This article is a continuation of “10 Signs You Need to Upgrade your Wi-Fi Network (Part 1)”. In part 1 we discussed the first 5 signals for upgrading your business Wi-Fi network which included: slow speeds at peak times, application or dashboard freezing, page load errors, video conference lagging, and office dead zones. That may seem like an exhaustive list, but we are only halfway through the top 10 (and most common) issues you may face with an outdated Wi-Fi network, so let’s dive in.
Older Wi-Fi network equipment is often no longer supported by the manufacturer, so it’s not updated or supported. This makes it increasingly difficult for your IT team to secure your network or know when new versions of firmware are available. Hackers and their attack methods are consistently advancing making it more and more important to stay on top of your network. Modern networks offer better access to controls and security technology. If you don’t have an IT team or know where to start, Managed Wi-Fi may be a good option for you. This way a third party or internet service provider (ISP) will take care of your equipment, configuration, and maintenance schedule so you don’t have to.
The average number of Internet of Things (IoT) devices used per person increases every year. Each device takes up bandwidth and essentially, attention, from your Wi-Fi network. The more devices you have, the more robust your Wi-Fi network needs to be. This goes for both connection speed or reliability, and cybersecurity. If you are noticing devices losing connection to servers or the internet, your network may be overloaded. This means that some upgrades or improvements need to be made to support the traffic your business has.
Your business Wi-Fi network has multiple Access Points (APs), and large enterprise campuses can even have thousands. APs are placed throughout your building so you can connect to the internet even if you are far away from your server room or data center. When you walk around your business, you should not lose connectivity to the internet, this is called a hand-off. As you walk between APs, they “hand off” your connection to each other seamlessly. If you are noticing a drop in connection as you walk around, your APs are either placed incorrectly, configured incorrectly, or they are outdated and need to be replaced. We can do a wireless site survey for you and produce a visual map for you to see where your connectivity is strongest (and weakest). We specialize in wireless networks and can get your business up to speed quickly.
We are all using cloud-based communications (Teams, Zoom, RingCentral, etc.…) and data storage in some way, shape, or form. These tools all require a reliant and strong internet connection, and like having a lot of IoT devices, can require a lot of bandwidth. If you have or are planning to implement new SaaS or cloud-based tools, we recommend having your Wi-Fi network check out to ensure that it can support your needs.
Having a guest Wi-Fi is best practice for a few reasons including speed, security, and customer service. Customer or guest dedicated Wi-Fi is seen as a courtesy by visitors and improves their time at your location. This type of convenience is seen as a must-have and is noticed when it is not present at a business. Guest networks also alleviate traffic on your employee dedicated network, and act as a safeguard for cybersecurity threats to your private data. It is simple to set up a guest network if you have updated hardware.
This concludes our list of 10 signs your Wi-Fi network needs an upgrade. If you are experiencing any of the things on this list, we urge you to act and provide your employees with the most reliable and secure connection possible. We are experts in the wireless space and are here to answer any questions you may have.
If you would like to discuss your wireless network, schedule a wireless site survey, or set up a consultation reach out to us at ContactUs@Matrix-NDI.com or call 763-475-5500.