Network & internet guides
Plain-English help for the things that go wrong — Wi-Fi drops, slow internet, lag, DNS — plus the basics explained simply. No sign-up.
🔎 Free tools: Is it DNS? · DNS lookup (compare resolvers) · Find your real IP (behind any VPN/proxy)
🧰 Network troubleshooting toolkit — cable testers & gear, bargain → pro picks.
📶 Troubleshooting series — OSI Layers 1–7
The pro method: work the stack bottom-up to pin a fault to one layer.
Start here — the layered method
Layer 1 — Physical (cables & link)
Layer 2 — Data Link (MAC, switches, VLANs)
Layer 3 — Network (IP, routing, ping)
Layer 4 — Transport (TCP/UDP, ports)
Layer 5 — Session
Layer 6 — Presentation (TLS & certs)
Layer 7 — Application (DNS, HTTP, email)
🛒 Gear & buyer's guides
Troubleshooting toolkit (testers & tools)
Best Wi-Fi router
Best mesh Wi-Fi system
Best Wi-Fi access point
Best network switch
Best cable modem (stop renting)
Best firewall
Best NAS
Best PoE security camera
Best UPS (battery backup)
Fix a problem
Weak Wi-Fi signal & dead spots
Why does my Wi-Fi keep disconnecting?
Internet keeps cutting out
Wi-Fi connected but no internet
Why is my ping so high? (lag & jitter)
Why streaming keeps buffering
Ethernet not working (or slower than Wi-Fi)
Is it my router or modem?
Not getting the speed you pay for
Is the website down, or just me?
How to test your internet connection
Your home network & security
What's connected to my network?
Is someone stealing my Wi-Fi?
Find your router's IP (gateway)
How to secure your home network
Wi-Fi & wireless
How to fix Wi-Fi (step by step)
How to choose the best Wi-Fi channel
WPA2 vs WPA3 (Wi-Fi security)
Wi-Fi 6, 6E & Wi-Fi 7 explained
Mesh vs extender vs access point
How to do a Wi-Fi site survey
How to configure your router
Best apps for troubleshooting (iOS/Android)
DNS
Networking basics
What is DNS?
What is an IP address?
What is a subnet?
What is a MAC address?
Router vs modem vs gateway
Bandwidth vs speed vs latency
2.4GHz vs 5GHz (and Wi-Fi 6)
What is a VPN & a firewall?
Public vs private IP addresses
How to find your IP address
What is a port (& port forwarding)?
What is NAT?
IPv4 vs IPv6
What is a default gateway?
Speed & connection
How to read a speed test
What is a good internet speed?
What is jitter (and why calls drop)?
What is packet loss (and how to fix it)?
Email & deliverability
Security & certificates
What is an SSL/TLS certificate?
What is a hash (MD5, SHA-256)?
How to check if a file is malware
Why is my IP blacklisted?
Acutis