Wi-Fi Help

What Does a Professional Wi-Fi Site Survey Actually Include?

What did you drop into Google to get here? ‘My Teams calls keep dropping!’ – ‘Why are there dead spots around the office?’ – ‘Why are my warehouse scanners so slow?’

Or maybe you’re an IT Manager and you’ve arrived here in desperation because you’ve got colleagues, staff members and guests constantly moaning at you about the poor Wi-Fi.

It’s common for businesses to only think about a Wi-Fi survey after they’re experiencing problems. Wi-Fi issues you might be facing in your office could sound like:

Teams and Zoom calls dropping
Dead spots around the office
Slow warehouse handheld scanners
Guests complaining about Wi-Fi

However, you could also get ahead and pre-empt any potential problems by getting a Wi-Fi Site Survey before your business does any of these:

New office moves
Warehouse expansion
Increasing staff numbers

However you found us, if you’re looking for an easy-to-understand guide, telling you exactly what a professional Wi-Fi Site Survey involves then you’re in the right place. This comprehensive guide will explain what a Wi-Fi Site Survey is, who needs one and how it’s carried out – Without complex technology jargon.

You might also be interested to know why investing in a Wi-Fi Site Survey can save your business significant time and money. Most people have no idea what actually happens during a professional Wi-Fi survey. We don’t just wander around your office with a laptop you know! A Wi-Fi Site Survey is a structured engineering exercise. So let’s talk about it – Starting from the preparation through to the final report.

What is a Professional Wi-Fi Site Survey?

A Wi-Fi Site Survey is far more than checking signal strength. The purpose is to understand how wireless devices will actually perform within a specific environment.

Every office (and building in general) will behave differently when it comes to Wi-Fi performance, due to construction materials, layout and occupancy. The objective is to understand various factors for your specific premises and requirements, including:

Reliable coverage – Mapping real world radio frequency propagation to ensure reliable coverage throughout
Capacity planning – Ensuring your network can handle the concurrent load of users, devices, and bandwidth-heavy applications
Roaming performance – Evaluating and mapping out exactly how client devices transition between Access Points (APs) without dropping the connection
Voice and video quality – Measuring and validating network metrics required for real-time, delay-sensitive applications and preventing choppy audio, frozen video and dropped calls
Device density – Defining how many concurrent active users are connected in specific areas, and how many devices specific APs are supporting
Future scalability – Establishing a baseline that accommodates increased device density and seamless hardware upgrades (so your network grows with your business)

Why Do Businesses Need a Wi-Fi Site Survey?

There are lots of scenarios where a Wi-Fi Site Survey would be a useful investment for a business. The standard solution to poor Wi-Fi in the workplace seems to be ‘throw another AP at it.’ Whilst this is well-intended (we hope), it can actually do more harm than good to a business network. Which is why it’s always a good idea to carry out a Wi-Fi Site Survey to actually see how your network is functioning in real time and where improvements can be made.

Wi-Fi Site Survey for the Office Refurbishment

If you’re about to refurbish the office, then it’s a great time for a Wi-Fi Site Survey. It’s best to be proactive rather than reactive when it comes to Wi-Fi problems. It’s often overlooked, but new walls and furniture can dramatically change wireless coverage so either arrange a software model-led Site Survey before the refurb goes ahead, or an on site Survey as soon as the walls are up and the furniture is in. This way, you can nip any coverage problems in the bud before employees have the chance to complain!

Wi-Fi Site Surveys for Warehousing

Racking, stock levels and moving forklifts all affect radio signals.A Wi-Fi Site Survey in warehousing can prevent connectivity issues by mapping out how radio frequencies interact with metal racking, high ceilings, and moving inventory. It determines the optimal number and placement of Access Points to eliminate dead zones and prevent dropped connections for handheld scanners, autonomous robots, and Warehouse Management Systems (WMS).

Wi-Fi Site Surveys for Schools

A Wi-Fi site survey can detect interference and plan optimal Access Point placements across a school, college or university campus. This ensures that construction elements like thick walls are accounted for coverage wise, as well as outdoor learning areas in the grounds. A big issue for schools is device density and being able to handle a high load of devices at any one time. Speed is also a vital requirement to keep buffering low and learning high. A Wi-Fi Site Survey can show exactly what’s needed and where, across the whole campus.

Wi-Fi Site Surveys for Hotels

A Wi-Fi Site Survey helps hotels eliminate dead zones, prevent bandwidth bottlenecks, and optimise hardware placement. Improve guest satisfaction, protect online reviews, and reliably support internal operations by mapping radio frequency across room layout and high density areas.

Wi-Fi Site Surveys for Healthcare

A Wi-Fi Site Survey is critical in healthcare because it eliminates signal “guesswork” in complex physical environments. By identifying coverage gaps and interference, it ensures uninterrupted connectivity for life-critical medical devices, seamless roaming for mobile staff, and reliable telehealth access for patients.

Wi-Fi Site Surveys for Manufacturing

A Wi-Fi Site Survey ensures reliable connectivity in harsh industrial environments. It maps signal-blocking obstacles (like heavy machinery and metal structures), mitigates radio frequency (RF) interference, and supports seamless roaming for AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles), IoT devices, and barcode scanners.

What We Need to Know Before We Even Visit Your Site for a Wi-Fi Survey

Before we set foot on site at your business for your Wi-Fi Site Survey, there are a few things we like to know about. We’ll ask your IT Manager or Infrastructure Manager to send us some information so we can start building a picture of your business and requirements – It’s as important for us to know what your business needs Wi-Fi for as the building itself.

We’ll ask you for some information on:

Floor plans – So we can get a feel for the space
Existing Wi-Fi equipment – What do you already have and where?
Internet connection – What type (fibre, broadband etc)
Existing switches
Building construction
User numbers – How many members of staff? Do you use contractors? Do you have many visitors?
Types of devices – What devices do your users use?
Business-critical applications – What would be catastrophic to lose if your Wi-Fi went down?
Areas requiring guaranteed coverage – Similar to the above
Future expansion plans – Will your business be growing? Physically in terms of structure and/ or staffing

What to Expect on Wi-Fi Survey Day

Let’s take it step by step for what to expect on the day we visit to conduct your Wi-Fi Site Survey.

Initial Walkthrough

We’ll start with an initial walkthrough of your office / business premises so our Wi-Fi engineer can understand the layout and identify any unusual challenges.

Existing Network Review

Our Wi-Fi engineer will check current Access Point locations, switch cabinets and cabling.

Measuring Signal

Next we’ll begin measuring signal, collecting thousands of measurements throughout the building.

Measuring Interference

Next we’ll be looking at Interference and identifying neighbouring Wi-Fi networks and non-Wi-Fi interference to see what could cause problems to the network.

Capacity Testing

This will look at and assess whether the network can cope with the expected device numbers.

Roaming Tests

Our Wi-Fi engineer will take a walk while making calls to verify seamless handover between Access Points.

Throughput Testing

Our Wi-Fi engineer will measure real-world performance rather than just the headline internet speed. Is the speed of your internet transmitting to the rest of your network? If not, why not?

A Wi-Fi Site Survey can often take a few hours to complete, depending on the size of the building(s) and layout of the premises.

What is the Technology Behind a Wi-Fi Site Survey?

A Wi-Fi Site Survey from Geekabit utilises professional survey tools, calibrated wireless adapters and spectrum analysis equipment.

If you’re thinking ‘surely there’s an app for this?’ then you would be right – But consumer phone apps cannot produce anywhere near the same quality of data as a professional Wi-Fi Site Survey. Our surveys are vendor-neutral, meaning you can use them with your internal IT team, a third-party installer, or ourselves here at Geekabit.

Our tools use concepts like the below to build a complete picture of your network:

RSSI – Received Signal Strength Indicator. It is a measurement of the power level of a wireless signal (such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth) that a device’s antenna is receiving.
SNR – Signal to Noise Ratio. A metric used to compare the level of a desired signal to the level of background noise. Expressed in decibels (dB), a higher SNR means a clearer, higher-quality signal.
Channel utilisation – The percentage of total capacity or time that a communication channel (such as a Wi-Fi frequency) is actively busy transmitting data, management signals, or dealing with interference.
Interference – Identifying the occurrence of when neighboring networks, devices, or non-Wi-Fi gadgets broadcast on the same or overlapping frequencies.
Airtime – Looks at the amount of time a specific wireless channel is occupied by devices actively transmitting or receiving data. Because Wi-Fi operates on shared radio frequencies, only one device can transmit at a time, making total airtime a strictly limited, finite resource.
Packet loss – Identifying the occurrence of when data traveling across your wireless network fails to reach its destination. Instead of arriving seamlessly, tiny chunks of data (packets) go missing causing issues like dropped calls.

Active vs Passive vs Predictive Surveys

There are different types of Wi-Fi Site Survey. Let’s take a look at each one.

Passive Wi-Fi Site Survey

Essentially, this is just listening to the existing Wi-Fi, creating a birds-eye view.

A passive Wi-Fi site survey is a non-intrusive method where a surveying device quietly listens to the wireless environment without connecting to a network. It is used to map existing coverage, identify dead zones, and detect interference by measuring broadcast signals (such as beacons) from nearby Access Points (APs). The tool quietly gathers raw radio frequency (RF) data to build visual heatmaps using information on RSSI, SNR, background interference and channel utilisation.

Passive surveys are ideal for a general health check of a building’s wireless landscape.

Active Wi-Fi Site Survey

In an Active Wi-Fi Survey, the surveying device connects to a specific WLAN and actively sends test traffic to measure real-world performance, such as round-trip packet loss, upload/download speeds, and roaming behavior between APs.

It’s a physical walk through simulating actual user experience by measuring throughput rates, latency, packet loss and roaming performance.

Active surveys are relied on primarily for post-deployment validation and troubleshooting, used for verifying network upgrades, troubleshooting poor user experience and to test roaming.

Predictive Survey

A predictive Wi-Fi site survey is a software simulation used to design a wireless network before any physical hardware is installed. By uploading digital floor plans into specialized RF (radio frequency) modeling software, engineers map out the optimal number, placement, and configuration of access points (APs) based on wall materials, building scale, and expected user capacity.

Predictive surveys are highly cost-effective and are typically utilized during the early planning stages or before a building is constructed or renovated. They allow network architects to test different AP mounting scenarios virtually to prevent signal blind spots and avoid costly cabling changes post-installation.

A Wi-Fi Survey to Provide a Complete Picture for your Business

For a complete picture, our Wi-Fi engineers at Geekabit often perform both a Passive and Active survey: Passive surveys to find physical coverage limits and interference, followed by Active surveys to test performance and roaming capabilities.

For scenarios where being physically on site isn’t possible, we can use a Predictive Survey to plan a network deployment.

What Will You Receive After Your Wi-Fi Site Survey

Once the Wi-Fi Site Survey has been completed, we can provide your business with a detailed report with clear, practical recommendations to improve your Wi-Fi performance, reliability, and user experience.

This report is based on key deliverables such as:

Executive summary
Coverage heatmaps
Signal strength maps
Capacity maps
Interference analysis
Access point placement recommendations
Channel planning
Power level recommendations
Cabling recommendations
Hardware recommendations
Prioritised improvement plan

A detailed report of this nature takes all the guesswork out of the deployment of a wireless network as well as solving any troubleshooting issues. This means your business can make an informed decision about how to get your network performing at its best.

What Are The Most Common Problems We Discover from a Wi-Fi Site Survey?

There are quite a few things that can show up on a Wi-Fi Site Survey. The most common things we see are:

Access points hidden above suspended ceilings
Too many access points competing
Consumer Wi-Fi equipment in commercial buildings
Poor channel planning
Faulty Ethernet cabling
Network loops
Incorrect transmit power
Devices clinging to distant access points
Poor mounting locations
Metal shelving blocking signals

Any of these issues sound familiar?

How Long Does a Wi-Fi Site Survey Take?

The length of time a Wi-Fi Site Survey takes depends on a few influencing factors, including:

Building size
Number of floors
Required detail
Existing infrastructure
Whether trading continues during the survey

Once we know a bit more about your business, we can give an educated estimate of how long it could take.

Section 10 – Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ: Will a Wi-Fi site survey disrupt our business?
In most cases, no. A professional Wi-Fi site survey is designed to be as non-disruptive as possible. Survey engineers typically walk around your premises collecting wireless measurements while your staff continue working as normal. If active testing is required, such as roaming or throughput tests, these are usually carried out without affecting other users. For businesses that operate around the clock or have sensitive environments, surveys can often be scheduled outside normal working hours.

FAQ: Do staff need to stop working during the survey?
No. Employees can usually continue using the network throughout the survey. In fact, carrying out the survey while the office is occupied can provide a more realistic picture of how the wireless network performs under normal day-to-day conditions. In some cases, your survey engineer may ask for access to specific rooms or equipment, but disruption is generally minimal.

FAQ: Can a Wi-Fi survey be carried out outside business hours?
Yes. Many organisations prefer surveys to be completed during evenings or weekends to minimise disruption. However, it’s worth remembering that an empty building behaves differently from one full of people and connected devices. Depending on your objectives, your survey provider may recommend carrying out some measurements during normal operating hours to capture real-world performance.

FAQ: What is the difference between a predictive and an active Wi-Fi survey?
A predictive survey uses digital floor plans and specialist software to model how Wi-Fi signals are expected to behave before any equipment is installed. An active survey is carried out on-site using a live wireless network, measuring real-world performance such as signal strength, roaming behaviour, throughput and latency. Predictive surveys are ideal for new buildings or refurbishments, while active surveys are best for troubleshooting existing Wi-Fi issues.

FAQ: How long does a professional Wi-Fi site survey take?
The time required depends on the size and complexity of your premises. A small office may take a few hours, while larger offices, warehouses, schools or hospitals may require a full day or more. Additional time is also needed to analyse the data and produce a detailed report with recommendations. The survey itself is only one part of the overall process.

FAQ: How often should a Wi-Fi site survey be repeated?
There is no fixed schedule, but it’s sensible to consider a new survey whenever your environment changes significantly. Examples include office refurbishments, building extensions, increased staff numbers, new warehouse racking, or upgrades to your wireless infrastructure. Many organisations also commission a survey every few years to ensure their network continues to meet changing business requirements.

FAQ: Is a Wi-Fi survey worthwhile before moving into a new office?
Yes. A predictive Wi-Fi survey can help identify the best locations for access points before cabling and equipment are installed. Planning the network early can reduce installation costs, avoid unnecessary hardware purchases and help ensure reliable wireless coverage from day one. It’s often far easier and more cost-effective to design a network correctly than to fix problems after staff have moved in.

FAQ: Can you carry out Wi-Fi surveys in warehouses?
Absolutely. Warehouses present unique wireless challenges due to high shelving, metal racking, changing stock levels and large open spaces. A professional survey takes these factors into account to ensure reliable connectivity for handheld scanners, tablets, voice devices and industrial equipment throughout the building.

FAQ: Do schools benefit from Wi-Fi site surveys?
Yes. Schools place heavy demands on wireless networks, with hundreds or even thousands of devices connecting simultaneously. A survey can help ensure classrooms, halls, libraries and communal spaces all receive reliable coverage, while also assessing whether the network has sufficient capacity for modern teaching methods and online assessments.

FAQ: Will a Wi-Fi site survey tell me if I need new equipment?
Not necessarily. One of the main benefits of a professional survey is that it provides evidence rather than assumptions. Sometimes the existing equipment simply needs repositioning, reconfigured or optimised. In other cases, additional access points or newer hardware may be recommended. The goal is to identify the most effective solution rather than automatically recommending replacement equipment.

FAQ: Can a Wi-Fi site survey improve Microsoft Teams and Zoom calls?
Yes, if poor Wi-Fi is contributing to the problem. Video conferencing applications rely on low latency, stable roaming and minimal packet loss rather than simply high download speeds. A survey can identify issues such as interference, overloaded access points, poor signal quality or incorrect channel planning that may be affecting call quality. Once these issues are addressed, users often experience more reliable voice and video performance.

FAQ: Can I perform a Wi-Fi site survey myself?
Basic smartphone apps can give you a rough indication of signal strength, but they don’t provide the level of detail needed to design or troubleshoot a business-grade wireless network. Professional surveys use calibrated hardware and specialist software to measure signal quality, interference, roaming behaviour, channel utilisation and many other factors. For small home networks, DIY tools may be sufficient, but businesses that depend on reliable Wi-Fi will generally benefit from a professional survey.

FAQ: What will I receive after the survey?
Most professional Wi-Fi surveys include a detailed report explaining the findings and recommended improvements. This typically includes wireless heatmaps, coverage analysis, interference measurements, access point placement recommendations, channel planning guidance and an executive summary written in plain English. The report provides a clear roadmap for improving your wireless network, whether that involves simple configuration changes or a complete redesign.

Are You Ready to Book Your Wi-Fi Site Survey?

A professional Wi-Fi survey is about understanding how people actually use the network, not just measuring signal bars.

Here at Geekabit, our expert Wi-Fi engineers understand that every organisation is different. A structured Wi-Fi Survey provides the evidence needed to design or optimise a wireless network with confidence.

Get in touch with our friendly team today.

by admin14th July 2026

Office Wi-Fi Wi-Fi Wi-Fi Advice Wi-Fi Design Wi-Fi Help Wi-Fi Issues Wi-Fi Problems Wi-Fi Site Survey Wireless Network

Why Does My Office Wi-Fi Keep Disconnecting Randomly? (Even Though the Signal Looks Strong)

We’ve all been there at some point. The signal looks strong, but the Wi-Fi keeps disconnecting. It’s an extremely common business complaint.

Many companies immediately jump to blame their ISP – Surely it must be the broadband provider! But this isn’t necessarily the case every time a member of staff reports random disconnections.

Our Wi-Fi engineers often find that the broadband is actually working perfectly – And the problem instead lies with the office wireless network.

Modern businesses and offices now rely on cloud applications, Microsoft Teams, VoIP phones, VPNs and remote desktops. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately?), this also means that Wi-Fi issues are exposed much quicker than they would if employees were only using the internet for browsing the web.

Did you know that ‘strong signal’ and ‘good Wi-Fi’ are not the same thing? Well, now you do.

This article is going to explain the most common causes of disconnecting Wi-Fi in the office and how professional Wi-Fi experts can go about diagnosing the problem.

What “Random Disconnects” Actually Look Like

What does a ‘random disconnect’ look like in real world terms in a modern office or business? Your IT Managers might be getting reports of:

Microsoft Teams calls freezing for a few seconds before reconnecting
Zoom meetings dropping unexpectedly
VPN connections disconnecting while working remotely
Cloud software logging users out unexpectedly
Remote Desktop sessions disconnecting
File uploads stopping midway through
Wi-Fi printing intermittently failing
Mobile phones switching to 4G because Wi-Fi briefly stopped responding

Of course, IT Managers might also be getting much more vague complaints that are less specific to a current issue but sound a bit like:

“The internet keeps going funny.”
“Everything just pauses.”
“It’s fine most of the time.”
“Only happens in certain meeting rooms.”
“It works after I turn Wi-Fi off and back on.”

The problem with intermittent Wi-Fi faults like this is that they are often harder to identify as they don’t leave behind much evidence or any obvious problem other than “the Wi-Fi is hanging.”

Why Signal Bars Don’t Tell the Whole Story

Your signal bars might be full, but that doesn’t automatically mean that the Wi-Fi your device is receiving is as strong.

Imagine 5 people in the same room, all shouting. Everyone in the room can hear each other clearly, but actual communication is difficult.

Signal strength is really only measuring how loudly the Access Point can be heard. What it doesn’t measure or show you is:

Congestion – Lots of devices all competing for bandwidth
Interference – Building infrastructure (like walls and ceilings) blocking the signal
Packet loss – When tiny packets of information get sent from your device but don’t reach their destination
Latency – How long it takes data to travel from your device to the router and back again

Wi-Fi airtime is the total amount of time wireless devices spend transmitting data over your network’s radio frequency. Because Wi-Fi is a shared medium where only one device can transmit at a time on a channel, the devices in your office must take turns. Slower devices take longer to transmit the same amount of data, consuming excessive airtime, so one older device can slow down a whole network.

For all these reasons, a busy office network can have excellent signal, but poor performance.

The Most Common Causes of Disconnecting Wi-Fi in an Office

Poor Wi-Fi Roaming

Devices can often cling to an Access Point for too long, instead of moving to one with a better location. This is known as a “sticky client.” This could look like a colleague walking around the office with their laptop connected to an AP at the opposite end of the building.

Modern enterprise systems help devices to roam efficiently – But they only work if they are correctly designed and deployed.

Poor Wi-Fi roaming can cause:

Delays
Dropped calls
Temporary loss of connectivity

Channel Interference

Channel Interference can happen when nearby offices use overlapping channels, or when there are multiple neighbouring Wi-Fi networks.

Co-channel interference occurs when separate devices or networks use the identical frequency channel simultaneously. Adjacent channel interference happens when devices operate on overlapping or closely neighboring frequencies, causing signal “bleeding”. While co-channel forces devices to share airtime and wait their turn, adjacent channel is usually more disruptive as it corrupts data.

Things like the office microwave can also cause interference with Wi-Fi networks as they run on the same frequency band.

Bluetooth congestion also causes channel interference issues. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi share the crowded 2.4 GHz unlicensed frequency band. When multiple devices attempt to transmit data on overlapping frequencies simultaneously, packet collisions occur. Devices then drop connection or slow down to retransmit lost data. Bluetooth mitigates this via Frequency Hopping, but heavy congestion in small areas causes interruptions.

Channel planning is a really important step when designing Wi-Fi networks, but is often overlooked.

Too Many Devices on One Access Point

Whilst one AP may technically be able to support many devices, performance does depend on the workload. If employees are heavily using video conferencing then this is going to consume significantly more airtime than, for example, email would.

You may also find that employees congregating in a meeting room suddenly creates a spike in demand. Guest devices can also increase contention.

Adding another AP might seem like the simple solution, but in order to work effectively it must be designed correctly.

Incorrect Power Settings

An Access Point (AP) does not need to run at full transmit power because a loud, high-powered signal can cause client communication imbalances, creates overlapping interference, and ruins wireless roaming.

A lower power setting often yields better Wi-Fi performance because:

Two-Way Communication Balance – The receiving device needs to be able to transmit back to the AP, so if the AP is transmitting at full power and reaching a device that’s too far away to return the signal, it can cause dropped packets, high retry rates and lag.
Preventing “Sticky” Clients: Devices like phones tend to latch onto the strongest Wi-Fi signal they can hear. If an AP broadcasts at full power, a client will stay connected to a distant AP even when walking right past a closer one, resulting in terrible performance and inefficient roaming.
Minimizing Interference: Powerful signals bleed through walls. In multi-AP environments, high power leads to overlapping coverage and Co-Channel Interference (CCI), effectively clogging up the available airtime.

So whilst IT Managers might respond to “poor Wi-Fi” by turning up the power on AP’s, that might actually cause more problems. Professional tuning helps to provide a better balance and thus, better Wi-Fi performance for the office.

Consumer Wi-Fi in Business Environments

Many SME’s (and even some bigger companies!) think they can get away with consumer Wi-Fi with ISP-provided routers and domestic mesh systems. But these are designed for homes, not offices.

Just sticking in a plug-in Wi-Fi extender and powerline adapter is not going to work in an office with dozens or even hundreds of users moving around throughout the day.

An office needs business Wi-Fi, designed for a business environment.

Firmware or Controller Issues

9 times out of 10, Wi-Fi problems come down to configuration issues. However, occasionally our Wi-Fi engineers see problems arise from:

Firmware bugs
Failed updates
Incompatible client devices
Controller software problems
Hardware faults

It is very important to keep up with updates, but in a controlled manner where firmware updates are monitored and checked rather than just automatically installing every new release straight away.

How Wi-Fi Professionals Diagnose These Office Internet Problems

How do us Wi-Fi professionals identify the problems in a troublesome office wireless network? We have a lot of tools at our disposal to diagnose Wi-Fi problems and lead network design.

Here are some of the tools we use as Wi-Fi engineers to help fix your wireless network.

Wi-Fi Heatmaps

Used to:

Measure coverage.
Identify dead zones.
Detect excessive overlap.

Spectrum Analysis

Finding non-Wi-Fi interference.
Identifying hidden RF noise.

Client Analysis

Looking at roaming behaviour.
Retry rates.
Disconnect events.

Packet Captures

Understanding authentication failures.
DHCP problems.
DNS delays.
Application behaviour.

Channel Planning

Selecting optimal channels.
Reducing interference.
Balancing utilisation.

Whilst your IT department might tell you to turn it off and on, diagnosing Wi-Fi is rarely about guessing. It relies on precise measurement and knowing what to do with that data in order to design and deploy the most efficient network possible for your business or office.

Why Rebooting Often “Fixes” Things

It’s the age old joke, isn’t it – Just turn it off and on again! Ta-dah! It’s miraculously fixed. But is it, really? Let’s take a look at why rebooting often looks like it’s solved the problem.

When we reboot something, or turn it off and on again, here’s what’s actually happening:

Temporary memory is cleared
Clients are disconnected and then reconnected
Radio utilisation is reset
Congestion is temporarily reduced
Stuck processes are cleared

In the short term, great, it seems to get things back on track. But underneath the surface…

Poor coverage remains
Interference remains
Incorrect design remains
Roaming problems remain

And that’s exactly why the problem usually returns a few days later, if not sooner!

Can You Troubleshoot It Yourself?

Sometimes your IT team will be able to fix it. Sometimes even a well-versed-in-Wi-Fi colleague will manage to get things working better. Things that members of your team can very much keep on top of are:

Occasionally rebooting your networking equipment
Carefully updating firmware
Considering careful placement of hardware (e.g. not putting AP’s in cupboards or above metal ceilings)
Separating guest traffic from the main network
Using a wired connection wherever it’s practical to do so
Not relying solely on signal bars or internet speed tests

If problems remain, then it may be time to dig a little deeper.

Exactly where are issues occurring?
Are particular issues happening at certain times of day?

When things don’t improve with the obvious fixes and troubleshooting ideas, then it may be time to call in the professionals to help you get to the bottom of your office Wi-Fi problem.

When It’s Time for a Professional Wi-Fi Survey

Signs that you should call the Wi-Fi experts and arrange a Wi-Fi Survey are:

Staff that complain every week about the Wi-Fi
Video meetings regularly failing
Phones disconnecting when moving around the office
Warehouse scanners losing connection
Barcode scanners pausing
VoIP calls breaking up
Worsening Wi-Fi as the business has grown
Multiple DIY fixes not helping
You’re moving office
You’re refurbishing existing premises

A Wi-Fi Survey might be viewed as an unnecessary expense, however, the price of a Wi-Fi Survey is significantly less than the hidden productivity losses caused by unreliable Wi-Fi.

Conclusion

Reliable Wi-Fi is rarely about simply buying expensive hardware, but more about intelligent network design.

A strong signal does not guarantee reliable performance, and there are many factors to consider when designing and deploying a wireless network for an office or business.

Employees shouldn’t need to even think about the Wi-Fi – They should be able to simply get on with their jobs with a wireless network that supports their productivity.

Investing in the right Wi-Fi design from the outset can save significant time and frustration in the future.

If your office is experiencing persistent wireless issues, then please do contact our expert Wi-Fi engineers here at Geekabit to arrange an independent assessment of your network.

FAQ Answers

Why does my Wi-Fi disconnect even when I have full signal?

Signal strength only indicates how well your device can hear the access point. It doesn’t reflect interference, congestion, packet loss or roaming issues. It’s entirely possible to have full signal while experiencing unreliable connectivity.

Can too many devices cause Wi-Fi to disconnect?

Yes. Every device shares the available wireless airtime. As more devices compete for access—particularly those using video conferencing or large file transfers—performance can suffer, leading to delays or temporary disconnections.

Why do Microsoft Teams calls keep dropping on Wi-Fi?

Video calls are sensitive to even brief interruptions. Roaming issues, interference, congestion or packet loss that go unnoticed during web browsing can quickly disrupt Teams calls, causing freezing, poor audio or dropped meetings.

Should I buy more wireless access points?

Not necessarily. More access points can improve coverage, but if they’re positioned or configured incorrectly they can actually increase interference and make performance worse. Network design is just as important as the number of access points.

Can my broadband be fine but my Wi-Fi still be the problem?

Absolutely. Many businesses have fast broadband connections but experience poor wireless performance because of interference, poor coverage, outdated equipment or incorrect configuration inside the office.

Does rebooting my Wi-Fi actually solve the issue?

Rebooting can temporarily improve performance by reconnecting devices and clearing temporary faults, but it rarely addresses the underlying cause. If problems return regularly, further investigation is usually needed.

How do professionals diagnose Wi-Fi problems?

Professional engineers use specialist tools to create coverage heatmaps, analyse radio frequency interference, review client behaviour, capture network traffic and assess channel usage. This allows them to identify the root cause rather than relying on guesswork.

What’s the difference between interference and weak signal?

Weak signal means your device struggles to hear the access point. Interference occurs when other devices or nearby networks compete for the same radio frequencies, disrupting communication even if the signal itself appears strong.

How long does a business Wi-Fi survey take?

The duration depends on the size and complexity of the premises. Small offices may take a couple of hours, while larger buildings or warehouses can require a full day or more. The survey includes detailed measurements and recommendations.

Can older laptops or phones cause Wi-Fi problems?

Older devices can struggle with modern wireless standards or remain connected to distant access points for longer than they should. While they’re not always the root cause, a mixture of old and new devices can highlight weaknesses in a poorly designed network.

by admin8th July 2026

Collaboration Tools Hybrid Working Teams Wi-Fi Wi-Fi Advice Wi-Fi Design Wi-Fi Help Wi-Fi Interference Wi-Fi Issues Wi-Fi Problems Wi-Fi Site Survey Wi-Fi Speeds Wireless Network

Why Your Microsoft Teams Calls Keep Breaking Up Despite Having ‘Good Wi-Fi’

The lights are green, the dashboard is clear and all signal data points to ‘Good Wi-Fi’ – Yet your IT Manager is still tearing their hair out from colleague complaints about Teams calls freezing and dropping out.

This is frustrating from both sides – The employees and end users experiencing Wi-Fi issues and a drop in productivity, and the operations teams dealing with their complaints.

If you’re sat in your modern London office, frustrated with:

Teams calls freezing
Audio breaking up
Video lagging

But the Wi-Fi ‘looks fine,’ then it’s time to dig a little deeper. Wi-Fi performance is about so much more than signal bars.

So what is the actual problem? Why can the quality of Teams calls be so poor when the Wi-Fi signal strength appears strong?

Why Wi-Fi Signal Strength Doesn’t Tell The Whole Story

Most people judge Wi-Fi by the bars on their device. Hey, we’re not judging, it’s a logical place to start. However, a strong Wi-Fi signal does not necessarily guarantee good performance.

There are a few things that can impact Wi-Fi performance that wouldn’t show up on how strong the signal bars are. These include:

Latency

Wi-Fi latency is the delay (measured in milliseconds or “ms”) it takes for data to travel from your device (e.g. smartphone or laptop) over the wireless network to a router, reach its destination on the internet, and return.

It dictates your connection’s responsiveness, rather than its overall data capacity. This is different to speed or bandwidth which says how much data you can upload or download.

Latency is the real time reaction, and what causes a lag – For example, a delay in a Teams call. Latency is the time it takes for a ‘packet’ of data to make the round trip from and back to your device.

Packet Loss

Wi-Fi packet loss occurs when small packets of data traveling over a wireless network fail to reach their destination.

Data travel over Wi-Fi is vulnerable to disruptions. Packet loss is when instead of arriving smoothly, the missing data drops, causing noticeable issues like lag or glitchy audio on Teams calls.

Interference

The disruptions to a data packet’s journey can be caused by a number of different types of interference. These include:

Physical and Structural Obstructions such as walls, metal furniture, and floors. These can degrade wireless signals, making data struggle to reach your device.
Wireless Interference: Other electronics such as microwaves and Bluetooth devices operate on similar radio frequencies which can distort your Wi-Fi signal.
Network Congestion: This is when too many devices are attempting to use the Wi-Fi at the same time. This can overload the router, causing it to drop packets in order to try to manage the traffic.
Channel Overlap: Neighbouring networks in busy modern London offices can overlap with your own Wi-Fi channel, which can cause corruption to data packets or lead to them dropping altogether.
Outdated Hardware: Older routers or network drivers can struggle to process large volumes of data, causing Teams calls to lag or drop.

Congestion

Wi-Fi congestion happens when too many devices try to share the same wireless network, saturating the available bandwidth. This bottleneck causes:

Slow loading times
Buffering video
Lag

It is driven by excessive data demand, high device density, or overlapping radio frequencies. These are commonplace in busy environments like modern London offices, hence why Teams calls can freeze or drop even when the Wi-Fi appears to be working.

Why Teams Calls Are More Demanding Than Other Applications

There are ways of using Wi-Fi that are more taxing than others. Things like browsing websites and checking email are forgiving and allow multiple users to use the Wi-Fi effectively at the same time.

Teams calls, however, require continuous real time communication and low latency as we mentioned above. Even the smallest interruptions or disruption can cause:

Frozen video
Poor audio
Dropped calls

Now picture modern hybrid working environments that we are seeing more and more of in businesses. These flexible working models where employees can split their time between the office and remote working mean more Teams calls and online meetings between colleagues.

This has the potential to put a real strain on office wireless networks that were previously only used for web browsing and checking emails, and is a real problem for IT Managers and Operations Teams to have to deal with.

So what are the root causes of Teams call problems in terms of Wi-Fi specifics.

Common Causes Of Teams Call Problems In London Offices

For IT Managers and Operations Teams it can be really tricky to identify the root cause of Teams calls dropping out, when on the surface the Wi-Fi looks okay. Here are some common causes that would be a good place to start.

Wireless Congestion

Wi-Fi congestion happens when too many devices try to share the same wireless network, saturating the available bandwidth. It also happens when numerous neighbouring Wi-Fi networks compete for airtime.

This is a particularly common problem in multi-tenant office buildings which are frequently found in London City and Canary Wharf as well as other busy city centres.

Poor Access Point Placement

When our Wi-Fi engineers are called out, we unfortunately see a lot of cases where Access Points have been installed in convenient locations instead of where they are actually needed.

This includes certain locations being frequently overlooked, such as meeting rooms for example.

They key is to get a good balance between Coverage and Capacity. Coverage is the reach of your Wi-Fi signal (how far it goes), whereas Capacity is how well the network handles multiple connected devices and heavy data usage simultaneously without slowing down.

The goal with Coverage is to eliminate any dead zones and prevent dropping out, whilst with Capacity you want to support the amount of devices trying to connect and the data throughput.

Roaming Issues

In an ideal world, your colleague would sit at their desk and connect to a Teams call through their laptop for the duration of the online meeting.

In the real world, your colleague connects to the Teams call on their phone and then wanders down to the staff kitchen to make a coffee, then pops to another colleagues office to pick up that file they need for the call, and then makes their way back to their desk.

Whilst on the move like this, their device is constantly switching between Access Points, leaving scope for call interruptions. Poor roaming capabilities will lead to Teams calls lagging or dropping out. And that means frustration for them, and subsequently you as their IT Manager.

Too Many Connected Devices

Before hybrid working environments, modern offices tended to have computers for each staff member which were connected to the internet via a wired connection like Ethernet cables. Sure, there was the off hot desk, but even these were likely to have an Ethernet cable ready tp plug in instead of Wi-Fi.

Now, London offices are full of hot desks. Desktop computers are less common, replaced by staff members having a laptop which they can connect via the Wi-Fi wherever they are sat down.

Now add to this a smartphone for each member of staff, plus a tablet, smartwatch and other devices.

Our offices now contain far more wireless devices than ever before, from individual user devices to meeting room equipment and IoT devices.

This skews the capacity vs coverage issue more towards capacity – Office Wi-Fi has to be able to support the necessary concurrent devices while preventing lag, high ping or dropped packets in high density areas (effectively reducing problems with Teams calls).

Legacy Network Design

Office environments have changed and so have the wireless network requirements. As a network has grown organically over time, the tendency (from our Wi-Fi engineers experience) has been for IT Managers and Operations Teams to add additional Access Points to try and increase coverage. However, without the overall design strategy to match this organic growth, the infrastructure tends to struggle and this is where we see issues with modern collaboration tools like Teams.

Why Wi-Fi Speed Tests Can Be Misleading

As an IT Manager contending with Teams calls problems in the workplace, you might start by looking at a Wi-Fi speed test. Unfortunately, Wi-Fi speed tests can be rather misleading. You might see that internet speeds are good, so assume all must be well with the Wi-Fi and the Teams calls dropping has to be due to something else.

Unfortunately, internet speed tests can often mislead people into thinking there isn’t a problem. Wi-Fi speed tests measure throughput, but not user experience. Here are a few reasons why Wi-Fi speed tests don’t show the whole picture.

Roaming

Wi-Fi speed tests don’t give you an indication of roaming performance. How well are users moving around the office whilst connected? Are the Access Points placed due to need and traffic? Are Teams calls dropping out in a particular place in the office? Do user devices effectively move from AP to AP or do they get stuck? These questions are not answered by a speed test.

Packet Loss

Are things like building infrastructure (walls, floors) interfering with data packets reaching their destination? Is disruption to data packets journeys causing Teams calls to freeze or drop? What is causing these disruptions? Wi-Fi speed tests aren’t going to answer these questions for you unfortunately.

Wireless Contention

Are neighbouring networks overlapping with your Wi-Fi channel? Are too many devices attempting to connect at any one time? The speed of your network might look great on the dashboards, but is the capacity there to meet the needs of your users? Can your network handle multiple Teams calls at the same time?

Real Time Application Performance

Teams calls require real time communication – No loss of data packets, no latency, no lag. They need the Wi-Fi speed, yes, but they also need the capacity and lack of interference to be there to avoid freezing, lagging, poor audio and dropping out altogether.

For all these reasons, it’s very possible for your network to achieve excellent Wi-Fi speeds but still perform poorly on Teams calls.

How Businesses Should Diagnose The Problem of Bad Teams Calls on ‘Good Wi-Fi’

If IT Managers and Operations Teams want to avoid the headache of poor Teams calls on a Wi-Fi network that appears to be ‘good’ then the first thing they need to do is stop guessing.

That might look like calling in the Wi-Fi experts, like our team of Wi-Fi engineers here at Geekabit. The aim is always to understand how people are actually using your network, and then design and deploy the best network to meet those needs.

Professional Wi-Fi Site Surveys

Wi-Fi Site Surveys and Network Assessments are a key tool in analysing the performance of your network, helping to diagnose your Wi-Fi problems (even when things look good on a surface level). They also help measure our success when fixing your Wi-Fi issues.

A Wi-Fi site survey is the most effective way to design, troubleshoot, or optimise a wireless network for homes, offices, warehouses, schools, and commercial environments.

Our expert Wi-Fi engineers work out of London, the city and Canary Wharf (as well as Hampshire and Cardiff). An on-site survey always provides the most accurate results, however for circumstances where this is not possible, we also offer predictive Wi-Fi site surveys using industry-standard modelling software.

You can find out more about our Wi-Fi Site Surveys here.

Interference Analysis

Interference Analysis is the process of identifying and evaluating unwanted Radio Frequency (RF) signals that degrade wireless network performance. It helps pinpoint sources of slow speeds, high latency or dropped connections that could cause Teams calls to lag or drop, such as:

Neighbouring networks
Bluetooth devices
Microwaves

This knowledge allows for targeted network optimisation resulting in keeping those Teams calls connected and stable.

Wi-Fi Capacity Planning

Analysing the Wi-Fi Site Survey, spectrum and client behaviour mean that our expert Wi-Fi engineers can effectively plan for your Wi-Fi capacity, making sure your wireless network fits your bespoke office needs.

Wi-Fi capacity planning is the process of designing a wireless network to support the concurrent demands of users, devices, and applications, rather than just ensuring basic signal reach. It calculates the network’s ability to handle traffic without congestion, ensuring seamless performance even during peak usage.

A robust capacity plan goes beyond simple coverage and translates real-world traffic demands into specific hardware and configuration requirements. This also means that those Teams calls will stop lagging and dropping out.

Why Your Microsoft Teams Calls Keep Breaking Up Despite Having ‘Good Wi-Fi’

Remember that having good Wi-Fi signal strength (or speed) does not necessarily mean ‘good Wi-Fi’.

Modern London offices and hybrid working environments mean that modern collaboration tools like Teams have placed new demands on office networks. These new demands require in-depth analysis to ensure your network is supporting your users and thus your business.

The main focus for IT Managers and Operations Teams needs to be on user experience rather than just Wi-Fi speed and signal strength. There can be a lot more going on beneath the surface of ‘Good Wi-Fi.’

If you or your colleagues are struggling with Teams calls freezing or dropping out, despite your Wi-Fi dashboard suggesting all is fine then it’s time to call in the experts. Our Wi-Fi engineers here at Geekabit can help guide you with Wi-Fi troubleshooting, Wi-Fi Surveys and network optimisation.

Skip the Teams call and get in touch with our friendly team here instead.

by admin29th June 2026

Wi-Fi Wi-Fi Advice Wi-Fi Help Wi-Fi Issues Wi-Fi Problems Wi-Fi Site Survey Wi-Fi Speed Test Wi-Fi Speeds Wireless Network

“Why is my office Wi-Fi slow when internet speed tests are fine?”

As an IT Manager or Director, you’d probably expect a Wi-Fi failure to look catastrophically obvious. Like sirens wailing and offline-related casualties strewn throughout the office.

But most Wi-Fi failures don’t look like failures. Office Wi-Fi problems in London can really fly under the radar.

Access points? Online
Internet connection – Fast
No major outages on monitoring tools

And yet, your Teams calls drop, Zoom freezes and perhaps most importantly – Staff are complaining about slow Wi-Fi on a daily basis. What is going on?

It’s at this point most of our clients contact us for help. Persistent Wi-Fi problems when the obvious vital signs look okay are one of the most common reasons organisations in London contact Geekabit for a Wi-Fi survey or investigation into the cause of the problem.

“What is wrong with my office Wi-Fi? Everything Looks Fine!”

When your colleagues or staff members are constantly complaining about the office Wi-Fi it’s no fun for IT Managers at all. Especially when the IT Team are seeing:

Strong signal strength
Healthy internet bandwidth
No hardware faults
No ISP issues

On the surface, everything looks like the Wi-Fi should be performing well. But in reality, you’ve got users experiencing:

Poor Microsoft Teams calls
Random disconnects
Slow Wi-Fi roaming between areas
Applications pausing unexpectedly
Complaints concentrated in specific locations

So what is actually going on in these woeful Wi-Fi scenarios?

Five Hidden Causes of Poor Office Wi-Fi

1. Too Many Devices Sharing Airtime

Modern London offices tend to have:

Users with multiple devices all connected to the office Wi-Fi including Laptops, Smartphones and Tablets
Meeting room systems
Wireless displays
IoT devices

Imagine all of these devices and systems all trying to connect to the office Wi-Fi at the same time. The problem is often contention rather than coverage. Hence why the Wi-Fi monitoring systems and the user experience can differ so much.

2. Co-Channel Interference

Many busy London offices and modern office buildings accidentally create their own interference.

Typical causes of Wi-Fi interference in office environments include:

Too many access points
Poor channel planning
Legacy configurations
Neighbouring office networks

3. Office Roaming

In many office environments, users can be constantly on the move. Replying to emails whilst making a coffee. Checking files on the network from meetings. Roaming from floor to floor meeting with colleagues. Connecting to a Teams meeting on your way back to your desk.

Wi-Fi problems like Teams calls dropping whilst roaming can be due to:

Devices sticking to distant APs instead of moving with the user and connecting to the nearest
Poor handoffs between floors

4. Meeting Room Wi-Fi Congestion

One meeting room can generate more demand than an entire office area. Now imagine multiple meeting rooms all trying to function at the same time.

Common symptoms of meeting room Wi-Fi congestion can be:

Teams issues
Wireless presentation failures
Slow guest access

5. The Building Itself

Many of our clients are London-based. Offices in the capital often have specific challenges to overcome when it comes to identifying hidden causes of Wi-Fi problems at work.

London offices tend to consist of many potential network disruptors, including:

Multi-floor buildings
Dense neighbouring Wi-Fi networks
Glass partitions
Concrete cores
Users who hot-desk (and flexible working)
High user density in relatively small spaces

The signal bars on your monitoring systems aren’t telling IT Managers the whole story.

Why Speed Tests Often Mislead

As an IT Manager, you might look at a speed test and see that internet speeds are good, so assume all must be well with the Wi-Fi. Unfortunately, internet speed tests can often mislead people into thinking there isn’t a problem. Here are a few reasons why Wi-Fi speed tests don’t show the whole picture.

Internet speed ≠ Wi-Fi Performance

You might also be asking why is my internet speed, but my Wi-Fi still slow? It’s because the internet speed shown in a speed test is only the capacity of the wired connection – That is the speed of the internet coming into your office via fibre or cable. The Wi-Fi performance depends on what happens to the internet after it enters your office and goes through your router – How the Wi-Fi performs depends on the local, wireless distribution of that initial speed.

So the speed might look fine, but how the wireless signal is distributed could be affected by:

Physical interference (e.g. building materials)
The distance the signal is travelling (are there enough AP’s and are they deployed in the right places?)
Hardware limitations (is the hardware up to date and still in good working order?)
Having to share with lots of other devices (which might be older and slower)

These things can all degrade the speed that is delivered to your devices. Your network is only as fast as your slowest link, regardless of the speed coming into your building.

“Why am I not getting the 1Gb connection I pay for?”

You may be paying for 1Gb internet, but that may not be translating into user experience.

This goes back to what we said above – Your network is only as fast as your slowest link. So you might well be getting 1Gb internet speeds into your building, but what is happening after the wireless signal is distributed by your router?

There is little point in paying for 1Gb internet speeds if you don’t have the hardware capabilities to match it. It’s important that your router and AP’s have the capabilities to effectively transmit that Wi-Fi signal and speed. Older phones, laptops, tablets and other devices that use older wireless standards are also going to cap your maximum speed lower than what you’re paying for.

What matters more than raw bandwidth when it comes to internet speeds?

Whilst bandwidth is important, there are other factors at play when it comes to how fast an internet connection feels.

Bandwidth is the capacity to move a high volume of data. How fast and responsively that data is delivered is influenced by:

Latency
Airtime
Roaming

There are many interactive applications that only need a little bandwidth, but demand instant, unhindered transmission in order to feel fast.

How Can Wi-Fi Speed Problems Be Investigated?

Here at Geekabit, our expert Wi-Fi engineers have a number of tools at their disposal in order to help investigate Wi-Fi problems and identify solutions.

Spectrum Analysis for Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi spectrum analysis is the process of scanning and visualizing the invisible radio frequencies (RF) used by your wireless network. It helps network administrators, IT Managers and our expert Wi-Fi engineers to identify, locate, and mitigate interference from both Wi-Fi and non-Wi-Fi devices. This allows us to optimize network channels and improve speeds.

Why might spectrum analysis be necessary? The frequency bands used by Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz) are unlicensed, meaning anyone can transmit signals there. While standard network scanners only see other routers, a spectrum analyzer sees all the energy in the air. This can then help inform decisions about Wi-Fi deployment in order to minimise interference.

Wi-Fi Client Behaviour Analysis

Wi-Fi client behaviour analysis evaluates how connected devices (clients) interact with a wireless network or how people move through a physical space using their devices.

It can be split into two main categories: Business Analytics (consumer tracking, i.e. seeing how a customer moves through a retail space) and Network Troubleshooting (looking at the technical performance in a workspace).

Network troubleshooting is going to be most helpful in an office environment, enabling Network Administrators and IT Managers to understand device performance throughout the office, identify problem areas and thus improve network health and performance.

Client Behaviour Analysis in Network Troubleshooting would likely look at:

Roaming behaviour – How are devices transitioning between Access Points? Are there any ‘sticky’ clients that refuse to disconnect from weak, distant AP’s? Are there any dead spots?
Device capabilities – Are there any legacy devices that are slowing things down? Which clients support modern protocols (which Wi-Fi standard or frequency band are they utilising?)

Professional Wi-Fi Site Surveys

Wi-Fi Site Surveys are a key tool in analysing the performance of your network, helping to diagnose your Wi-Fi problems as well as measure our success fixing your Wi-Fi issues.

A Wi-Fi site survey is the most effective way to design, troubleshoot, or optimise a wireless network for homes, offices, warehouses, schools, and commercial environments.

Our expert Wi-Fi engineers work out of London, Hampshire and Cardiff. An on-site survey always provides the most accurate results, however for circumstances where this is not possible, we also offer predictive Wi-Fi site surveys using industry-standard modelling software.

You can find out more about our Wi-Fi Site Surveys here.

Wi-Fi Capacity Planning

A robust capacity plan goes beyond simple coverage and translates real-world traffic demands into specific hardware and configuration requirements.

“Why does my office Wi-Fi look fine but still feel slow?”

In conclusion, the biggest Wi-Fi problems are often invisible.

If users in your office or workspace are complaining about slow Wi-Fi despite healthy-looking dashboards, the issue may not be with your internet connection, access points or ISP.

As we’ve outlined above, it may be the way the wireless environment behaves in the real world. And this can be affected by various factors.

If you have tried everything you can think of to improve your slow office Wi-Fi but things still aren’t improving, then call in the experts. Geekabit helps organisations across Central London, Canary Wharf and the City identify and solve complex Wi-Fi problems through professional site surveys, troubleshooting and wireless network optimisation. Get in touch with our friendly team today.

by admin22nd June 2026

Business Wi-Fi London Office Wi-Fi Wi-Fi Wi-Fi Design Wi-Fi Help Wi-Fi Issues Wi-Fi Problems Wi-Fi Site Survey

When New Wi-Fi Equipment Doesn’t Fix the Problem: Why London Businesses Need a Professional Wi-Fi Site Survey

Does your business struggle with poor Wi-Fi? Are your employees or colleagues always complaining about slow internet? Weak, unreliable Wi-Fi isn’t conducive to a productive and operational working environment.

No one wants to be fielding Wi-Fi woes if you’re a busy London IT Director or Manager.

You might think that just adding an extra Access Point in might work. And maybe it does for a little while – But realistically, the underlying Wi-Fi issue remains and will resurface.

Here at Geekabit, we see this problem a lot, especially in our London clients where office layouts, building materials and occupancy have changed significantly.

But what it’s important to realise is that actually, it’s not always a hardware problem. Hence why another AP doesn’t fix the problem! Wi-Fi problems frequently come down to design problems. And that’s where a Wi-Fi Site Survey comes in.

Signs You May Need a Wi-Fi Site Survey

There are a fair few telltale signs that there could be design problems with your business Wi-Fi network. These might include:

Teams and Zoom calls breaking up
Complaints concentrated in specific areas
Users disconnecting when moving around the office
Slow performance despite strong signal bars
New access points added with little improvement
Wi-Fi working at quiet times but struggles when the office is busy

These issues might have slowly grown with the business – Perhaps from a steady increase in employees and growing number of devices connected at one time.

You may have also recently had an office refurbishment or reconfiguration, which could have shown up previously undetected dead spots or caused interference.

A Wi-Fi Survey can help figure out where the problems are and what you can do to fix them.

Why Throwing More Wi-Fi Equipment at the Problem Often Fails

As we mentioned above, many businesses think that deploying more hardware will fix any Wi-Fi issues. Sometimes these mask the underlying problem for a while, but unfortunately the issues will always come back.

Some reasons why introducing more Wi-Fi hardware to a struggling network doesn’t always work:

Too many access points can create interference
Signal strength is only one part of the picture
Channel planning is often overlooked
Roaming settings may be incorrect

Modern Wi-Fi requires proper design, not guesswork. A Wi-Fi expert, like our engineers at Geekabit, can carry out a full Wi-Fi Site Survey so that networks are designed to suit the office.

Unfortunately, we’ve seen organisations invest thousands of pounds in new Wi-Fi hardware, only to discover the issue was poor RF design rather than ageing equipment.

So before investing in new Wi-Fi hardware, consider carrying out a Wi-Fi Site Survey first, to check there are no underlying network design problems.

What does a Professional Wi-Fi Survey show?

Wi-Fi Site Surveys are a key tool in analysing the performance of your network, helping to diagnose your Wi-Fi problems and measure our success fixing your Wi-Fi issues.

A Wi-Fi Site Survey from Geekabit will show:

Gaps in coverage
Co-channel interference
Roaming issues
Capacity bottlenecks
Impact of building materials
Channel utilisation
Problems with Access Point placement
Future expansion requirements

A Wi-Fi site survey is the most effective way to design, troubleshoot, or optimise a wireless network for homes, offices, warehouses, schools, and commercial environments.

You can find out more here.

Why London Offices Present Unique Challenges

Many of our clients are London-based. Offices in the capital often have specific challenges to overcome when it comes to managing their wireless network.

London offices tend to consist of many potential network disruptors, including:

Multi-floor buildings
Dense neighbouring Wi-Fi networks
Glass partitions
Concrete cores
Users who hot-desk (and flexible working)
High user density in relatively small spaces

Whilst these do present challenges in London based offices, it is possible to overcome these Wi-Fi problems for your city-centre business network.

When to Bring in a Wi-Fi Specialist

When there’s something strange, and the network’s not good – Who you gonna call?

It’s never too late to bring in an expert Wi-Fi engineer if your business network is struggling. But there are times you can proactively avoid network disruption by bringing in a Wi-Fi professional. If you’re a Facilities Manager or Office Manager, then your team will thank you for calling in the experts:

Before an office move
Before a refurbishment

By consulting a Wi-Fi expert before an office move or refurbishment, you can get ahead and plan using a Wi-Fi Site Survey to lead your hardware placement to meet the needs of the business. This helps to avoid the potential problems that stem from user crowding, dead spots and interference.

Other times it might be time to call the cavalry and get the Wi-Fi experts in is when users are complaining about the Wi-Fi without there being an obvious cause.

You might have tried to fix the problem yourself, but are facing failed attempts. There’s no shame in calling in a Wi-Fi professional – It’s literally our job to find the problem with your business Wi-Fi and fix it. Sometimes internal teams need a bit of independent expertise.

Who you gonna call? You can call Geekabit and speak to one of our friendly Wi-Fi engineers.

Time to Ask for Wi-Fi Help?

If your business has already invested time and money into resolving Wi-Fi issues without success, an independent Wi-Fi Site Survey can quickly identify the real cause.

When the obvious fixes haven’t worked, call in the experts. If you’re Head of IT or Infrastructure then you’ll know how vital it is to get this right.

Geekabit works with businesses across Central London, Canary Wharf and the City, providing specialist Wi-Fi expertise, expert wireless analysis and practical recommendations that IT teams can trust.

by admin11th June 2026

Wi-Fi Wi-Fi Advice Wi-Fi Help

School Wi-Fi Scheme For Schools Scrapped Except for RISE Schools

A new government scheme will offer certain schools £25m worth of support to boost connectivity in the classroom – Available only to RISE schools.

The Regional Improvement in Standards and Excellence (RISE) initiative is a government program to support struggling schools, aiming to improve school standards through targeted interventions and universal support.

Connect the Classroom Scheme

Under this new scheme, grants will be provided to schools eligible for RISE improvement support, helping to boost classroom connectivity.

Previously, funding had been prioritised for all schools that were located in an Education Investment Area (EIA) as part of the Connect the Classroom Scheme

However, the new government axed the EIA and new eligibility criteria was drawn up.

It has been recently confirmed by the Department for Education that schools receiving targeted intervention through the RISE initiative will be eligible for the Connect the Classroom scheme.

Wi-Fi For Schools – Eligibility Criteria for Funding

Schools eligible will be contacted directly by the DfE to receive funding. Eligibility criteria for receiving funding includes falling below their Wi-Fi Connectivity Standards for schools and colleges which can be found here. This includes:

Using the latest wireless network standards
Having a full functional signal from your wireless network throughout the school or college buildings and externally when required
Have a solution that can centrally manage the wireless network
Installing security features to stop unauthorised access

Do you know what network standards your school or college should meet on wireless performance, coverage, management and security? You can check the DfE’s network standards for schools and colleges online.

£25m of Funding Available This Financial Year

Following the £215 million investment between 2021 and 2025, there is £25 million available this financial year 2025 – 2026.

Schools Week, a weekly publication focused on education news and analysis primarily for school leaders and other education professionals, obtained figures showing how many schools were given Wi-Fi funding and support over the last few years:

2021: 428 schools received support
2022: 229 schools received £12.5 million in funding from the scheme
2023: 1,303 schools received £94 million in funding from the scheme

The government confirmed that approximately 400 schools were due to get support and funding through the Connect the Classroom scheme. It added that despite the number of eligible schools being lower, the money will reach more secondary schools and thus benefit more pupils.

Wi-Fi Fix for Schools

Quality Wi-Fi is crucial in schools – It’s vital that pupils have access to a strong, reliable network to access online learning resources, facilitate collaboration, and support various educational activities.

A reliable and secure Wi-Fi network ensures students can access digital content, collaborate on projects, and participate in online learning platforms.

But if you work in a school or college then you know all that already! If you’re concerned that your school or college Wi-Fi network is not performing optimally, but it perhaps doesn’t meet the eligibility criteria for funding via RISE and Connect the Classroom, then get in touch with one of our Wi-Fi experts for your school.

Our dedicated Wi-Fi engineers can survey your London, Hampshire or Cardiff based school Wi-Fi network and identify any problems. We can then provide a network design and device recommendations to help make sure your students have access to the best performing Wi-Fi network possible.

For more information on how our Wi-Fi experts here at Geekabit can help your school or college wireless network, get in touch.

by admin9th June 2025

Broadband Broadband Speed Heatwave Wi-Fi Wi-Fi Advice Wi-Fi Help Wi-Fi Problems Wireless Network WLAN

Does Summer Heat Affect Your Wi-Fi? Your FAQ’s Answered

We’ve been enjoying much sunshine here in the South of the UK these last few weeks, complete with a mini heatwave back in April. Around that time some delightful media outlets were circulating articles, scaring internet users into thinking that the higher-than-usual temperatures were going to wipe out their Wi-Fi and block their broadband. So is this fact or fiction?

Despite the odd Spring rain shower here and there, we’re set for more warm weather over the next fortnight, so we thought it as good a time as any to set the record straight about Wi-Fi in hot weather and hopefully put your minds at rest by answering your frequently asked questions.

“Will my broadband stop working in hot weather?”

The simplest answer is no. Hot weather is unlikely to disrupt your internet connection if you are exercising some common sense that you would extend to all electrical devices. In other words, if you keep your router out of direct sunlight then you’re not likely to run into heat-related problems.

“Has a heatwave ever caused a Wi-Fi outage?”

Technically, the answer is still no. However due to an unprecedented and extreme (albeit brief) heatwave back in July 2022 where UK temperatures soared to 40 degrees for the first time, internet service providers did take measures to protect broadband cabinets.

Over the course of 4 days, 2 of which recorded extreme temperatures, some ISP’s re-deployed engineers to monitor the cabinets and keep them as cool as possible. Hilariously, this included sheltering them from the sun with umbrellas and leaving the doors open to increase air flow. This novel approach in such unprecedented heat appeared to work, with no reported outages across various network providers.

“Can routers and other internet hardware overheat?”

As we’re sure you are aware, most electronic devices emit at least a small amount of heat, and that includes your router. This means that theoretically, it is possible that your router could overheat in high temperatures.

Thankfully, most manufacturers of said hardware take this into consideration when designing their devices, meaning that most are able to operate at temperatures of up to approximately 40 degrees (check with your manufacturer for specifics).

There is a chance that devices and hardware could continue to function in temperatures exceeding their stated tolerance, but that is of course dependent on individual experience and will vary between manufacturers.

Let’s not forget that our broadband router isn’t the only device or piece of hardware that could struggle in high temperatures. Smartphones, tablets, laptops and other electronic devices could also experience problems if we were to experience a heatwave.

“What happens if a router overheats?”

If a router becomes close to overheating or does indeed overheat, the first thing to happen will be an attempt to lower the heat output to protect itself from damage. This will likely lead to a degradation in performance instigated by the device’s processor and affect response times on the device’s user interface. This would likely then impact your LAN in terms of connection stability and Wi-Fi speed.

Most electronic devices, including routers, will restart themselves if they get too hot. Despite potentially causing your connection to drop, this should resolve itself quite quickly and cause minimal problems once it’s back online.

Complete hardware failure due to overheating is rare, and certainly not something we would expect to see in temperatures sitting in the mid-twenties. We’ll check back in in July if we’re approaching 40 degrees again.

Keep Your Connection Cool This Summer By Following These Warm Weather Wi-Fi Tips

Hopefully you are already in the Common Sense Club where you keep electricals out of direct sunlight and away from other sources of heat. Keep doing what you’re doing!

Here are a few other tips to keep your Wi-Fi from wilting in the warmer weather.

Choose the coolest room possible to place your router. This is usually a room downstairs and with thick external walls. Of course, the coolest place in the house may not be the most conducive to a reliable, strong connection throughout your home so you will have to weigh up the pros and cons.
Locate your router on a surface that enables good air flow and the ability for heat to escape. Wall-mounted can be a great option, although do bear in mind whether the wall is south facing and radiating absorbed heat from outside.
If we were to experience a heatwave similar to the one in 2022, then purchasing a cooling mat for your router could be a useful option. An similar alternative would be to point a standard fan in the direction of the router to keep the air as cool as possible and improve air flow around the device.
Did you know that you can disable non-critical router services? If not then perhaps it’s best you don’t try. If yes and we’ve just reminded you, then you could try lessening the load, thus reducing heat output and hopefully increasing functionality in extreme hot weather.
If your router is overheating due to indoor temperatures and you don’t actually need it to be switched on, then consider turning it off for a while to cool down. We do not recommend doing this often (not more than once in a day) and especially not if you are on an DSL/ ADSL/ FTTC connection.
In general, older devices are less tolerant to heat and are more likely to overheat. It could be worth considering replacing an old router for a newer model if you encounter persistent connection problems in hotter weather.

If the temperature outside is pushing 40 degrees like July 2022, then it’s likely you’ll be hanging out by the fridge door and/or dousing yourself in ice water. These might cool you down but are definitely not recommended for your router unfortunately.

If your house is 40+ degrees and your router is struggling to function then it might be time to step away from the internet and go outside to find a shady spot with as much breeze as possible.

But for the time being, let’s enjoy these comfortably warm mid-twenty days with a strong, steady Wi-Fi connection in one hand and a cold beer in the other.

by admin12th May 2025

Connectivity Hardware Home Network Home Office Mesh Network Technology Wi-Fi Wi-Fi Extender Wi-Fi Help Wi-Fi Speeds Wireless Network Wireless Technology

Can Wi-Fi Extenders Just Stop Working?

They can indeed. And it can be handy to know the signs if an extender is about to fail.

Disclaimer: Here at Geekabit, we don’t actually recommend Wi-Fi extenders as a solution to Wi-Fi problems. There are usually other more effective solutions that can be put into place with a little help from Wi-Fi experts like ourselves. However, we also know that people don’t always heed expert advice… So, here are some useful tips to keep in mind if you do go down the Wi-Fi extender route. And if that doesn’t work, you’ll know who to call.

Just like other electronic devices, Wi-Fi extenders can fail. Whilst they do tend to last a decent amount of time and generally don’t need too much maintenance or repairing, they still won’t last forever. As with anything in the tech world, components will start to wear out and older extender models will become obsolete with the emergence of new technologies. Let’s take a look at some of the main issues that could stop a Wi-Fi extender from working.

Why has my Wi-Fi Extender stopped working?

There could be a number of reasons why Wi-Fi extenders might stop working earlier than you would expect. The number one reason for a Wi-Fi extender to break down is heat.

Overheating

Like other electronic devices, Wi-Fi extenders generate heat. However, they don’t have fans or anything else to keep the heta from building up, so rely on passive cooling. This can be a big problem when they are switched on all the time, never getting the chance to cool down.

To prevent a Wi-Fi extender from failing too soon due to overheating, there are a couple of things you can keep in mind.

Place the Wi-Fi extender in a place where there is plenty of air flow around it e.g. an open book shelf
Avoid places where there is less air flow like shelving units, cupboards, cabinets or enclosed spaces

Dust

How often do you clean your Wi-Fi devices and hardware? A simple, regular clean of your Wi-Fi extender can help extend its life. Whilst we wouldn’t recommend taking a Wi-Fi extender apart to clean inside it, it’s definitely worth the effort to check the vents on it and blow away any dust.

New Technologies

As with any kind of Wi-Fi hardware, things do become obsolete over time as new technologies are developed and introduced to the market.

A popular reason for people to replace their Wi-Fi extenders is to make sure that their extended network is as fast and can handle as many devices as their primary network.

When should I replace my Wi-Fi extender?

If everything is working to your satisfaction, then there’s no need to replace anything. However, if you’ve been googling ‘do I need to replace my Wi-Fi extender?’ then you’re probably already experiencing problems and looking for the solution!

Preemptive replacement of Wi-Fi hardware would usually be for crucial network components, for example, your router. Wi-Fi extenders aren’t usually as important, so there’s usually no need to replace them until they break.

However, if you are relying on your Wi-Fi extender to provide internet access to parts of your home or to devices that must be connected (for example, perhaps a garden office or CCTV cameras) then you may feel it’s more important to stay ahead of problems and replace them before issues arise.

There isn’t really a set time frame for replacing a Wi-Fi extender – They can last for as long as ten years, maybe more. But there will come a time when internal components will start to fail as they naturally start to degrade. In scenarios like the above where your Wi-Fi extender is fulfilling a vital function, you might want to consider replacing it on a shorter timeframe e.g. every 5 years perhaps or when you notice any reduction in performance.

Can I tell if my Wi-Fi extender is starting to fail?

Unfortunately, there’s rarely obvious signs that a Wi-Fi extender is beginning to fail. They tend to work one day, and not work the next. There may be some clues that it’s starting to degrade, which we’ll outline below, but this may not always be the case.

Possible signs that your Wi-Fi extender is starting to fail:

Having to regularly reset the Wi-Fi extender. Whilst doing a factory reset may fix the issue, if you’re having to do this a lot then it’s probably time to consider replacing it.
Difficulty connecting to the Wi-Fi extender. If interference isn’t an issue, but your devices are having trouble connecting or staying connected then it might be time to replace the extender.
Slow internet speeds. If your connection is suddenly slower one day, then there is likely a problem with the extender. Also bear in mind that if your extender is older than your router, then it likely won’t support the latest Wi-Fi technology available to your router, hence causing a slower connection in the extended area.
Dropped connection. If you can connect a device to your primary network, but it drops out when connecting to the extender then there is likely a problem with the Wi-Fi extender.
Error lights. If lights on the extender are the wrong colour, flashing or not on at all then there is likely an issue. Check the manufacturer’s instructions to find out what the lights mean and how to resolve the problem.
Unable to turn the Wi-Fi extender on. It may have overheated, so let it cool down and then try again to turn it on. You could also try plugging it into an alternative outlet. Pressing the rest button may also help with this issue. If after trying these things it still won’t turn on then it’s probably time to replace it.

How can I help my Wi-Fi extender last longer?

No hardware can last for ever, so eventually all Wi-Fi extenders are going to fill and need replacing. That being said, there are some things you can do to take good care of it and help it to last as long as possible. As we noted above, the most common problems are caused by heat, so the main solutions lie in keeping the gear cool.

Help your Wi-Fi extender have a long life using these tips:

When you’re setting up, always place your Wi-Fi extender in a well-ventilated area. Never place it in an enclosed space like a closed shelf or cabinet. Not only will an enclosed space block the Wi-Fi signal, but it will also cause the extender to get hotter than necessary, which will shorten its life.
Use a surge protector in the same location as the Wi-Fi extender if possible. This can help stop voltage spikes which can cause severe damage to a Wi-Fi extender.
Regularly give the extender a clean and remove dust by dusting the outside of it and blow dust from the vents. Dust build-up can also contribute to overheating.
Sometimes firmware updates from manufacturers can help keep performance at its best. If you notice worsening performance then it’s worth trying to install a firmware update (if there is one) to help speed up an older Wi-Fi extender model.

Is my Wi-Fi extender causing network issues?

Problems with Wi-Fi connectivity and speed are the first clues when it comes to identifying if a Wi-Fi extender is failing or starting to fail.

Got a unique SSID for your extender? Then you’ll notice right away that you’re having problems connecting to it compared with your primary network.

Using a mesh network? If you’re using the same SSID and password for your extended network as your primary network or using a mesh network then you might notice you have connection trouble or slow internet speeds when you’re in the extended network area.

As you’ll remember from our disclaimer at the start of this article, here at Geekabit we don’t recommend Wi-Fi extenders. One of the reasons why we don’t is that they can cause problems for your network even when they’re working.

One of the biggest problems with Wi-Fi extenders is that they can actually cause interference on your primary network if they’re running on the same channel. So by trying to extend your network to a further area of your house and garden, you could be jeopardising your main network connection.

This issue is reduced when using a mesh network as they create one big network where devices are seamlessly passed from one extender to the next. However, your bog-standard Wi-Fi extenders can cause real issues with your main Wi-Fi router if they’re operating on the same or overlapping channels.

If you’re trying to create a reliable network across a large space and finding a regular router isn’t quite cutting it, then it might be time to call in the experts rather than reaching for the extenders. Give our friendly Wi-Fi engineers a call and we can identify the best Wi-Fi solution for your premises.

by admin14th April 2025

Business Wi-Fi Ubiquiti Wi-Fi Wi-Fi Advice Wi-Fi Help Wireless Network Wireless Technology WLAN

Ubiquiti is Skyrocketing – Here’s Why

It’s no secret that our Wi-Fi experts here at Geekabit are big fans of Ubiquiti and their range of Wi-Fi devices and equipment. We love their kit and it would seem we’re definitely not the only ones.

We’ve been chatting about the benefits of using Ubiquiti Wi-Fi equipment for your network for years. A blog from a few years back was one of our first on the topic and is a good place to start if you’re unfamiliar with the pros of using Ubiquiti for a business network.

Over the past year in particular, Ubiquiti devices have really increased in popularity, with shares in Ubiquiti Inc (UI) surging up by 222.8% in the past year. Why? Their customer base has seen a gradual yet steady increase in growth, supported by a flexible business model. If you’re into stocks, shares and investments then you might like to research UI as an investment option.

But here at Geekabit, investment advice isn’t really our forte – We’re all about the wireless equipment, and this manufacturer has our attention.

What makes Ubiquiti so popular?

There are many wireless internet device manufacturers on the market – Why are UI doing so well?

In our fast moving world, the demand for the internet is constant. There is a continuous stream of data traffic with the need for round-the-clock access to video, audio, online gaming and social networking (not to mention work emails, online conference calls and file transfers).

This means that we require fast, seamless connectivity that can support these bandwidth-intensive apps whilst simultaneously moving away from wired network connections.

Our need for strong, wireless networks is met perfectly with Ubiquiti’s comprehensive range of products and solutions. From Ubiquiti you can find:

A range of networking devices
Network infrastructure for fixed wireless broadband
Wireless backhaul systems
Routing
Wireless LAN infrastructure
Video surveillance products
Machine-to-machine communication components
And much more

Our Wi-Fi experts and engineers here at Geekabit aren’t the only ones that rave about Ubiquitis products – They have a rapidly growing community that are highly engaged with their range, including:

Service providers
Distributors
Value-added resellers
Systems integrators
Corporate IT professionals

This community might be what sets UI apart. They leverage the strength of the Ubiquiti Community by providing rapid product support and dissemination of information, thus reducing operational costs whilst maintaining a proprietary network communication platform. Ubiquiti works from an extremely flexible business model which can therefore adapt to market demands.

Will Ubiquiti continue to grow?

Continued growth is expected for Ubiquiti, with significant opportunities in developed as well as emerging economies. Emerging countries are relentless in their pursuit of staying connected with the world, and adopting wireless networking infrastructure is a big part of that. Developed economies are always looking to increase bandwidth further in order to bridge the gap between demand and supply.

Ubiquiti are committed to research and development, and spend significantly on activities that help them develop innovative new products that use state-of-the-art technology – All helping them to stay on the cutting-edge of networking technology with their market offering.

With products that offer both high performance and best value, they continue to beat their rivals. Ubiquiti product families such as UniFi and AmpliFi have both seen improvements and added features.

Invest in a reliable network

Whether you’re into investments, tech, wireless networking or a combination of all 3 – Ubiquiti has something to offer.

Positive market gains remain diverse across various sectors, including finance, healthcare, energy and of course tech industries.

Ubiquiti just so happens to be listed by quite a few investment analyst outlets as having skyrocketing stock with it reaching an all time high at the start of this year. Offering networking technology to service providers, enterprises and consumers, UI saw their stock surge by nearly 21% towards the end of January. Perhaps they have their supply chain improvements and product availability to thank for this?

If stocks and shares aren’t your thing, but you’re ready to invest in a strong, reliable wireless network for your business, then get in touch with our Wi-Fi experts today.

by admin3rd February 2025

Wi-Fi Wi-Fi Advice Wi-Fi Help Wi-Fi Issues Wi-Fi Problems Wireless Network

Why Does My Wi-Fi Randomly Stop Working?

And more importantly, how can I fix it?

There’s little more frustrating than your Wi-Fi going down. Whether you’re working from home and mid Zoom, streaming your favourite show or gaming with friends – If your Wi-Fo goes down it’s an urgent problem to solve as soon as possible.

Much like a power cut, when there’s no Wi-Fi we really feel it’s absence. And much like flicking the light switch on and off, we head straight for the hardware when we’re trying to figure out what the problem is.

What to check on your hardware when your Wi-Fi stops working

Are the router and any other units plugged in and switched on – Are the lights on?
Is every relevant cable properly connected?
Are any external antennas linked to the router fastened correctly?

Checking for disconnected cables that have been unplugged, disconnected or damaged could be a straightforward fix for your Wi-Fi woes.

If it’s an intermittent problem, then look for a ‘strangled’ cable. This is a cable that might be getting squashed underneath furniture or has perhaps been nibbled by a pet.

If you’ve checked all the cabling and hardware and things look okay – What’s next?

How to check if it’s a Wi-Fi problem when your internet connection goes down

If everything is powered-on hardware wise, then the next thing to check is your Wi-Fi and whether the signal is being broadcasted. Find a device and try to connect to your Wi-Fi.

Is your network being broadcast – Is it in the list of possible networks to connect to?
Can you connect to your network on the device?

What to do if your network is not being broadcasted or you cannot connect to the network

If one or neither of these things is happening, then the problem could be with your wireless source. You could try resetting the power on your equipment ie. turn your router off for 30 seconds and then turn back on again.

You may even need to replace your router. If yours is leased from your Internet Service Provider (ISP) then get in touch with them to see if they can either help reset it remotely or get you a replacement.

What to do if your network is being broadcasted and it says you’re connected, but you still have no internet connection

If you can see that your network is being broadcasted and you are able to connect to it, then check the signal strength in various locations (ie. where you need a connection).

What should my Wi-Fi signal strength be?

In an ideal world, your Wi-Fi signal would be above -68 dBm.

For general internet access (not voice or video calls) then you could probably manage at -72 dBm.

Anything below that level would probably cause problems, and you would likely need to be considering alternatives to solve your signal coverage issues.

These alternatives could invoice:

Additional access points
Extender / mesh extender

Be cautious with signal extenders – These should only really be used as a last resort. This is because in order to keep the wireless link between the extender and main router, they use up considerable bandwidth.

You could instead try a tri-radio router and implement multi-radio extenders or mesh nodes. This could enable you to use one channel for your network and another for end device access.

How to measure your Wi-Fi signal

To measure your Wi-Fi signal and check if you have enough coverage, there are a couple of ways to do this.

Measuring Wi-Fi signal on a laptop

If you have a laptop, you can check the stats of your wireless interface, or install a wireless measuring tool, like WinFi Lite.

Measuring Wi-Fi on a smartphone

If you have an android smartphone, you can install a wireless signal measuring app, like “WiFiman”, or if you have an Apple device, you can install the “Airport” app and use it to scan the signal strength.

Measuring Wi-Fi signal strength

Using the tools above, you will be able to not only measure your own network but also neighbouring networks and how they are affecting yours.

It’s nigh on impossible to be unaffected by an external 2.4 GHz network. If you can, try to use the 5 GHz spectrum. This network has more channels for you to use and thus a lot fewer interfering networks, even in residential areas.

Bear in mind that in locations like apartment complexes, even the 5 GHz spectrum can become congested but is still generally the better option.

An even better option would be the 6 GHz channel, but it’s likely that your devices will no longer support it in the not so distant future.

If your Wi-Fi coverage seems fine, it could be your network usage causing internet problems

If your hardware looks okay, your network is broadcasting and you can connect, and your coverage looks good, then it’s time to consider your network usage.

At the time you were experiencing internet problems, consider

How many people were connected to your network
What they were using the internet for

It’s quite likely that your router wasn’t built for the demands of multiple video conferencing calls on your work laptop, a show streaming on Netflix, plus online games being played on the iPad.

That’s a considerable amount of traffic for it to process and could cause things to get a bit unpredictable connection wise.

If this is a common usage demand, then it may be time to speak to you ISP and see if you can upgrade your router and package. Think about whether it would be worth upgrading to hardware that supports Wi-Fi 6.

You could also consider installing additional access points to help ease the burden on the main router.

Another potential solution is to skip the Wi-Fi element altogether, and plug your device into the router via an Ethernet cable. Hint: THis is also a great way of testing whether the issue lies with the internet connection itself or how the Wi-Fi signal is being transmitted.

‘I’ve tried everything and my internet still won’t work!’

Okay, we get it, by this point you would be really frustrated. You’ve checked the hardware, you’re connected and coverage is fine, network usage is low – Yet there are still network problems! What else could be causing your internet connection to be unreliable and unpredictable?

It could be wireless interference issues.

Many routers we use in our homes support only 2.4 GHz communications. The problem with using that range is that many other manufacturers use those channels for other pieces of equipment because it’s cheap and long ranging.

Things that could be interfering with your Wi-Fi signal are:

Baby monitors
Wireless video security cameras / doorbells
Microwaves
Motion detectors as part of an alarm system

These are just a few common examples, there are many others that use the 2.4 GHz band and could cause interference problems. To get a full picture of what’s going on, you could need a spectrum analyser.

There are of course other possible forms of interference as well. Where is your wireless router located? You should avoid:

Shutting it in a cupboard
Placing behind a large bit of furniture
Too much metal close by (cabinets, fridges, etc)
Mirrored windows
Painting walls with magnetic or metallic paint

We have a whole article on how to avoid interference – You can check it out here.

Could it be your naughty neighbour?

As we must consider all possible options – Could it be that your neighbour is doing naughty things to your internet connection?

Unfortunately, it is a possibility that your neighbour is deauthenticating your network. This means they are using external wireless equipment to pose as your network and then start sending deauthentication packets to your users. In other words, telling devices that are connected to your network to get off every time they leave and try to reconnect.

It’s very hard to catch this happening unless you have the proper knowledge and tools. Fortunately, some access points can detect these attacks and report them like cloud-based solution access points.

Is there anything else that could be causing my Wi-Fi problems?

So far we’ve checked:

For hardware problems
Whether your network is being broadcasted
Whether your Wi-Fi is transmitting a signal
How strong your Wi-Fi signal is / coverage
Network usage
Wireless interference
Naughty neighbours

That’s a pretty comprehensive list. If none of these are causing your internet problems, then it could be the integrity of your internet connection.

How do you check the integrity of your internet connection?

Use one of your devices to check to see if you are getting an IP address. This is something you could try first, but if you checked the connection using an Ethernet cable (for example, a desktop computer that’s connected directly to the main internet connection (router) via cable) and everything was fine then your main internet connection is unlikely to be the issue.

Things to check:

Do you have an IP address?
Can you ping your gateway?
Do you have DNS?

If you don’t have an IP address:

Have a check of your network stats and verify if you have a proper IP address. If you don’t, then try to register again to your home network. To do this you can simply just restart your router.

If that doesn’t work, then try resetting your DHCP server. Most of the time, it’s to do with the home router. If you’re not using a router, then whatever you are using – restart that.

If restarting it doesn’t work then check your DHCP configuration or give your ISP a call.

If you do have an IP address:

If you can see that you do have a proper IP address, try to ping a public site like google.com. If that fails, try to ping a well-known public IP address like 8.8.8.8.

If that works, then there may be an issue with the DNS that you have configured so you could try using public DNS servers, like 8.8.4.4 or 8.8.8.8.

If a ping to a public IP address fails, then that indicates that the problem is either in the path between your home router and the ISP or something in the ISP itself.

It’s not you, it’s them

Sometimes it’s not anything to do with any of the potential problems we’ve discussed above. Sometimes it’s a problem with your Internet Service Provider and there is simply an outage on the service that you are trying to access.

This can be for a few different reasons.

Perhaps you have been disconnected because your street or building has a problem in the distribution panel. A cable could have been cut or damaged somewhere in the network during construction or roadworks or something similar.

It could also be a problem with the ISP infrastructure. If they are experiencing issues in their client management system, then this would stop you accessing the service.

If you’ve tried all of the above and nothing has helped, then it’s probably time to give your ISP a call and see if the problem is their end of things.

Good luck!

by admin12th October 2023