Lesson 2 of 412 min

Wi-Fi that actually works

SSIDs, channels, 2.4 vs 5 vs 6 GHz, PSK (Pre-Shared Key) vs 802.1X, controller-based vs cloud-managed.

Network switch with a bundle of ethernet cables — Photo by Brett Sayles on Pexels

2.4 GHz: long range, easy to congest, 3 non-overlapping channels (1, 6, 11). 5 GHz: shorter range, lots of channels. 6 GHz (Wi-Fi 6E): newest, clean spectrum.

PSK (one shared password) is fine for guests; 802.1X (per-user creds via RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service)) is required for serious networks.

Diagram · Small-office network

Site survey before deploying — guessing AP (Access Point) placement leads to dead zones.

Key takeaways

▸Channel planning prevents self-interference
▸802.1X > PSK for corporate
▸Always survey before installing APs

Next: Azure fundamentals →