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Let me walk through what a day in the life of a WLAN Engineer looks like in Higher Education and in a consulting role.

Both are different but they share similar characteristics.

In Higher Education, the day can start with tickets or with a new Wi-Fi design. We have the flexibility here to design our day. But there’s no doubt it can be filled with unnecessary meetings.

For a WLAN Engineer in a consulting role, those meetings can be absolutely necessary in order to have a positive outcome in an engagement.

I’ve been fortunate to hold hats in both roles and I enjoy doing both.

If you’d like to share what your day looks like as a WLAN Engineer, please leave a comment down below.

The post CTS 386: A Day in the Life of a WLAN Engineer appeared first on Clear To Send.

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In this episode, we’re diving into some Python and APIs to visualize data within Grafana. This episode is part of Rowell’s automation journey. He has been learning Python with his daughter.

For Rowell, this is just the beginning as he starts integrating Grafana with InfluxDB and Telegraf. A lot more has to be learned in addition to Python and API.

Within the video, we look into the Mist API and see how Rowell was able to develop a script to pull specific information that could be part of a dashboard within Grafana.

Resources

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Managing Wi-Fi at high-density events is a completely different game than running a typical enterprise network — it’s crowded, fast-moving, and unforgiving. In this episode, Francois and I break down what it really takes to deliver reliable event Wi-Fi, starting with planning and preparation. You have to decide early if you’re relying on the venue’s existing network or building your own (which can mean deploying hundreds of APs in just a few days), and even if it’s the same venue, the layout changes every time. What matters most is understanding how people move and behave — like when a huge crowd hits the security area and everyone downloads the conference app at once — and planning your capacity around those predictable bottlenecks so you’re not constantly reacting under pressure.

We also talk about how monitoring event Wi-Fi needs a different mindset and a tighter feedback loop. Instead of waiting for tickets to roll in, you need to watch live performance signals like channel utilization, client counts per radio, and clients per SSID, because those trends tell you what’s about to break before it breaks. For visibility, we’ve leaned on custom scripts feeding Grafana dashboards from controller or cloud APIs, and when you’re on the floor you need tools that move with you — like Ekahau Analyzer with a Sidekick for raw channel utilization, or WN Pi Go for quickly spotting the APs under the most stress. And if you’re running both 5 GHz and 6 GHz, don’t forget to test with older 5 GHz-only devices, because modern clients will jump to 6 GHz and hide a bad 5 GHz experience.

Finally, we get into interference and troubleshooting — because at events you’re dealing with both Wi-Fi and non-Wi-Fi problems constantly. Spectrum sweeps before the event can uncover noise sources like audio/video equipment, but one of the biggest offenders is wireless camera gear used for live streaming that blasts video across Wi-Fi channels and can even shift frequencies automatically. Add in rogue exhibitor APs running full power with 80 MHz channels and you’ve got a recipe for chaos unless you’re actively managing spectrum and enforcing RF rules. The big lesson: the more scenarios you plan for ahead of time — including staging backup APs you can activate instantly or deploying an autonomous AP on a reserved channel for a high-demand demo — the faster you can react in real time and keep the event experience solid.

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This video, a deep dive on frame analysis, covers the essentials of capturing Wi-Fi frames and analyzing them using Wireshark. These skills discussed are useful for troubleshooting and for those studying for their CWAP certification.

To properly capture 802.11 frames, a Wi-Fi network interface card (NIC) must be set to monitor mode, as simply running Wireshark will only capture data at Layer 3 and above.

This video, a deep dive on frame analysis, covers the essentials of capturing Wi-Fi frames and analyzing them using Wireshark. The speakers note that the skills discussed are useful for troubleshooting and for those studying for their CWAP certification.

To properly capture 802.11 frames, a Wi-Fi network interface card (NIC) must be set to monitor mode, as simply running Wireshark will only capture data at Layer 3 and above.

Capture Tools and Tips:

Analysis begins by importing the 802.11 frames into Wireshark. Key features and tips for navigating potentially overwhelming files (containing thousands or millions of frames) include:

1. Filters and Profiles

2. Visual Aids and Customization

3. I/O Graphs (Input/Output Graphs)

4. Practice and Export

Resources

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In this episode Rowell Dionicio and François Vergès, discuss their five New Year’s resolutions for 2026, which encompass their Wi-Fi consulting businesses, technology, and personal well-being.

Five Resolutions for 2026

Podcast Milestone Francois and Rowell reminisce on the podcast reaching its 10-year anniversary in August (started in August 2015). They are proud of this milestone and plan to continue producing content, noting the support of their listeners and community.

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The video is an episode of the Clear To Send podcast, hosted by Rowell Dionicio and Francois, where they discuss spectrum analysis tools.

Summary of Spectrum Analysis Discussion:

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In this Clear To Send episode, co-hosts Rowell Dionicio and François Vergès look back on 2025 with a full year-in-review of the podcast, their businesses, and the biggest moments in Wi-Fi. They reflect on how the show evolved over the year—regaining consistency, improving planning, and setting the foundation for deeper technical episodes. With stronger workflows and team support in place, the hosts share their goal of ramping up production in 2026 and crossing major milestones, including more frequent episodes and pushing past 400 total shows.

The conversation also dives into audience growth and engagement across platforms. The hosts highlight the ongoing 2025 listener survey, growth in the Clear To Send Slack community, and increasing demand for video alongside audio formats. They review YouTube performance, share the most-watched episodes, and discuss how community feedback is shaping future topics—ensuring the podcast continues to reflect what Wi-Fi professionals actually want to learn and discuss.

Rounding out the episode, Rowell and François cover business momentum and key Wi-Fi industry news from 2025. Both share strong growth stories within their consulting businesses, from team expansion to broader service offerings beyond Wi-Fi. On the industry side, they discuss major developments like the HPE acquisition of Juniper Networks, the ratification of Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), early discussions around Wi-Fi 8, and the availability of AFC in North America—making this episode a thoughtful reflection on where the industry has been and where it’s heading next.

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In this episode of Clear to Send, the team shares their forward-looking predictions for 2026, grounded in real-world deployments and patterns they’re seeing across the Wi-Fi industry. From spectrum usage to client behavior, the conversation frames what engineers and IT leaders should be preparing for as Wi-Fi continues to evolve globally.

A major theme is the acceleration of 6 GHz adoption, especially in North America, with expectations that standard-power 6 GHz devices and AFC-enabled designs will become more common. The hosts predict a tipping point where 6 GHz client connections rival—and surpass—5 GHz, naturally improving network load balancing. They also discuss regional differences, noting uncertainty around upper 6 GHz availability in Europe, alongside a broader push toward WPA3 migrations and the operational challenges posed by legacy and IoT devices.

The episode rounds out with predictions on technology and market shifts: deeper learnings from early Wi-Fi 7 deployments, more practical and embedded uses of AI in engineering workflows, and increased adoption of Ultra-Wideband for precise location services without overlay networks. On the vendor side, the hosts speculate that a more agile challenger could emerge to compete with incumbents like HPE and Cisco, while device trends point toward broader adoption of Apple’s in-house wireless silicon across the ecosystem—making 2026 a year of refinement, validation, and meaningful change rather than pure hype.

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In this episode of Clear to Send, France is joined by Roel and special guest Keith Miller as they continue the Wi-Fi Origin Stories series—conversations with wireless professionals about how they found their way into Wi-Fi and what still excites them today. Keith shares his path from growing up in New Jersey to serving in the U.S. Air Force, and ultimately becoming a wireless architect supporting Emory University and Emory Healthcare in Atlanta.

Keith walks through a non-linear career journey that started with early curiosity about computers, detoured through military service as a meteorologist, and eventually landed in IT through certifications, help desk roles, and network engineering. He shares how discovering the wireless community, self-funding trips to WLPC, and learning by experimentation helped him transition into Wi-Fi, including eye-opening experiences at scale with organizations like Walmart. Along the way, he reflects on the importance of humility, asking for help, and leaning into the community.

The conversation also dives into real-world troubleshooting, including a hospital Wi-Fi issue solved through packet captures—earning Keith the nickname “The Packetologist.” He offers practical advice for engineers intimidated by Wireshark, emphasizes mastering fundamentals beyond wireless, and encourages investing in yourself and paying knowledge forward. Keith closes by sharing what excites him today: modernizing thousands of access points and using technologies like BLE to improve safety, asset tracking, and outcomes across healthcare and higher education.

Keith Miller:

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Mark Edwards has spearheaded Wi-Fi at some of the largest companies in the world.

Scaling is a true issue when you’re dealing with a global organization.

But how does one get to this level? Mark didn’t just start out in a Fortune 50 companies. He had a humble beginning, like many of us.

Check out this Wi-Fi Origin Series episode with Mark Edwards and I think you’ll learn quite a lot!

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