Is there a specific strategy for creating wide control areas within a designated area

You can use the Intel map to plan your links/fields.

what is the most acceptable way to protect those given areas.

To protect your portals you should deploy shields, turrets and force amps. There is only one type of turret and one type of force amp but there are 4 shields in different strengths, where the green one is the weakest and the new AXA shield the strongest. One player can only deploy 2 mods (shields, turrets etc.). A portal can have 4 mods. So you need at least one other player to fill all mods.

Also, Links from/to other portals add to portal defence.

Here is a very good answer explaining portal defence with shields and links.

Beside modding a portal, it is important to raise the level. As a new player you can only create low level portals. The best a single player even at level 16 can do is a level 5 portal. To create a level 8 portal you need 8 players with a level of at least 8. That is because you can only deploy a certain number of resonators of a certain level.

One player can deploy on a single portal:

• 8 x L1
• 4 x L2
• 4 x L3
• 4 x L4
• 2 x L5
• 2 x L6
• 1 x L7
• 1 x L8

To calculate the level of a portal, simply add the resonator levels and divide it by 8.

The higher the level, the more energy your portal can hold, the stronger it is against enemy attacks.

Make sure you place the resonators with a maximum range to the portal. The closer they are together, the easier it will be for enemy agent to take your portal down.

I am also noticing that portals I have control of will not properly triangulate.

To link from/to portals, both portals need to have 8 resonators and you need a key for the portal you want to link to. The linking range of a portal depends on the deployed resonators. A portal with 8 L1 resonators can only link to portals in a range of 160m. A fully deployed L8 portal has a rang of 655km. You can multiply the linking range with Link Amplifiers. The current linking range can be seen in the mod screen of the portal. Here is a handy tool to calculate the range of a portal depending on its resonators.

Is there a specific strategy for creating wide control areas within a designated area

You can use the Intel map to plan your links/fields.

what is the most acceptable way to protect those given areas.

To protect your portals you should deploy shields, turrets and force amps. There is only one type of turret and one type of force amp but there are 4 shields in different strengths, where the green one is the weakest and the new AXA shield the strongest. One player can only deploy 2 mods (shields, turrets etc.). A portal can have 4 mods. So you need at least one other player to fill all mods.

Also, Links from/to other portals add to portal defence.

Here is a very good answer explaining portal defence with shields and links.

Beside modding a portal, it is important to raise the level. As a new player you can only create low level portals. The best a single player even at level 16 can do is a level 5 portal. To create a level 8 portal you need 8 players with a level of at least 8. That is because you can only deploy a certain number of resonators of a certain level.

One player can deploy on a single portal:

• 8 x L1
• 4 x L2
• 4 x L3
• 4 x L4
• 2 x L5
• 2 x L6
• 1 x L7
• 1 x L8

To calculate the level of a portal, simply add the resonator levels and divide it by 8.

The higher the level, the more energy your portal can hold, the stronger it is against enemy attacks.

Make sure you place the resonators with a maximum range to the portal. The closer they are together, the easier it will be for enemy agent to take your portal down.

I am also noticing that portals I have control of will not properly triangulate.

To link from/to portals, both portals need to have 8 resonators and you need a key for the portal you want to link to. The linking range of a portal depends on the deployed resonators. A portal with 8 L1 resonators can only link to portals in a range of 160m. A fully deployed L8 portal has a rang of 655km. You can multiply the linking range with Link Amplifiers. The current linking range can be seen in the mod screen of the portal. Here is a handy tool to calculate the range of a portal depending on its resonators.