If you spend much time on CellStream.com, you may notice something that has become increasingly unusual on the Web:
We don’t fill our articles with advertising.
There are no advertisements interrupting a Wireshark tutorial. No pop-up covering the network diagram you’re trying to read. No video suddenly playing while you’re studying IPv6. No advertisement inserted between paragraphs simply because an algorithm thinks you might click on it.
That’s intentional.
CellStream has always been a small, family-run business. Our primary business is technical training and consulting, but over the years this website has grown into something much larger: a collection of networking tutorials, troubleshooting tips, Wireshark resources, packet analysis information, downloadable material, reference information, and technical articles accumulated over decades.
A tremendous amount of that material is available to anyone who wants to learn from it.
We Tried the Advertising Model
Many years ago, when operating a website was considerably more expensive than it is today, we experimented with Google’s advertising system. Ads appeared on our pages and, when visitors clicked them, CellStream received a small amount of revenue.
It helped offset some of the cost of operating the site.
Eventually, Google suspended our advertising account after detecting activity it considered inappropriate. The circumstances were frustrating, particularly for a small business, and we ultimately removed the advertising completely.
Looking back, that may have been one of the better things that happened to the website.
It forced us to think about what kind of site we wanted CellStream.com to be.
I Want CellStream to Be a Technical Resource First
When you come here looking for a Wireshark display filter, an IPv6 explanation, a networking troubleshooting technique, or information about putting a Wi-Fi adapter into monitor mode, I want you to be able to concentrate on that information.
The purpose of the page should be to help you solve a problem, learn something new, or become better at what you do.
That doesn’t mean running the site is free.
There are hosting costs, software costs, security and maintenance, development work, and—most importantly—the time required to research, test, write, illustrate, update, and maintain the material.
Some articles take hours to develop. Labs, Wireshark profiles, packet captures, diagrams, and tutorials can take considerably longer.
I enjoy creating these resources, and I want to continue making as much of this information available as possible.
That’s where you can help.
If CellStream Has Helped You, There Are Several Ways to Support It
You don’t have to support CellStream financially to use the information here. Please continue reading, learning, downloading, experimenting, and sharing the material.
But if CellStream has helped you solve a problem, saved you some troubleshooting time, helped you prepare for a certification, taught you something about Wireshark, IPv6, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or networking—or simply made you better at your job—there are several easy ways you can help keep this work going.
Join the CellStream Network Science Membership
Our Patreon membership is probably the best way to directly support the continuing development of CellStream technical material.
Membership helps fund the creation of new networking labs, packet captures, Wireshark exercises, troubleshooting workflows, technical tutorials, and other resources.
If you regularly use CellStream content professionally, becoming a member is a great way to help support the next piece of content you may need.
Join the CellStream Network Science Membership
Buy Me a Coffee
Sometimes an article simply solves the problem.
Maybe a Wireshark filter saved you 30 minutes. Maybe a networking explanation finally made something click. Maybe one of our tutorials helped you fix an issue that had been driving you crazy all afternoon.
If that’s the case, you can simply Buy Me a Coffee.
There is no subscription and no commitment. It’s just a way of saying:
“That helped. Keep doing this.”
And I greatly appreciate it.
Use Our Amazon Affiliate Links
Broadband technicians, network engineers, and packet analysts need tools.
Over the years I have recommended books, USB Wi-Fi adapters, Ethernet equipment, networking tools, cables, test equipment, and other products that I actually believe are useful.
When you purchase something through one of our Amazon affiliate links, CellStream receives a small commission. Your price does not increase. If you’re going to buy the item anyway, starting with one of our links is an easy way to support CellStream without spending anything extra.
Share CellStream With Someone Else
There is another way to support this site that costs absolutely nothing.
Share it.
Send an article to another technician.
Post a tutorial to your engineering team.
Tell a coworker about the Wireshark Profiles Repository.
Share one of our IPv6 articles with someone who keeps insisting they don’t need to learn IPv6 yet.
Recommend CellStream to a new technician who wants to improve their networking skills.
Every new reader helps.
Independent Technical Content Matters
The Internet has changed enormously since CellStream first went online.
There is more technical information available today than ever before—but finding material written by someone who has actually worked with the technology, taught it, troubleshot it, captured the packets, built the lab, and explained it to technicians and engineers can still be difficult.
That’s the kind of material I want CellStream to continue providing.
I don’t expect every visitor to become a paying supporter.
But I do believe there is value in a technical website where the primary objective is teaching networking rather than generating advertising impressions.
So if you have ever read something here and thought:
“That was useful.”
“I learned something.”
or perhaps most importantly, “That just saved me a lot of time.” then please consider supporting CellStream in whatever way makes sense for you.
Become a member. Buy me a coffee. Use one of our affiliate links. Share an article with a coworker.
And if all you do is keep coming back and learning—that’s good too.
Thank you for being part of the CellStream community and for helping us continue Instruction. Knowledge. Skills.