As we have introduced, WPA2 is a security protocol that can be used on routers to better protect them from malicious attacks. WPA stands for Wi-Fi Protected Access, and it is the second version of WPA.

As of now, there are 3 versions of WPA. There is the original WPA, WPA2, and WPA3. Even though WPA3 is the newest security technology, many people still prefer WPA2 as it is more widely available and still really tough to crack.

WPA3 is still really new and the creators of WPA3 are still working on it. There aren’t nearly as many devices that are compatible with WPA3 as there are with WPA2.

WPA replaced WEP in 2003. WEP was the older version of the security measure, but it was much easier to crack and get through. People were experiencing security problems even when they had the WEP measure, so WPA was created.

Configuring your router for WPA2 is a straightforward and simple process. You just need to make sure that your router is compatible with WPA2, but with how old WPA2 is, it shouldn’t be a problem at all.

To check if your router is compatible with WPA2, head over to your computer or mobile device. Any of these devices that can connect to your Wi-Fi can find out what kind of security it is compatible with. If you have a SmartTV, you might even be able to find the information there as well.

On your computer, you will want to head over to the Wi-Fi settings. This can be done by searching “Wi-Fi settings” or “network and internet settings,” if you have Windows 10 or 11. If you have a Mac, press the option key and the Wi-Fi icon to be presented with the information.

The next step for a Windows computer is to select the Wi-Fi properties. From there, you will see a line of text that says security type. The text afterward will show what kind of security protocol your router is compatible with.

On an Android phone, go to your settings and select Wi-Fi. You will want to open the details section and you should see a spot that says the security configuration.

It is important to note that every Android phone can have a slightly different layout and that the security information might be in a different place amongst the Wi-Fi settings.

It is recommended that when finding what kind of security your router is compatible with through your phone, look up the specific information for your phone model.

When you are at the point where you see what kind of security your router is compatible with, take note of what the information says. To configure your router to WPA2, it needs to say WPA/WPA2 or something similar. On a computer, you might see WPA2-personal.

If this information says WPA3 because you have brand new technology that has this feature, you still might be able to configure WPA2.

This is because these pieces of technology sometimes can switch what kind of WPA can be used, allowing you to use either WPA3 or WPA2 depending on what works best for your technology.

Accessing the Router Settings

Now that you know that your router can be configured to WPA2, it is time to access the router settings to set it all up. There are several different ways that you can access the settings of your router.

First, if you haven’t changed the credentials of your router, you can use the default login. This default login can be located at the back of your router. It will include a username, password, and a general default gateway.

If you did change the credentials of your router, use those. However, if you can’t remember what you changed them to, you can reset the router and log in with the default login.

However, you will have to configure the router from scratch.

Some routers will have a QR code located on the box. This makes it super easy to log in as you just have to scan the QR code to access the settings.

Finally, more and more routers recently have been coming with their own app. If you have this app, all you have to do is log in and access the settings from there.

On the back of the router, there will also be an IP address listed. This is usually located right around the default login information of the router.

Enter this IP address into your internet browser to be sent to the place where you will change the network settings of your router.

However, if your router has a specific app that it comes with, you probably won’t need to do this step. Simply follow what your app tells you to do.

Each router might have a login screen that looks a little bit different. Follow the steps given to you by your specific router.

Changing the Network Settings

Now that you have accessed your router’s settings, you can now go in and change them. Look for “wireless settings” or “network settings”

Then click on wireless security. This is where you want to be to set up and configure WPA2. Now that you have clicked on the security page, you will be brought to a page that has a lot of information. Don’t get overwhelmed when you first view this page. It is still a simple process.

Find a line that says security. Next to it might be a drop-down box or some other method of inputting information, depending on the specific router page.

Let’s say that you see a drop-down box for the sake of an easy explanation. Click on the drop-down box and you will see an option that includes WPA2-personal.

Your router might also include some other options that you can choose from, but make sure to choose the WPA2 option. Click on this option and you will see the box be selected with the WPA2 option.

There might be a location further down on the page that also gives you the drop-down box to choose a security option.

Also, choose the WPA2-personal option for this box as well. Sometimes, you might be prompted to choose an encryption algorithm. Select AES from the drop-down menu.

To save your changes, you will be prompted to re-enter the password for your router. You’ll then want to reboot the router to make sure it is now working with the new security system.

Once your router is properly configured with WPA2, you might have to reconnect your devices to the router with the new WPA2 password. This is to make sure that all the connected devices are protected as well.

That’s It!

Once you have completed all of those steps, you have successfully configured your router to WPA2. Now you have extra security for both your router and all of your devices.

There are no downsides to having a security protocol set up with your router. Instead, you get all the great benefits that come from having extra security.

Still worried that you and your internet-connected devices aren’t as protected as you want them to, even after configuring them to WPA2? Well, you are in luck. You can still add extra security to your devices and even your router.

The best way to add extra security is to add a VPN. Not only are VPNs great for accessing shows that are being streamed in other countries and getting around locked websites, but they also add extra security to your device.

A VPN will essentially hide your device’s location from other devices and other servers. It adds a layer of invisibility to your device that can prevent viruses and other attacks from accessing your device.

On some router access pages, there will be a section to add a VPN along with the security protocol. This adds extra security to your router as a whole.

Configuring your router to WPA2 is so much easier than some people may think. It doesn’t take too much time and it isn’t too difficult to complete. Many times, you just have to follow what your specific router’s page tells you to do.

From there, you are promised so much extra security so you can access the internet on your devices with peace in your mind.

There are a lot of things about the S1 Pro that I loved, but there was one glaring gray area that needed resolving, and remains an important point of consideration with stacking this printer up against others in the same price range.

It’s a large FDM printer (490 x 455 x 625 mm) compared to its relatively small 220 x 220 x 270mm print bed. But, it’s also a very stable printer. Its size and weight give it a nice, sturdy printing base, and that wobble elimination is a win.

The Ender 3 S1 Pro also has both a Type-C USB slot, and an SD card port. This gives you more options for connecting your printer to external devices, like a Raspberry Pi.

Firstly, let’s take a look at what this printer does well. It absolutely hits some peaks for me, and on these, alone, it’s a worthwhile contender to many printers on the market.

Extruder and nozzle

The S1 Pro also has a “Sprite” full-metal dual-gear direct extruder rather than the more common Bowden design (where the filament is fed through a plastic tube at an angle). With an extrusion force of 80N. This is a manual loading and unloading process, but it allows for a bit more wiggle room when it comes to which filaments you use, and is generally very straight forward.

The S1’s new brass nozzle design can stand up to 300°C printing temperature, and is compatible with multiple filaments, such as PLA, ABS, PVA, Wood, TPU, PETG, and PA.

Build plate

The build plate is magnetic PEI Spring Steel, which is pretty common these days because of how easy it is to remove prints from the surface—no more worrying about scratching your build plate with a chisel as you try to pry the plastic off.

Lighting

A feature I enjoyed having added from the get-go was the LED light, built into the top of the frame. Yes, you can mod your own onto the Ender, but it’s a lovely touch to have it there from the beginning.

Problem detection

The Ender 3 S1 Pro has a filament sensor to ensure that you don’t suddenly run out of filament and ruin a print, and includes a power loss detection feature, which likewise keeps a sudden outage from making a mess of things. These are totally standard at this price range these days, but weren’t not that long ago, so it’s worth a highlight.

You can use it to shoot lasers

One of the immediate highlights about the Ender 3 S1 Pro is that it’s compatible with Creality’s line of laser modules, opening an exciting doorway to a truly multipurpose device capable of both 3D printing and laser engraving. You can read my review of the Ender 3 S1 Pro combined with a 10 watt laser module, here.

Now, one of the reasons I was most excited about the S1 Pro was because it touted “CR-Touch” a 16-point automatic leveling system. Anyone who’s been following me for a while knows that I love a 3D printer with a good automatic leveling system, and that the current king of this area is Anycubic. I’d been looking forward to seeing how the Ender 3 S1 Pro stacked up.

I manually level all my printers before running any automated system—no problem there. But, as soon as I ran the automated leveling program, I knew there was an issue. The system was setting the Z-vector (the vertical height of the extruder) about two centimeters higher than the bed!

I reached out to Creality for support and received what they could offer, but all to no avail. One way or another, the problem persisted, despite the best efforts of their engineering team, and my own attempts to solve the issue. Only when I took the machine apart entierly, cleaned and refit every main component, was I eventually able to get it to level even manually as well as needed to accomplish some basic print testing. Auto-leveling remained completely inaccessible, as the issue repeated itself without cease.

Given my experience with other printers that offer complete auto-leveling along the full XYZ axis, this was disappointing. However, the printer performed well when only manually leveled, allowing me to ascertain that it is indeed a speedy and stable printer by all accounts.

While I would like to assume that this was an issue with only the printer sent to me, and not one endemic to the well-liked series as a whole, I would still caution prompt and comprehensive testing before your return period expires. This especially because I found complaints online regarding issues extremely similar to mine: all involving problems with the printer’s ability to level itself correctly.

The Ender 3 S1 Pro has the best packaging of any printer I’ve reviewed. It’s well-packed in a tight case, and the parts are minimal. It’s nice to have a printer that comes partially assembled like this because it allows you to get started faster. The Anycubic products that I reviewed in 2022 were amazing, but often required a fair bit of work to set up. One of the downsides of pre-assembled printers is that the shipping container often has to be larger, but Creality’s done a great job of keeping the size compact.

As always, the printer comes with tools, screws for assembly, and misc. accessories.

Assembling

Setting this one up is far easier than most kit printers, and that’s a huge boon to people who are new to the world of 3D printing and just want to get straight into the fun. You can read my full assembly guide, here.

I love how few parts there are for this printer: it’s easy to assemble in the extreme, and I was able to have it up and running in about a half hour (not including the time it took me to take notes and pictures). Some printers that I’ve assembled would really have benefited from a two-person team, but this printer is clearly designed with the solo enthusiast in mind. Even someone with no prior experience assembling a 3D printer would be able to handle this.

Priced at the $450-$500 range ($500-$600 with the laser module combo), the Ender 3 S1 Pro is aiming to compete in a very stiff market of upper-mid-range printers.

There were remarked difficulties with the auto-leveling feature in my model, but even if there had not been, it is a less functional form of automatic leveling than other models on the market for a similar price. What sets it apart is its inherent modularity and companion pieces like the laser module.

Well worthwhile for an experienced 3D printer professional, I would not recommend this for anyone just starting out with this as a hobby.

Have you ever seen a temperature warning pop up on a phone screen?

The icon shows a hot thermometer and reads, “Temperature, iPhone needs to cool down before you can use it”? This symbol indicates the software inside the phone reached too warm of a temperature to function safely. This happens for a few reasons.

• You left your phone in a hot area, perhaps a car in the middle of summer. The sun warmed up the iPhone and heated up the software, which could affect the phone’s hardwiring in the long term.
• You use your phone in too hot of temperatures. Maybe you’re trying to play Pokemon Go, texting a friend, and sending an email. If you scroll back and forth between all of these apps, the iPhone will try its best to respond to your needs, but if you do this in direct sunlight, the phone might quit working.
• Running a lot of apps in general, especially when they require a lot of phone battery, can drain the battery and overheat the system.
• A bad battery or a malfunctioning iPhone could have its wires crossed, causing the phone to overheat at inopportune moments.

Now that we know some root reasons that cause iPhones to overheat, let’s take a look at some reasons an iPhone could overheat while charging.

If you plug your iPhone into the power source and notice its temperature’s continual rise, the device could be overheating for multiple reasons.

A bad charger

This is a common reason that iPhones overheat. If a charger does not work properly, it could send the wrong signals to your iPhone, tricking the hardware and causing the phone to overheat.

To avoid this issue, make sure the charger is intact and the port is free of dirt and dust. If the cord appears twisted or tangled, unplug it, untangle it, and try to reinsert the plug into the phone. If that doesn’t fix the issue, try to plug the cord into a different outlet. If the phone continues to overheat after all of these fixes, it is time to get a new charging cord.

Internal issues

This problem occurs when either the iPhone battery or the software inside the iPhone is compromised. To check what is wrong with the phone, you will need to seek out a specialist who can assess the inside of the device.

Apple stores or Apple support can point you in the right direction. Sometimes iPhone batteries go bad, and you need to replace them with the help of a technician.

Temperature is a hazard

When an iPhone is in the presence of extreme heat, it issues a temperature warning to its users. This occurs whether or not a phone is charging, but if a phone charges in a hot room, the heat could make the phone overheat.

To circumnavigate this issue, make sure your outlets and your phone always charge in a cool, dimly lit space without much direct sunlight.

The phone needs an update

Sometimes iPhones overheat because they can’t keep up with internal hardware. This occurs when an older phone has not been updated for a while.

To make sure your iPhone stays updated, visit the updates bar in settings and regularly check for new updates.

Charging and using the phone too much

If you charge the phone too much, the charge won’t work properly. The system will get overloaded, and thus the iPhone will overheat. The same goes if you keep apps and programs open on your phone at all times.

This will cause the service to lag and the phone to overheat. To avoid this specific issue, make sure to charge your phone when it needs it and to close out all apps when you are done using them.

Above, we mentioned some reasons that cause an iPhone to overheat while charging. Sometimes you cannot get to the root of the overheating, but you want to stop the phone from warming up. Here are some trusted methods to use to stop your iPhone from overheating.

Before you do anything, make sure to unplug your iPhone if you notice it overheating while charging. Leaving it plugged in can cause damage to the internal hardware of the phone and the battery in the long run.

Reset your phone

A great way to stop a phone from overheating is by resetting all of its data. To reset your iPhone, visit the settings icon on the home screen, click general, scroll down to the reset button near the bottom of the list, and click reset all settings.

This will take a few moments, and the phone might shut off during this process. If it does, turn the phone back on and monitor the heat and the speed of the phone. If it continues to overheat, you can try any of these other methods.

Giving the phone a restart

Sometimes, you can fix an issue by turning the phone off and on again. A hard restart turns the phone off in the middle of the activity and forces it to close all of the apps and shut off.

Track apps causing issues

Some apps available in the app store do not mesh well with the hardware of an iPhone. This means you need to figure out which app does not agree and delete the app. If you know that one of the apps on your phone is causing an issue, but you don’t know which one, you can figure that out in settings.

Click on settings, click on the icon with a blue and white hand that says privacy, and then click on analytics. This will bring you to a screen that shows your analytics data. Click on that and find the app causing the phone to crash, restart, overheat, or all three. Delete the app and see if the overheating continues.

Restore your iPhone

Restoring your iPhone is a great way to stop your phone from overheating. To do this, you’ll need to plug your iPhone into a device that has your Apple ID information stored. A Macbook or a desktop works perfectly. Also, make sure you have your information stored in the cloud because restoring a phone will delete data from your iPhone.

• Open the finder app, the blue and white smiley face icon at the bottom of the computer.
• You need to push the volume buttons as well as the power buttons until the iPhone shuts off completely.
• Now hold the side button for a few moments, the high volume button with the side button, and the lower volume button with the power button for a few more moments.
• After you’ve completed all of those tasks, a pop-up will arise on your computer. It will ask you if you want to restore your device.
• Click Restore iPhone under iPhone Recovery Mode and wait until the restoration finalizes.
• After that process, give the iPhone a bit to recuperate and then try to charge it again.

Update apps and iPhone

If you find your iPhone overheating while charging, you can update the software and the apps.

If a phone has several old apps and older software, it could cause the device to overheat. You’ll need to see which apps need to be updated by visiting the app store.

Apple Store

If all else fails, you can always visit an Apple Store and speak with someone at the Genius Bar.

If you don’t notice your phone getting hot, but you think it might be overheating, there are some other methods to prove the software is heating up. These include,

• The software operates at a slower pace. You can’t access apps at a normal speed.
• If the phone does not charge at all or charges at a super slow pace.
• You try to take a picture, but the flash is unavailable.
• The screen doesn’t light up as much as usual or it is black.
• You get a temperature warning.

You already know that you can delete all your third-party contacts. As for how to do that, just follow these steps.

These steps will help you delete them, although you do need to stop syncing your contacts if you want to avoid having to do this in the future again.

1. Head over to your Settings app on your iOS device and choose your Contacts.
2. Tap your Accounts button. This will show you accounts like your Gmail. You only need to tap on the accounts that you want to delete the contacts from.
3. In your options menu, scroll down. You should see various toggles—turn off the one for your Contacts.
4. A popup will appear that lets you Delete from My iPhone. You only need to click it to delete all of those contacts from your account.

Your iPhone device has something called iCloud Contacts. This will let you manage and keep your contacts updated across all of your devices.

Unfortunately, this is also what can cause problems for you if you have syncing across everything and your contact book ends up being cluttered.

So, if you want to stop syncing, you can delete all your iCloud Contacts that have been previously synced.

1. Start by opening your Setting app on your iPhone. You should see your own profile. Click your profile and choose iCloud.
2. If you scroll down a little, there is an option there that says Contacts with a little toggle bar. You will want to click on that bar so that it is activated.
3. You should see a popup from the bottom that will ask you what you want to do with all your previously synced iCloud contacts.
4. Just tap the Delete from My iPhone/iPad.

While it is important to stop syncing contacts, how about deleting all the other contacts that you have on your iPhone?

If you just want to delete a few contacts on your iPhone, you can do that, but just remember that deleting them from your phone will also delete them from other devices where you are using iCloud.

1. Start by opening your Contacts.
2. Scroll through to find that contact that you want to get rid of. Click on it.
3. You should see an Edit at the top-right corner. Tap it.
4. Scroll down now to the bottom of the screen.
5. You should see a red bar that says Delete Contact.
6. Click that and you’re done—contact deleted.

This does mean that if you have multiple contacts that you want to delete, you have to repeat this process for each one. It can get a little tedious if you have a lot of people that you want to get rid of. This brings us to the next step of deleting multiple contacts.

Ordinarily, you cannot delete multiple contacts at once. For example, if you are using an iPhone, you have to go through your individual contacts one by one. But if you are using iCloud, you can indeed select multiple contacts to delete them with just one click.

The only thing you should keep in mind is that this is something you can only do on your computer. You cannot delete multiple contacts from your iPhone directly.

1. Begin by opening your web browser and go to icloud.com. If you haven’t visited icloud.com from your computer before, you will be asked to sign in with your Apple ID and password. This is the same sign-in that you might use to enter your iCloud from your phone. This might also require something like two-step verification from your phone as well.
2. Once you are signed in, you will see all your classic iPhone icons. You should see contacts as one of those icons. Click it and highlight each contact that you would like to delete.
3. You can do this by holding down the Control key and clicking all the contacts you no longer need. For those of you using a Mac, you will be holding onto the Command key instead as you tap your contacts.
4. Once you have all of those are highlighted, be careful not to click away or you will have to highlight them all over again.
5. Now, go to Settings at the bottom left corner. You will see the Delete button, and you only need to confirm that you would like to be rid of all the contacts.

Any devices that are linked with that iCloud account will now be rid of those contacts. But, of course, this means that any devices not connected will still need to be handled manually.

As mentioned above, you can go into your iCloud to delete multiple contacts, and this works if you have been syncing contacts. You can also just delete all your synced contacts too.

But what if you want to delete third-party contacts right from your iPhone. If you want to do that, you can use a third-party app to help you. These are known as smart contact managers, most of which cost just a little bit to download.

For example, you can try Groups, which is free. However, there is a more comprehensive version for about $10.

Delete Contacts+ is another third-party app that also comes with a free option or a full version priced at $4. Look into each of them to figure out if the extra cost might be worth it to you. No matter which one you pick, both are easy to use and work reliably to remove multiple contacts in your iPhone.

In terms of how to use them to get rid of your contacts, let’s focus on Groups. Bear in mind that the actual process should be relatively similar no matter which app you choose. Launch your Groups app and let it access your contacts. You should see a button that says All Contacts.

From here, you can wipe out every single contact from your iPhone if you Select All at the top left of the screen.

If you would prefer to just select contacts, you can click to select the ones you do not need anymore.

You should see a button that says Choose Action right at the top. It will give you the option to Delete Contacts in the popup menu. You only need to confirm what you want to do.

If you want, you can verify that these contacts are gone right from the Contacts app, but you can also check on your other listed devices to be sure they’re gone.

How Many Contacts Can I Have?

You really should never exceed your contact limit since you can actually have around 50,000 contacts. Hopefully, you never actually have quite that many. But if you do, you know how to delete them now.

How Do I Sync Contacts?

You can also sync contacts if you want them to be the same across all devices. Just go to Settings, tap your name, and pick iCloud. Then, scroll through your list to move the slider and allow your contacts to sync.

Can I Organize My Contacts?

Yes, your iPhone does give you some customization options that will let you control your contacts list better. If you get anywhere close to that maximum of 50,000 contacts, or even just have a couple hundred, you might want to see whether you can do this.

To find the variety of controls, go to your Settings and then your Contacts. You can sort by first and last name like this.

Or you can organize your contacts by genre. For example, if you have personal contacts and work contacts. Now, this might not be the easiest thing to do if you have not input things like work emails and personal emails with your contacts, but you can still manually choose which group to.

Can I Just Delete All Contacts?

You cannot pick and choose which contacts you want to delete, but you also cannot choose to just delete all contacts and start over. You will need a third-party app or will need to go to your iCloud to pick everything at once.

What About Contacts Stored on My Phone?

There are some contacts that are stored directly on your phone and not on the Cloud, which you can still delete. These are the contacts that you need to delete one by one, though. Or you can do a factory reset if you genuinely want to completely start over.

These are all effective methods to delete contacts on your iPhone. If you have been bothered by all the contacts cluttering your iPhone, there is no need to bear with it any longer. Simply follow these methods to clear the contacts you no longer want and enjoy a more organized iPhone!