With task list apps, invoice managing software and the obvious fast and immediate access to emails, it’s no surprise that mobile devices are becoming just as essential to the workplace as the photocopy machine and the coffee maker. Of course, that also means a fast, reliable wireless network is essential as well. But building one isn’t as simple as you might think – You can’t just plug in your ISP-supplied router and connect your smartphone. Putting together a Wi-Fi network robust enough to support your business can be pretty tricky if you’ve never done it before. To shorten the learning curve, you can find some common pitfalls and how to avoid them below. Or skip the content all the way to the bottom and call us instead…!

Overloading the wireless router

When the business is small, it’s common to begin by setting up your network with an entry-level wireless router. But as the business grows and high-throughput appliances such as NAS or IP cameras get added into the mix, the heavy usage will overload many consumer grade routers.

Is an off-the-shelf wireless router up to the task of running your small business network? Unfortunately, there’s no easy way to tell ahead of time. If you do start to experience unexplained slowness, one solution is to set up a standalone network switch and wireless access point. To reduce the burden on your router’s processor, offload some clients to the access point and install a new gigabit ethernet switch to increase your local network’s speed.

Under provisioning your Wi-Fi network

Relying on only one access point regardless of the network load is another mistake small businesses commonly make . Even with just 8 to 10 employees, the pervasiveness of smartphones, tablets and laptops in the workplace means you could still easily have dozens of wireless devices, so it’s best to err on the side of over-coverage. To avoid potential bottlenecks and slowness reducing the risk of productivity, instal multiple access points up front.

By migrating ethernet-ready devices such as desktop PCs and printers to wired networking whenever possible, you can also reduce the burden on your wireless network.

Bad placement of Wi-Fi access points

As we’ve seen numerous times before, the physical location of a Wi-Fi access point is critical. It will quickly become apparent if you place one in an alcove, beside large metallic fixtures or cupboards, or next to thick concrete beams. Your Wi-Fi signal will be weakened by any of these “Line if sight” barriers.

An elevated location generally works a lot better than a lower one because there are generally more obstructions near the ground, such as cubicle walls and furniture. A great way to try and establish a good location is to visualize the wireless signals emanating from the access point in a straight line. Parts of the office that are blocked by three or more obstructions will likely experience weak or nonexistent signals.

Expecting to get the speeds shown on the box

It’s easy to be seduced by the 300Mbps or 450Mbps speeds 802.11n wireless routers promise. However, these are theoretical and don’t account for real-world conditions or the substantial protocol overheads inherent to wireless networks.

A router could offer a performance of just 226Mbps at 9 feet, dropping to 43.1Mbps at 65 feet. The figures are applicable only for a single client–this bandwidth would be divided among any additional devices operating on the same frequency band. If you need to routinely transfer large files across your local network, consider setting up a wired Gigabit network.

Using your router’s default channel

It’s understandable that you want your network up and running quickly and thus to start using your router without bothering to change the default channel. However, unless you live far from civilization, it’s likely your neighbour is already using this channel and that could cause interference that degrades your wireless performance.

This can be easily avoided by changing the channel on your device when you set it up. There are only three non-overlapping channels: 1, 6, and 11 so this isn’t a difficult process. For locations that are swamped with multiple Wi-Fi networks, there may be a need to experiment with overlapping channels for the best results. A tremendous help is that some wireless access points detect nearby Wi-Fi networks and offer information about the channels they use as well as their signal strengths.

Ignoring the 5GHz band

Don’t ignore it! If your router offers simultaneous dual band, make sure your 5GHz radio is enabled. This allows laptops that support 5GHz to be offloaded onto this less-cluttered band, freeing up the 2.4GHz band for other devices such as smartphones and tablets. Also, the 5GHz band’s shorter range allows for the use of additional APs in high-density deployments with less risk of interference.

https://www.pcworld.com/article/2048052/6-mistakes-to-avoid-when-setting-up-your-small-business-wireless-network.html

If you skipped to the end, or don’t fancy giving this a go yourself, head to our website to find out more about our Wi-Fi Installation Service: https://geekabit.co.uk/ or contact us via any of the below. We are the UK’s specialist Wi-Fi consultants and can help your business with Wi-Fi Site Surveys, Planning and Design, Installation and much more.

Contact us: London 0203 322 2443 | Cardiff: 02920 676 712 | Winchester: 01962 657 390 |  [email protected]