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Aluminum foil can actually improve your wireless signal
If you've ever thought of resorting to aluminum foil to redirect your home's poor WiFi signal, it turns out you're not actually that far off the mark. EurekAlert reported today that researchers at Dartmouth College have discovered that 3D printed signal reflectors, consisting of a thin layer of metal and plastic, can drastically and cheaply improve the wireless signal around a home.
Ask Engadget: Where should I put my router?
The support shared between readers in the comments section is one of the things we love most about the Engadget community. Over the years, we've known you to offer sage advice on everything from Chromecasts and cameras to drones and smartphones. In fact, our community's knowledge and insights are a reason why many of you participate in the comments. We truly value the time and detail you all spend in responding to questions from your fellow tech-obsessed commenters, which is why we've decided to bring back the much-missed "Ask Engadget" column. This week's question comes to us from a reader who needs help setting up a home office. Weigh in with your advice in the comments -- and feel free to send your own questions along to ask@engadget.com! I am considering moving my office from the basement and converting a room on the second floor. I have lots to move, but single strength is a make or break. I did some quick shot tests and found that I am dropping about 45 percent signal in the new office. I plan on stringing new coaxial and Ethernet up to the room so that I can maintain the best signal for my work. Would it be better to leave the cable modem (Thomson) where it is (in basement) and use Ethernet to string the router (D-Link AC3200) to the second floor, or does it not matter? My preference would be to keep the modem and router together just for troubleshooting. You know, when the network goes out and you call your ISP and the first thing that they want you to do is power down the modem and router. I will be stringing 50-foot lengths for both. I am not sure what type of coaxial I should get. Which one should I select, RG-6/U or The RG-59U? The Ethernet will be Cat7; I'll use that to hook up a range selector and/or my Apple TV in the basement.
AT&T's Netgear mobile hotspot promises twice the speed of LTE (updated)
AT&T has just announced the first mobile hotspot router, the Netgear Nighthawk, that can connect to the telecom company's "5G Evolution" network, which AT&T claims offers up to twice the speed of typical 4G LTE. The service is only available in parts of Austin and Indianapolis, and previously only to Samsung S8 users. The Netgear router will cost $50, and you'll need to have at least a $20 per month data plan to use it.
FTC lawsuit over D-Link’s lax router security just took a big hit
In January, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) took D-Link to court over its incredibly insufficient security. The FTC claimed that the company failed to protect its routers and IP cameras from unauthorized access, exposing them to use in botnet attacks or outside viewings of camera feeds. But this week, the FTC's case against D-Link took a hit as a judge dismissed three of the commission's six complaints.
Linksys’ new router puts your gaming needs before everyone else’s
You might not think twice about your router (unless it crashes), but gamers looking for every edge do. For those folks, Linksys has unveiled the $300 WRT32X Gaming Router, a model it developed in collaboration with Rivet Networks. It uses that company's "Killer Prioritization Engine" to reduce ping times by as much as 77 percent, Linksys claims, provided you have a Razer, Alienware, MSI or other PC with the same tech.
ASUS' take on mesh WiFi is now available
Mesh networking is all the rage for people who want to fill every bit of their home with sweet high-speed Wi-Fi. Lynksys, Google, Netgear, TP-Link and Eero all have devices that use the new technology to smooth out the dead spots in your home. Now Asus has joined the crowd with its Lyra Home WiFi System. Initially announced in January, the new routers are finally available for $400.
Virgin Media: Change your Super Hub 2 password or risk being hacked
Typically, internet routers are designed to protect you and your devices from malicious third parties. But when many come with a default username and password, they can leave owners open to attack. That's the message consumer website Which? is pushing today, after it found that Virgin Media's Super Hub 2 routers can be hacked if users don't change the original credentials (normally printed on the back). Virgin Media says the risk is "small" but is urging over 800,000 customers to change the details to protect themselves.
Samsung’s mesh WiFi system connects your smart home this July
Samsung's oh-so-smoothly named Connect Home Smart WiFi System now has a launch date and pricing structure. The router, which was announced in March, also has a SmartThings hub built right in, making it super easy to connect all of your smart gadgets.
ASUS blew a hole in its newest wireless router
Wireless routers have for years taken the form of ugly black rectangles that we've habitually tried to bury behind our TVs and bookshelves. ASUS is hoping that you'll think differently about the Blue Cave, its new WiFi router that looks like an electric pencil sharpener on human growth hormone. The device with a hole is an AC2600 dual-band WiFi router that the company says can handle enough connections to cope with your growing home.
Virgin Media uses home routers to boost its public WiFi network
Virgin Media is starting to expand its public Wi-Fi network by turning customer routers into hotspots. The upgrade, which was first teased in 2015, is only compatible with SuperHub v3 routers for now. Customers are being alerted to the change via email and can choose to opt-out, otherwise they'll be connected automatically. As ISP Review reports, your broadband shouldn't be affected if you decide to help Virgin Media. That's because "additional, separate" bandwidth will be allocated by the provider.
Google's next smart speaker may double as a WiFi router
If you're Google and you want the next Home speaker to clearly one-up the Amazon Echo, what do you do? Stick another device inside, apparently. A source speaking to the Information claims that an upcoming Home model will include a built-in WiFi router with mesh networking. You wouldn't need to buy a separate router (like, say, Google WiFi) just to connect devices around your household. And even if you already have a router, this would improve Home's performance by giving it a stronger connection in weak coverage areas.
Google WiFi helps keep you off the internet at night
Settling in and letting go of screens for dinner or bedtime can be a struggle for both kids and adults. Scheduling time to focus somewhere besides the internet, then, might make a lot of sense. Google's WiFi router now has a feature that can help you pause the signal in your home so you can get to bed or take care of important IRL things without the sweet distraction of WiFi.
Samsung squeezed a smart home hub into a WiFi router
Samsung isn't content with simply unveiling the Galaxy S8 today. In addition to its latest flagship phone, the company is also showing off a new Gear 360 camera, a desktop dock and, interestingly enough, a router. The Connect Home Smart Wi-Fi System is a mouthful of a name, but the device itself may actually reduce clutter in your home, since it removes the need for a separate SmartThings Hub. Samsung hasn't shared information on price and availability yet, but we do know the Connect Home system will be sold on its own or in a three-pack. A so-called Pro version will also be available.
Google WiFi, OnHub routers inexplicably crashed today (updated)
Google's smart router projects are supposed to provide hassle-free networking, but today many owners are experiencing just the opposite. Reports are streaming in of nonfunctional Google OnHub and WiFi units pushing little more than a flashing blue light. On Twitter, the Made by Google team is advising users to try setting up again, while a support forum thread that users in need of immediate access should use the credentials printed on the bottom of their devices.
Netgear WiFi routers are vulnerable to more security exploits
Netgear's WiFi router security woes aren't quite over yet. Researchers at Trustwave are drawing attention to two vulnerabilities that lets anyone recover your router's administrative password, opening the door to botnets and other hostile takeovers. You're only susceptible to internet attacks if you've enabled administration from outside the network, but anyone who can connect to the local network can take advantage of it. And there's a real chance that you're affected -- about 31 models are at risk, including higher-end models like the Nighthawk X8 you see here.
FTC drags D-Link into court for lax router and camera security (Updated)
When you buy a router or other internet-connected device from a company as well known as D-Link, you expect a high standard of security. Many of D-Link's products are advertised with these kind of claims, which is part of the reason the US Federal Trade Commission is suing the company in a California court. In legal action launched yesterday, the FTC has accused D-Link of putting consumers at risk with its lax approach to hardware security.
The Gryphon router manages to be both stylish and feature-rich
As a group of former raunchy young people, we grownups know all too well the sorts of shenanigans a youngster can get up to on the internet. There's no shortage of companies that want nothing more to protect those wee tykes from themselves, but Gryphon is special. The company has built a full-featured (not to mention stylish) wireless router that uses machine learning to help keep would-be intruders at bay. Throw in sophisticated parental controls, dead-simple management from an iOS or Android app and the ability to build a mesh network without having to break out a manual, and you have a seriously thoughtful piece of networking gear.
Linksys is the latest company to unveil a WiFi mesh system
Mesh networking has become trendy for folks looking to fill every nook and cranny of their homes with WiFi. So it should be no surprise that the makers of the most iconic router ever is unveiling its own system. The Linksys tri-band Velop setup is a modular system that the company says is made to expand as your needs do.
Netgear admits its routers are vulnerable to remote attacks
Several Netgear routers, including some of most popular models on Amazon, have been vulnerable to remote attacks for months. According to Wired, a security researcher named Andrew Rollins discovered the flaw and notified the company about it way back on August 25th but didn't get a reply. He went public with the information after waiting for over three months, prompting Homeland Security to issue a warning a few days ago. Now, the company has finally admitted that it's aware of the problem, named all the affected devices and released patches for some of them.
Google WiFi review: A hassle-free router comes at a price
Google's not new to the hardware game, but with its "Made by" range, the company is making a concerted effort to marry its smart software with the gear we run it on. We've already tried the Pixel phones, Daydream View VR headset, Chromecast Ultra and Google Home, but until now, there was one Made by Google gadget we'd yet to test, and it's the one that arguably ties all the rest together: Google's aptly named WiFi router.
