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How To: Synology DS1819+ Network Attached Storage (NAS) Review & Migration

We just upgraded our Synology NAS units from Synology’s prior model, DS1817+ to their latest model, DS1819+. In my previous article, I reviewed not just the DS1817+ chassis but also the M2D17 M.2 SATA SSD expansion card. I also covered software features including downloadable Synology and third-party applications, the file system, file sharing, synchronization & backup, and security. Continue reading How To: Synology DS1819+ Network Attached Storage (NAS) Review & Migration

Mike Connelly
Connected Home

How To: Deploying a Ubiquiti UniFi Home Network including Multiple WiFi Access Points (Part 2) Updated

Following are my recommended configuration changes for an optimized Ubiquiti UniFi home network. I use them in our home with a gigabit-speed Internet connection. To get the best results, you will need to tune your wireless home network. This includes accounting for neighboring networks, interference, the density of your APs, the number of your wireless clients and their idiosyncrasies in terms of wireless standards support. If you don’t use Sonos, IoT, or femtocell devices, some of these settings below may not be necessary for you. Continue reading How To: Deploying a Ubiquiti UniFi Home Network including Multiple WiFi Access Points (Part 2) Updated

Mike Connelly
Connected Home

How To: Deploying a Ubiquiti UniFi Home Network including Multiple WiFi Access Points (Part 1) Updated

For years, I have constantly upgraded and maintained our home network. While I embrace new technology solutions, I am not an IT administrator. Figuring out what is broken–and why–is often time consuming and aggravating. This is particularly true at home, where I lacked the necessary tools to view the health of our home network and to easily upgrade it. My wife would frequently tell me that “the Internet is slow” or “the Internet isn’t working”. In reality, something went haywire within our home network. Continue reading How To: Deploying a Ubiquiti UniFi Home Network including Multiple WiFi Access Points (Part 1) Updated

Mike Connelly
Connected Home, Music

How To: Advanced Sonos Wireless Network Configuration Using Sonos BOOST Updated

Even if you have a Wave 2 Wireless AC WiFi network, I recommend connecting your Sonos speakers as follows: Ethernet, else SonosNet 2.0 (“BOOST” mode), else your existing WiFi network (“Standard” mode). This will reduce the likelihood of audio drop outs, particularly as you connect more Sonos speakers and/or run them in pairs. This article describes Boost mode and how to configure up to three Boost hardware devices. Continue reading How To: Advanced Sonos Wireless Network Configuration Using Sonos BOOST Updated

Mike Connelly
Connected Home

How To: Optimizing Your Multiple Access Point, Wireless-AC WiFi Network (Part 2) Updated

A weakness was found in the WPA2 security protocol used by almost every modern phone, computer and router. This is called a KRACK attack. You should update your firmware and also disable EAPOL Key Retries to protect your network against KRACK attack against unpatched clients. Continue reading How To: Optimizing Your Multiple Access Point, Wireless-AC WiFi Network (Part 2) Updated

Mike Connelly
Connected Home

Synology DS1817+ Network Attached Storage (NAS) Review & Configuration Updated

It is amazing how much data our family generates. We record our home videos in 4K resolution. We have scanned over 100 years of our family photo albums and slides in TIFF format for permanent archival. I shoot high-resolution images on my Nikon D500 and Fuji X100F cameras in RAW format. I ripped hundreds of CDs that I bought over the decades in lossless audio format. We have constructed a multi-room DVR solution for our home, time-shifting cable and local OTA content. I run my application development environments in virtual machines. And, we back up all of our Macs using our NAS’ Time Capsule service. Continue reading Synology DS1817+ Network Attached Storage (NAS) Review & Configuration Updated

Mike Connelly
Connected Home

How To: Optimizing Your Multiple Access Point, Wireless-AC WiFi Network (Part 1)

Mesh-network based, multi-unit WiFi access point solutions from Google, Eero, Luma, and other vendors are popular now. Compared to typical networking gear, they look unobtrusive, so you won’t mind placing the access points out in the open for maximum wireless reception. Mesh WiFi systems connect multiple units (nodes) to move data from the client to the router. If your goal is to fill in wireless dead zones with the minimal amount of installation effort (meaning no wire pulling), then this approach will give you the largest coverage but at the expense of throughput. Continue reading How To: Optimizing Your Multiple Access Point, Wireless-AC WiFi Network (Part 1)

Mike Connelly