Learn how to use the WiFi settings from the Apple engineer who worked on that

Jul 29, 2014 14:56 GMT  ·  By
It is very seldom that the WiFi on your Mac is acting up. The networking capabilities and settings on a MacBook Pro or iMac are pretty straightforward and easy to use. However, there are advanced settings that can help users get something extra from the same settings. 
 
Alf Watt, a former Apple WiFi engineer, has been interviewed by the Mac Observer on this topic and he has revealed some interesting bits that may help advanced Mac users. 
 
He shares four tips that will make your computer work better with your home's WiFi. 
 
1. Use the same SSID for all radios on the same network. 
 
The SSID is the name of your network, and if you have more than one router or access points in different areas of your house, taking this advice may actually increase the chance of your device working faster. 
 
The trick is to name all the access points the same and let the devices in your house choose which one to use. According to Watt, Apple devices choose networks by your preferred order. Go to System preferences – Networks – Advanced – WiFi and see the Preferred Networks. If you name your networks the same, then the Mac or iPhone will choose the one that has the best throughput.
 
2. Deal with congestion with more access points using less power. 
 
Alf Watt suggests that in a small location, like an apartment building, it is much better to increase the number of access points but lower the transmit power on each so that they will not interfere with each other. It is also best if you can use the 5GHz channels. 
 
3. Using "Wide" 40MHz channels on 2.4GHz is not good. 
 
Some routers on the market will allow you to use "Wide" channels, and the band is so congested that you will have issues connecting to that. Moreover, Bluetooth works on the same band, so you will likely get into difficulties and have trouble keeping the network. 
 
4. Antenna orientation matters
 
New routers have internal antennas, so there's no way to choose how they are oriented. Watt says that the best way to deal with this is: when the router has feet, use them as feet. Don't set the wireless router on a wall, facing to the left or right rather than upwards. 
 
For the routers that have external antennas, the WiFi engineer says that it is best to have them perpendicular on each other – one up and one down. 
 
Make sure to read the source of this info for the nitty-gritty details and listen to their podcast to hear the engineer himself explain these issues.