, but getting your hands on all stored Wi-Fi passwords takes a bit of work, so we’ll discuss both methods below.

To find the password to the Wi-Fi network you’re currently connected to on Windows:

1. Click the Start button and then go to Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center (Windows 11) or Settings > Network & Internet > Status > Network and Sharing Center (Windows 10).

2. Next to Connections, click your Wi-Fi network name highlighted in blue.

3. In the Wi-Fi Status page that opens, click Wireless Properties and then on the Security tab.

4. Finally, check the box next to Show characters to display your Wi-Fi network password above it.

Network sharing center on a Windows laptop — You can easily find the password for the Wi-Fi network you’re currently connected to on

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