Field notes

Notes on networking, smart home & security from the Wasatch Front.

Practical write-ups from the field — what works, what doesn’t, and how we approach real-world installs in Utah homes and small businesses.

April 13, 20268 min read

Whole-home audio in 2026: Sonos, in-wall speakers, and the part everyone forgets

Sonos is still the default, but the in-wall speaker question is where the real architectural decisions happen. Here is how we scope whole-home audio in 2026 — Sonos ecosystem, Sonos Amp + architectural speakers, matrix amps for larger homes, and why the network underneath matters more than people think.

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April 13, 20268 min read

How to set up a guest Wi-Fi network that actually isolates your smart home

The "Guest Network" toggle on consumer routers rarely does what people think. Real guest isolation means VLANs, firewall rules, and a separate IoT network — here is how to do it properly once your house has more than a handful of smart devices.

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April 13, 20269 min read

Wi-Fi 6E vs Wi-Fi 7: should you wait, or upgrade now?

Wi-Fi 7 is real and shipping. For most homes, Wi-Fi 6E is still the smarter call. Here is what each standard actually gives you in real life — MLO, 320 MHz, 4K QAM — and why your client devices probably matter more than the AP you pick.

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April 12, 20267 min read

Why your Wi-Fi drops in Park City mountain homes (and how to fix it)

Log walls, stone chases, and long vertical floor plans make Park City homes one of the hardest Wi-Fi environments in Utah. Mesh kits help, but rarely finish the job. Here is what actually works.

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April 12, 20269 min read

UniFi Protect vs Ring vs Nest: what "no cloud fees" actually means

All three work. All three have cameras in a box. The differences show up a month after install, when the free trial ends. A plain-English comparison of what you actually own, what you pay for, and when each one makes sense.

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