Over the years, I’ve had problems with my wi-fi networks, and my go-to guide has always been Glenn Fleishman’s Take Control ebook covering the topic. He’s just updated it again, and the new edition, Take Control of Your Apple Wi-Fi Network, is a compendium of tips and strategies for setting up and managing a network.
Here’s the publisher’s blurb:
Join Wi-Fi wizard Glenn Fleishman and learn to create a fast, reliable, and secure Apple Wi-Fi network using 802.11ac or 802.11n AirPort Extreme, AirPort Express, and Time Capsule base stations.
You’ll find plenty of practical directions for working with Apple’s AirPort Utility configuration software (for Mac and iOS), including steps for setting up a base station, swapping in new gear, adding base stations to extend your network’s range, attaching USB drives or shared printers, enabling security, creating a guest network, and more. (For help with older gear or versions of AirPort Utility, the ebook includes a free download of any prior edition, dating back to 2004.)
You’ll also learn about what’s going on behind the scenes. If you better understand channels and bands, for instance, you may be able to reconfigure your network to dramatically improve performance. And, Glenn provides advice and directions for coping with tricky IP situations.
The book also provides directions for setting up a cellular iOS device as an Internet hotspot, and it discusses Apple’s Instant Hotspot feature.
If you use Macs, and have a wi-fi network, Take Control of Your Apple Wi-Fi Network is the book you need to make sure it runs smoothly.