Networking myths dispelled
Public Wi-Fi hotspots are safe if passwordprotected
> Except that everyone knows the password – it is called ‘public’ Wi-Fi, after all. Subscribing to a VPN app such as ExpressVPN will provide protection for all your devices, including your MacBook or iPhone, when you’re out and about.
5GHz Wi-Fi is always faster than 2.4GHz
> The 5GHz frequency does transmit data at higher speeds than 2.4GHz, but it has shorter range and is more prone to interference from other networks and devices. You may find that the 2.4GHz band works better for mobile devices that tend to move from room to room.
Simultaneous downloads will slow your Wi-Fi down
> Older routers were originally designed to transmit data to just one device at a time, so if you had two or more devices online then the router would be forced to quickly switch back and forth between them. That would slow things down a lot, but more modern routers are designed to transmit data to multiple devices simultaneously, so you can watch Netflix, YouTube and listen to Apple Music all at the same time. In fact, the new Wi-Fi 6 standard is specifically designed to connect to dozens of devices, including smart lights and speakers, as well as computers and mobile devices – which is one reason why it’s worth upgrading to a Wi-Fi 6 router in the near future.
Disable SSID for security
> Most routers allow you to ‘hide’ your network name – also known as the SSID – but there are plenty of apps that can sniff out hidden SSIDs, so this doesn’t really make your network more secure. In fact, it might even cause problems when your devices try to connect to the hidden network.