Magazine - wi-fi

A YouTuber Bought a State-of-the-Art Connected Dishwasher. That’s When His Nightmare Began

Javier Pastor — Fri, 28 Mar 2025 18:00:00 +0000

“I won’t connect my dishwasher to your stupid cloud,” YouTuber Jeff Geerling stated after buying a new appliance for his home. For years, users have dealt with products that force them to watch everything they do or don’t work as they should.

Debuting the dishwasher. Geerling explained in his blog and a YouTube video how he bought a new Bosch dishwasher—specifically, one from the 500 series, which he had seen recommended in Consumer Reports. Once installed, the surprise came: He couldn’t just turn it on and run it.

Wi-Fi and an online account are required. When he tried to run a wash cycle, Geerling realized he couldn’t turn on the option. After reading the instructions, he understood why. He had to do two things first: connect the dishwasher to his home Wi-Fi network and create an account on Bosch’s Home Connect service. That would give him access to the rinse option and additional features such as Eco or Half Load modes. Even the basic options wouldn’t work via Bluetooth—Wi-Fi and an account were mandatory.

If you want a screen, you have to pay more. The dishwasher Geerling bought costs around $1,000. Despite this—or perhaps because of it—it has no physical buttons. The controls are touch-sensitive and located on the dishwasher door when opened. It also lacks a display to show how much time is left in the cycle. The Bosch 800 series, which does have a display, costs $400 more.

Why do I need a dishwasher app? As Geerling pointed out, a local app with a direct wireless connection—but no connection to the Internet or other devices on the local network—could make sense. But this didn’t. He said having to control nearly all of the dishwasher’s functions through an app and Wi-Fi was absurd. “I don’t need the Internet on my dishwasher,” he said.

How to Set Up Your Wi-Fi Network Securely Using the SSID and Authentication Method

Alba Mora — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 23:18:36 +0000

In this post, we’ll walk you through the steps to securely set up a Wi-Fi network. The process includes changing the service set identifier (SSID), configuring MAC address filtering, and choosing encryption methods.

For this tutorial, we used a Comtrend WAP-EN1750C router, but the instructions generally apply to most routers.

1. Access the Router

To access the router, open a new window on your preferred browser and enter the following address: http://192.168.2.2.

You’ll be prompted to enter a username and password. In our case, the username is “admin,” and the password is “1234.”

If you’re using a different router, you may want to try the username/password combination above first. You can also try other commonly used combinations, such as admin/admin, and 1234/1234. However, to be safe, we recommend checking the instructions included in the box.

After entering the correct credentials, you’ll be directed to a page with the router's information.

2. Change the SSID

The next step in setting up a safe Wi-Fi network is changing its name. It may not seem necessary, but it’s important to note that the default name provided by your ISP gives away a lot of information about your network.

As such, it’s better to change it to something completely different. To do this, go to Wireless Settings > 2.4GHz 11bgn > Basic. Remember, this process may vary with your specific router.

On this page, modify the SSID parameter. It’s best to use a name that’s easily recognizable to you yet unrelated to you at the same time. Avoid using your address or name as the SSID because this directly points to the network’s owner. Instead, consider names like “Chocolate” or “MyWiFi” to quickly recognize your network without giving away any personal information.

3. Change the Authentication Method

The next step is to change the authentication method. Normally, routers have a good default configuration, but the key to it is very well-known. In other words, it’s like having a very secure safe, but with the combination written on a sticky note next to it.

To fix this, go to Wireless Settings > 2.4GHz 11bgn > Security.

When setting up an authentication method, it’s important to choose the right one. Keep in mind that older devices may not support the strongest authentication systems, so you might need to lower the security level. From more to less secure, the best options are WPA2-AES, WPA-TKIP, WPA+AES, WPA+AES/TKIP, and WPA+TKIP. It’s worth noting that WEP is considered insecure at this point, but it may be the only option for some devices.

When creating a password, it’s best to use a combination of random words, numbers, and symbols to make it more secure. If you have trouble remembering it, you can write it down and keep it in a safe place.

Once you’ve selected your network, click the Apply button to save the changes. After that, you’ll need to reconfigure all devices connected to this Wi-Fi network.

This article was written by José Luis Alcoba and originally published in Spanish. It was updated by Alba Mora in September 2024.

Image | Ivan Radic

Wi-Fi 6E: What Is It and What Are Its Advantages?

Yúbal Fernández — Fri, 05 Jul 2024 20:51:00 +0000

Let’s explore Wi-Fi 6E, also known as 6 GHz Wi-Fi, which is an incremental improvement over Wi-Fi 6. It enhances the previous standard by increasing speed and providing a more reliable connection, especially in environments with numerous networks or devices causing interference.

In this post, we’ll explain all this simply, focusing on general concepts rather than technical details. In short, we’ll outline Wi-Fi 6E and its impact.

What Is Wi-Fi 6E?

Wi-Fi 6E is the latest generation of Wi-Fi connections until the arrival of Wi-Fi 7. It’s an evolution of Wi-Fi 6, which was approved in 2019 and started being implemented in 2020. Rather than giving it a new number, officials simply added a letter to the previous version.

Since 2018, each new Wi-Fi version has usually been assigned a different number to help less knowledgeable users differentiate between them. There’s been Wi-Fi 4 and Wi-Fi 5 (previously known as Wi-Fi n and Wi-Fi ac), both of which used 2.4 and 5 GHz bands. Wi-Fi 6, on the other hand, utilizes both the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands simultaneously to provide the best coverage of one band and the highest speed of the other. It also features increased maximum speed and a 4-fold increase in the average throughput of connections per user, especially beneficial in high-density scenarios.

After Wi-Fi 6 came Wi-Fi 6E, which introduced the 6 GHz band to Wi-Fi 6. This is why it’s sometimes referred to as 6 GHz Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi 6E includes an additional 1.2 GHz, covering up to 7.125 GHz compared to Wi-Fi 6, which ended at 5.925 GHz.

Wi-Fi 7 has also already been introduced, but that's a concept for another time.

What’s New With Wi-Fi 6E?

From a technical standpoint, the main change is the addition of 1.2 GHz to the available spectrum. This expansion allows Wi-Fi to reach up to 7.125 GHz, effectively covering the entire 6 GHz spectrum. As a result, in addition to Wi-Fi 6E, some people refer to this new standard as 6 GHz WiFi.

In some cases, you can gain an extra 14 channels of 80 MHz or 7 channels of 160 MHz, depending on how the router handles your connection. For now, only 2 channels of 160 MHz can be set up. These wider channels can help reduce congestion and ensure that connectivity isn’t compromised even when there are multiple connections from various devices.

We’re not referring to Internet speed. If you’ve experienced Wi-Fi issues where your connection suddenly starts working poorly, it could be due to congestion in the spectrum you’re using. This congestion occurs when too many devices use the same spectrum, even if they’re not in your house. If there are several other Wi-Fi connections operating near your location, and if all of them use the same frequencies, there may not be enough space for them. In such cases, you may need to switch to a different channel.

Wi-Fi 6E can help address the issue of limited bandwidth in routers. This technology provides a wider and less crowded bandwidth, eliminating the problem of overlapping signals found in current channels. The new spectrum allows for up to seven simultaneous Wi-Fi transmissions at maximum capacity without interfering with each other or using the previously available spectrum.

Furthermore, with more channels available in the most efficient bands for transmitting large data volumes, Wi-Fi 6E offers a higher peak speed, theoretically increasing by 30%.

However, the trade-off is that the signal may struggle to pass through walls, meaning that users might experience a greater loss of speed when moving away from the router or placing it in a remote area of the house.

This trend has been consistent across Wi-Fi standards. Wi-Fi 4 offered slower speeds but a longer range than Wi-Fi 5. Similarly, Wi-Fi 6 brought higher speed at the expense of a shorter range. Moving to the 6 GHz frequency and achieving a new speed boost also results in a shorter range.

In any case, Wi-Fi 6E can still utilize the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands, so if needed, it can provide additional coverage, although at a lower speed. This standard offers more possibilities and advantages for connections, which is especially beneficial for devices near your router.

Additionally, new multiplexing methods have been implemented, enhancing the distribution of signals with technologies such as MU-MIMO, which enables information to be transmitted to multiple clients simultaneously, and OFDMA, which improves transmission by allowing it to be divided into different frequencies within the same channel. Ultimately, these improvements make the connection more versatile and usable.

Where’s Wi-Fi 6E Available?

The 6 GHz band began to open up a few years ago in the U.S., and routers and devices compatible with this technology are already available for purchase. While not as common as other types, the latest router and device models should already be compatible.

When deciding on which device to buy, remember that a newer router model will likely be pricier than an older one. However, with standards like Wi-Fi 6E, you can be sure that it'll likely last you a long time.

We Thought VPNs Were Unhackable, But It Looks Like Hackers Can Spy on Them While You're Connected

Javier Pastor — Sat, 18 May 2024 16:41:00 +0000

Cybersecurity company Leviathan Security has discovered a new type of cyberattack called “Tunnel Vision.” This attack allows cyber attackers to route traffic out of an encrypted VPN connection and eavesdrop on it. With this method, hackers can make it appear like the VPN is still secure, even though it’s not.

According to the team at Leviathan Security, this is a significant security issue that needs to be addressed. The attack exploits the so-called “option 121” of the DHCP protocol, which is used by routers to dynamically assign IP addresses in a local area network.

To accomplish their objectives, attackers set up a secret DHCP server. This server modifies the routing tables so that all VPN traffic is directed toward the attackers’ desired destination, bypassing the legitimate VPN’s secure and encrypted tunnel.

In an updated report, the security company pointed out that the problem was first identified in 2015 but largely ignored at the time. With VPNs now more popular than ever, Leviathan stated that it was crucial to draw attention to this type of vulnerability. While the problem has been present since 2002, there have been no known cases of it being exploited.

Leviathan has notified many of the affected VPN providers, as well as organizations like CISA and EFF, who have committed to help the company raise awareness of the issue. The company has issued a public announcement about the vulnerability (CVE-2024-3661), along with a proof-of-concept video that shows how an attack could be carried out.

Am I at Risk?

According to the team at Leviathan, the problem can occur in networks controlled by a hacker or those where an hacker might already be hiding in the shadows. Public wi-fi networks in bars, restaurants, hotels, and airports are potential scenarios where attackers can exploit this vulnerability.

VPNs may be exposed in such cases because many of them are susceptible to routing manipulation and also have DHCP services enabled by default. However, for the attack to work, a user must connect to the secret DHCP server before connecting to the legitimate server on the network.

As reported, TunnelVision affects Windows, macOS, Linux, and iOS operating systems. However, interestingly enough, it doesn’t affect Android mobile devices because the 121 option is not supported on the operating system. This keeps Android phones and tablets safe from the cyberattack.

A user on Ars Technica explains that the issue only affects VPNs that are used to anonymize Internet traffic or to bypass geographic barriers of streaming services, also known as geofencing. According to this same user, people who use VPNs to access remote machines on the Internet shouldn’t be affected by TunnelVision.

“If you use a VPN to connect to your home network and access machines inside your LAN that are not directly exposed to the internet, this won't affect that at all. It only affects VPN setups that redirect all Internet traffic via the VPN,” the user clarifies.

VPN providers are expected to update their clients on these operating systems to implement mechanisms that ensure they use legitimate DHCP servers or include additional security controls. Providers like ExpressVPN claim that this issue has a “minimal impact” on their users. The teams at Windscribe and Mullvad seem to agree.

Meanwhile, users should avoid connecting to untrusted networks. There are some additional advanced measures, such as setting up special rules in their firewalls, that users can take to try to mitigate the problem. If you want to know more, you can check out Leviathan’s detailed study.

Wi-Fi 7: What is It, What is It for and All the New Wi-Fi Standard Features

Ricardo Aguilar — Sat, 04 May 2024 13:00:00 +0000

Wi-Fi 7: What is It, What is It for and All the New Wi-Fi Standard Features

It’s official: the Wi-Fi 6 successor, which also improves the current Wi-Fi 6E, has been announced and is now available on compatible devices. Here, you’ll find the most up-to-date information and feature list of the Wi-Fi 7.

When Will Wi-Fi 7 Be Released?

On January 9, 2024, Wi-Fi 7 was officially announced by the Wi-Fi Alliance at CES 2024 in Las Vegas. With its arrival, 18 devices have been certified, including those from companies like MediaTek, TP-Link, and Amazon.

Wi-Fi 7 at a Glance

	WI-FI 4	WI-FI 5	WI-FI 6	WI-FI 6E	WI-FI 7
RELEASE YEAR	2007	2013	2019	2021	2024
IEEE STANDARD	802.11n	802.11ac	802.11ax	802.11ax	802.11be
HIGHEST SPEED	1.2 Gbps	3.5 Gbps	9.6 Gbps	9.6 Gbps	46 Gbps
BANDS	2.4 GHz 5 GHz	5 GHz	2.4 GHz 5 GHz	6 GHz	2.4 GHz 5 GHz 6 GHz
CHANNEL WIDTHS	20 MHz 40 MHz	20 MHz 40 MHz 80 MHz 80+80 MHz 160 MHz	20 MHz 40 MHz 80 MHz 80+80 MHz 160 MHz	20 MHz 40 MHz 80 MHz 80+80 MHz 160 MHz	Up to 320 MHz
MODULATION	64-QAM	256-QAM	1024-QAM	1024-QAM	4096-QAM
MIMO	4x4 MIMO	4x4 MIMO DL MU-MIMO	8x8 UL/DL MU-MIMO	8x8 UL/DL MU-MIMO	16x16 UL/DL MU-MIMO

Wi-Fi 7 is the successor to Wi-Fi 6 and is capable of speeds up to 46 Gbps, which is nearly five times faster than the previous standard. This is a significant improvement in speed, as Wi-Fi 6E was working at less than 10 Gbps.

What Improvements Will Wi-Fi 7 Bring?

Wi-Fi 7, also known as the 802.11be version, is an upcoming wireless standard that promises to deliver better performance, bandwidth, and efficiency than Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E. It will come equipped with new technologies, including Multi-Link Operation (MLO), which is expected to be a key feature for ensuring the smooth operation of Wi-Fi 7.

MLO is a solution that optimizes channel aggregation, allowing for the simultaneous use of different channels to transmit data packets. This results in low latency when using multiple bands at the same time.

With Wi-Fi 7, users will be able to operate on 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz channels, providing a significant improvement in overall connectivity. Theoretically, this standard can reach speeds of up to 48 Gbps, which is almost four times faster than the 10 Gbps that can be obtained using a Wi-Fi 6 router.

The bandwidth capacity of Wi-Fi 7 is twice as that of Wi-Fi 6, with an increase from 160 MHz to 320 MHz. Additionally, the MIMO (multiple input, multiple output) capacity is also doubled, which is also known as Wi-Fi 802.11ac. This technology enables higher transfer rates, greater coverage distances, user capacity, and reliability. In this case, it goes from 8 to 16 spatial streams.

Each “stream” is a data transmission between transmitter and receiver. The more streams there are, the more data can be sent and received. Therefore, doubling these figures is particularly important with Wi-Fi 7.

With Wi-Fi 7, it’ll be as if you were using cable. The speed increases significantly.

Wi-Fi 7 is expected to provide speeds that are similar to wired standards such as USB 4 (capable of transferring up to 40 Gbps). In short, it’s a standard for a much faster, more capable, and efficient Wi-Fi.

MediaTek has already introduced the first Wi-Fi 7 network, and the results are promising. They claim to be able to achieve the maximum speed defined by IEEE 802.11be, which could be an indication that Wi-Fi 7 could be a replacement for Ethernet cables.

What is Wi-Fi 7 for?

But, why would we need such fast speeds at home anyway?

Manufacturers like MediaTek state that Wi-Fi 7 will serve as a crucial foundation for delivering 4K and 8K content playback, with the latter being particularly limited. Additionally, it will reduce latency in gaming, which is an important factor in the era of game streaming.

Wi-Fi 7 will also facilitate the growth of the much-discussed Metaverse, paving the way for augmented and virtual reality experiences with minimal latency and a more stable connection. While the primary goal of Wi-Fi 7 is to approach the transfer capacity of cable, this new standard will provide a strong foundation for the development of emerging technologies, including those mentioned above.

The key benefits of Wi-Fi 7 include:

320 MHz channels: These are available in countries where the 6 GHz band is open for Wi-Fi use. These channels are ultra-wide which double the width of the widest existing channels, providing faster device speeds and higher throughput.
Multi-Link Operation (MLO): It enables devices to send and receive data simultaneously through multiple links, improving throughput and reducing latency.
4K QAM: This allows for transmission speeds that are 20% faster than those using 1024 QAM.
512 compressed block-ack: It improves efficiency and reduces transmission overhead.
Multiple RU to a single STA: This improves the flexibility of spectrum resources, which in turn improves efficiency.
Triggered uplink access: It optimizes Wi-Fi 6 defined link access to accommodate latency-sensitive transmissions and meet QoS requirements.
Emergency Preparedness Communication Services (EPCS): They provide a Security & Emergency Preparedness (NSEP) service experience while maintaining the priority and quality of service in Wi-Fi networks.

What Devices Will Support Wi-Fi 7?

The first Wi-Fi 7-compatible device, the IQxel-MX Wi-Fi 7, was introduced even before its official launch. This device is a LitePoint test system that is capable of testing the capabilities of the future protocol.

As it’s usually the case, after the standard is officially launched, the latest generation devices such as smartphones, smartwatches, and routers will start offering support. Wi-Fi 7 will also be backward-compatible with devices that were compatible with previous protocols.

Wireless devices that do not officially support Wi-Fi 7 will still be able to connect to it, but they won’t be able to benefit from all the new standard features.

How to View Saved Wi-Fi Passwords on Your Phone

Iván Linares — Thu, 02 May 2024 09:47:00 +0000

All the passwords you use are normally saved on your phone, including those for Wi-Fi networks you have connected to. Don’t remember the password for any of these networks? We show you how to get this information from your phone. You can recover the passwords effortlessly.

It’s impossible to remember all the data we use on our phones every day. This is especially true for passwords: since it is best to choose a different one for each platform, service, and application, we wrote them down because otherwise, it is impossible to remember them. But what if you don’t save your Wi-Fi passwords? No problem: if you use a connection on your mobile phone, you can recover such information.

How to View Saved Wi-Fi Passwords on Android

Let’s start with Android, one of the mobile operating systems. Google offers several ways to view our passwords. Let’s see which ones.

How to View Saved Wi-Fi Passwords Without Rooting

On Android 10 and superior, we can easily see the saved Wi-Fi passwords, even without root. All you have to do is share the network with a QR code: this code contains the network information, including the password.

This method generates a QR code with all network data, including the password:

Your mobile phone must be connected to the Wi-Fi network from which you want to recover the password. This step is essential.
Go to your phone’s settings.
Go to Wi-Fi Connections and enter the enabled network.
Look for the share QR code icon or simply click on the network. A picture with the QR code will be generated.
Capture the QR with another phone and read the information it contains. There should be the name of the Wi-Fi (SSID) and the password you want to view.
If you do not have another phone to capture the QR code, you can take a screenshot and open the image with Google Lens, for example.

Although this is not the simplest method in the world, it will always be easier than rooting the device. If your phone is already rooted, we’ll show you how to see all the Wi-Fi passwords stored on it, even when it’s not connected to the network.

How to View Saved Wi-Fi Passwords if Your Android Is Rooted

Android phones save all Wi-Fi networks by default, along with their passwords, for convenient access without having to re-enter all the data. And it is possible to access all this info at any time, but only if the phone is rooted.

What does it mean that you need to root your phone? It means you need access to the device root, which is protected for security. If you already have administrator access, you can use some of the following applications to recover Wi-Fi passwords.

WiFi Key Recovery

WiFi Key Recovery is one of the simplest applications to view saved Wi-Fi passwords since all you need to do is run it once and give it root privileges. The application will show you all the networks you have saved, the password (PSK), and the protection protocol for each.

Free on Google Play

WiFi Password Recovery

Just as simple as the previous one. In the saved networks tab you will find all those to which you have connected at some point.

Click the button to share the key, copy the password, or create a QR code.

Free on Google Play

How to View Saved Wi-Fi Passwords With a Rooted Android and a File Explorer

If you have root access, you can recover Wi-Fi passwords using a file explorer such as Root Explorer. Give root permissions to your explorer and locate the wpa.supplicant.conf file in data/misc/wifi. Open it in a text editor and run it to see the networks and passwords you have connected.

How to View Saved Wi-Fi Passwords on Your iPhone

iOS allows us to know the password of the Wi-Fi to which we are connected. This process is simple. The problem comes with the passwords of other Wi-Fi; there things get a little complicated.

How to Know the Wi-Fi Password of the Network You Are Connected to

Make sure the Wi-Fi network you are on is the one whose password you need.
Go to your iPhone settings and go to Wi-Fi.
Click the i of the active networks. You will see that the password field is hidden in the menu.
Tap the field; iOS will show you the Wi-Fi password after you have verified your identity using Face ID or Touch ID.

How to Recover the Wi-Fi Key of any Network Saved on Your iPhone (or iPad and Mac)

You’ll need an Apple computer for this process; you can’t do it if you just have an iPhone or iPad. The first thing you need to do is make sure you have iCloud enabled:

Go to iPhone Settings.
Go to Apple ID at the top.
Go to the iCloud menu and make sure the Password and keychain option is enabled (this path may vary slightly depending on the version of iOS you have installed).

If it is enabled, go back to Settings and turn on the Internet Sharing option.

You’re done with the iPhone, so now you need to go to the Mac, where you’ll recover the passwords for the Wi-Fi networks.

Connect your Mac to the access point (Personal Hotspot on your iPhone from the Wi-Fi menu).
At this point, the passwords saved on the iPhone will synchronize with your Mac.
On the Mac, open the Keychain Access application.
Go to the System option at the top left of the window.
Select the Passwords option on the screen.
You will then see all the networks you have connected your iPhone to. Select the Wi-Fi network for which you want to know the password.
Double-click, and then click Show password.

Enter your administrator username and password, or use your fingerprint if your Mac has Touch ID.
Once you have entered the information, you will see the password you are looking for.

Cover image | DALL-E 3 on ChatGPT (edited)