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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.

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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. 

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“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

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. 

“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.

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Business Wi-FiLondonOffice Wi-FiWi-FiWi-Fi DesignWi-Fi HelpWi-Fi IssuesWi-Fi ProblemsWi-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.

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 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.

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BroadbandFi for Country EstatesWi-FiWi-Fi For Country HomesWi-Fi for Larger Estates

A Comprehensive Guide to Wi-Fi For Country Homes

Do you struggle with Wi-Fi in your country home? Traditional country houses tend to have physical attributes that can hinder how effective your Wi-Fi functions. Things like thick walls, long driveways and poor rural broadband infrastructure can all impact the strength and stability of your internet connection. 

Thankfully, Geekabit can assist you with Wi-Fi solutions that can help ensure the wireless connection in your country home stays strong and reliable, without compromising on charm and character. 

In this comprehensive guide to Wi-Fi for country homes, we’ll take you through the potential issues you might be experiencing as well as the solutions Geekabit can offer to get your Wi-Fi operating at its full potential. 

1. Building Construction & RF Attenuation

Thick Walls & Heritage Materials

Stone walls, brick, flint, reinforced chimneys and historic construction materials dramatically reduce RF propagation (the behaviour of Radio Frequency between the transmitter and receiver).

Older properties like country homes often contain:

  • Lime plaster
  • Foil-backed insulation retrofits
  • Metal lath
  • Dense timber structures
  • Steel RSJs added during renovations

These materials can cause signal loss between rooms, which in some instances can be severe – Even over short distances.

Floor-to-Floor Propagation

It’s not all doom and gloom though! Traditional wooden floors may actually be a positive compared with more modern houses, allowing useful vertical propagation. Traditional wooden floors are highly transparent to Radio Frequency (RF) signals due to the wood being a non-metallic and porous material. This means it causes very little signal attenuation compared to materials like concrete, brick, or metal. 

Modern refurbishments often introduce steelwork and insulation which significantly alter RF behaviour.

Rooms and structures like basements and plant rooms frequently become RF dead zones. This is because they are built with dense, reinforced concrete and thick earth shielding that absorb or reflect wireless signals. These below-ground and utility spaces act as massive physical barriers, often creating a natural Faraday cage that blocks cellular and Wi-Fi transmissions. 

Listed Building Restrictions

Among traditionally constructed country homes built before 1919 (which represent about (20%) of all English housing), the percentage of listed buildings often exceeds 10 to 15% in highly rural, historic areas. 

The number of individual buildings or structures covered by a statutory listed building entry in the key geographic areas we cover here at Geekabit are:

  • Winchester: Approximately 3000 
  • London: Over 18,000
  • Cardiff: Approximately 1000

Is your country home one of them? 

Things related to wireless upgrades that Grade listed properties may restrict include:

  • Visible cabling
  • Drilling
  • External antennas
  • Ceiling-mounted equipment

Any network design on listed buildings must often prioritise discreet installation methods.

2. Estate-Wide Coverage Planning

Coverage Beyond the Main House

Areas to consider in large estates that require Wi-Fi access often include:

  • Main residence
  • Guest accommodation
  • Pool houses
  • Stables
  • Home offices
  • Security lodges
  • Garden offices
  • Outdoor entertaining areas
  • Tennis courts
  • Boathouses
  • Estate maintenance buildings

Outdoor Wi-Fi Design

Wi-Fi engineers designing for outdoor space in country homes need to consider:

  • Weatherproof APs
  • Directional coverage planning
  • Correct antenna selection
  • Lightning protection
  • Long-distance bridging where fibre is unavailable

Roaming Experience

As our clients, here at Geekabit we understand that you expect the following whilst roaming around your country property:

  • Seamless roaming during calls
  • Uninterrupted Zoom/Teams meetings
  • Smooth music streaming
  • Continuity while walking across grounds

To ensure this happens, fast roaming and proper cell sizing becomes critical.

3. Structured Cabling Infrastructure

Cabling is the Foundation

What is the most common root cause of Wi-Fi issues in large homes? It’s usually the cabling! Poor cabling in large country homes is often the root cause of Wi-Fi problems.  

Considerations when planning cabling infrastructure in country homes include:

  • Cat6/Cat6A standards compliance
  • Avoiding split pairs
  • Excessive untwisting
  • Poor terminations
  • Water ingress in external runs
  • Cable damage from rodents/building work

Fibre Optic Backbone

Why should country homes and larger estates consider Fibre Optic cables?

  • Fibre should often be considered between buildings
  • Prevents electrical grounding issues
  • Avoids distance limitations of copper
  • Provides future scalability

Cabinet & Rack Design

To help ensure the Wi-Fi cabling helps meet your large property’s full potential, you would benefit from:

  • Proper communications cabinets
  • UPS protection
  • Ventilation
  • Patch management
  • Labelled infrastructure
  • Environmental monitoring

Many large estates have organically grown networks with unmanaged switches hidden throughout buildings. Do you know where all yours are?

4. RF Design & Channel Planning

Co-Channel Interference (CCI)

Let’s take a look at the common issues with Co-Channel Interference and the problems they cause in large country estates. 

Common CCI issues faced in estates:

  • Too many APs added reactively over time
  • Mesh systems overlapping excessively
  • Multiple vendors operating together

These can cause the following problems:

  • Sticky clients
  • Retransmissions
  • Low throughput
  • Unstable roaming

Channel Width Management

When it comes to planning and managing Channel Width in large estates and country homes, 80MHz everywhere is rarely appropriate.

Proper 20MHz/40MHz planning often delivers better real-world performance for country home owners.

DFS (Dynamic Frequency Selection) Considerations

In Radio Frequency, DFS stands for Dynamic Frequency Selection. It is a regulatory mechanism that allows unlicensed devices – like your Wi-Fi router – to share the 5 GHz frequency band with higher-priority systems (such as weather, military, and airport radars) without causing electromagnetic interference. 

Country properties are frequently located near:

  • Weather radar
  • Military installations
  • Airports

DFS events can cause:

  • Unexpected channel changes
  • Temporary outages
  • Roaming instability

5. Wired Performance & Switching

Upgrading to a multi-gigabit network in large country homes requires robust physical infrastructure (Cat6a/ Cat7 cabling, fibre backbones) and managed multi-gig (2.5G/10G) switches. This ensures seamless high-bandwidth distribution for modern Wi-Fi 7 access points, media servers, and smart home arrays without bottlenecks.

Multigig Requirements

Modern estates increasingly contain:

  • Wi-Fi 6/ 6E/ 7 APs
  • Media servers
  • CCTV systems
  • Smart home systems
  • AV distribution
  • PoE lighting
  • EV charging infrastructure

Switching infrastructure must support:

  • PoE budgeting
  • Multigig uplinks
  • VLAN segmentation
  • Redundancy

Network Segmentation

Setting up separate VLANs (Virtual Local Area Networks) in a country home is a highly effective way to secure your network, optimize performance, and manage the growing number of smart devices in large properties. 

Separate VLANs may be required for:

  • Family devices
  • Guest Wi-Fi
  • Smart home devices
  • CCTV/ security
  • Estate management
  • Contractors
  • VoIP
  • Automation systems

6. Smart Home & AV Integration

Smart home and AV integration for country properties requires specialized design to handle larger footprints, expansive grounds, and often period architecture. The goal is to unify robust Wi-Fi, entertainment, lighting, and security into a single, intuitive control system without disrupting the aesthetic.

Integration Complexity

Country homes frequently include:

  • Crestron
  • Control4
  • Lutron
  • Sonos
  • KNX
  • CCTV
  • Gate systems
  • HVAC controls
  • Irrigation systems

Many issues blamed on bad Wi-Fi in country homes are actually:

  • Multicast problems
  • Poor switching
  • Consumer-grade routers
  • Bad DHCP design
  • Broadcast storms

IoT Device Density

Let’s not forget that large estates may contain hundreds of connected devices. This changes:

  • Airtime utilisation
  • Multicast behaviour
  • DHCP scope planning
  • Roaming design

7. Internet Connectivity & Resilience

Rural Connectivity Constraints

Country homes and larger estates are often in rural areas, which brings its own complications for Wi-Fi. 

Country homes often suffer from:

  • Poor FTTP (Fibre to the Premises) availability
  • Long copper runs
  • Unstable broadband
  • Limited mobile coverage

Solutions to these problems may include:

  • Starlink
  • Leased lines
  • 4G/5G failover
  • Bonded WAN
  • SD-WAN
High Availability

Here at Geekabit, our Wi-Fi expert understand that our clients increasingly expect:

  • Automatic failover
  • Resilient networking
  • UPS-backed infrastructure
  • Remote support capability

8. Aesthetics & Discreet Installation

At Geekabit, we might be Wi-Fi engineers by trade but we also understand how much our clients care about the aesthetics of their home and need their Wi-Fi to fit in with the character and charm of their country home both inside and outside – without compromising on Wi-Fi strength and reliability. 

Visual Impact of Wi-Fi Deployment on Country Homes

We know that our high-end residential clients care deeply about aesthetics.

With every Wi-Fi deployment in larger estates we consider:

  • AP placement symmetry
  • Paintable enclosures
  • Hidden mounting
  • Ceiling integration
  • Avoiding visible trunking

Coordination With Interior Design

We recognise that successful Wi-Fi projects often involve coordination with:

  • Architects
  • Interior designers
  • Builders
  • AV contractors
  • Electricians

9. Security & Estate Operations

Security for country homes and larger estates is vital, hence the need for robust Wi-Fi functionality across the entire estate. 

Cybersecurity

Unfortunately, high-value residential properties are increasingly targeted by criminals. To help keep a country home and large estate secure with wireless technology enhancements, you should consider:

  • Secure remote access
  • VPN management
  • MFA
  • Segmented IoT
  • Monitoring
  • Firmware lifecycle management

CCTV & Estate Security Systems

Bandwidth and switching requirements can become significant when the following systems and hardware are involved:

  • Multiple high-resolution cameras
  • ANPR systems
  • Remote viewing
  • Gate intercoms
  • Thermal cameras

10. Surveying & Documentation

Professional Site Surveys

When planning Wi-Fi installations and deployments, large properties benefit enormously from:

  • Predictive modelling
  • Passive surveys
  • Active surveys
  • Spectrum analysis
  • Cable certification

Ongoing Documentation

Estate networks evolve constantly. Documentation should include:

  • Floor plans
  • AP locations
  • Switch schedules
  • Fibre routes
  • VLAN plans
  • IP addressing
  • Rack layouts

What are the most common Wi-Fi problems seen in country homes?

Some of the most common Wi-Fi issues we see in country homes and larger estates include:

  • Mesh systems deployed where structured cabling was required
  • Multiple generations of networking equipment added over time
  • Consumer-grade equipment in enterprise-scale environments
  • Poor roaming between wings/buildings
  • APs hidden inside cupboards or utility spaces
  • Cabling failures causing intermittent speed negotiation issues
  • Outdoor areas with no usable coverage
  • Smart home instability blamed on broadband provider
  • No network segmentation or security separation
  • No documentation of infrastructure

These are all things to consider when planning and deploying a new Wi-Fi network for your country home. 

What can Geekabit help offer you to solve these Wi-Fi problems in your country home?

Our experienced, expert Wi-Fi engineers at Geekabit are ready to help plan and deploy the new Wi-Fi network for your country home. We are skilled at covering larger estates and offer the following services:

  • Wi-Fi master planning for renovations
  • Estate fibre backbone design
  • Pre-build cabling consultancy
  • Smart home network consultancy
  • Spectrum analysis & interference investigations
  • Remote monitoring & support
  • Annual estate network health checks
  • Outdoor estate coverage design
  • Temporary event Wi-Fi for estate functions
  • Secure guest Wi-Fi platforms
  • Network resilience & failover design

Get in touch with us today. Our expert Wi-Fi engineers cover Winchester and the South Coast, London and Cardiff.

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Wi-FiWi-Fi 6Wi-Fi 7

The Evolution of Wi-Fi Standards and Speeds

The evolution of Wi-Fi standards has brought significant improvements in speed and capability over the years. Wi-Fi speeds have skyrocketed with each generation, evolving from early megabit connections to massive multi-gigabit speeds. With each iteration, max theoretical speeds have multiplied.

Wi-Fi 4

In 2009, the Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) standard was introduced, operating on the 2.4 GHz band with a theoretical maximum speed of 300 Mbps. This standard provided reliable performance, basic security (WPA2), and supported standard usage.

Wi-Fi 4 at a glance:

  • Operates on the 2.4 GHz band
  • Maximum theoretical speed of 300 Mbps
  • Reliable performance
  • Basic security (WPA2)
  • Standard usage supported

Wi-Fi 5

The next major step came in 2013 with Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac). It used the 5 GHz band and drastically increased the theoretical maximum speed to 1.3 Gbps. Key features included higher speed, better range, and support for HD video.

Wi-Fi 5 at a glance:

  • Operates on the 5 GHz band
  • Maximum theoretical speed of 1.3 Gbps
  • Higher speed
  • Better range
  • Supports HD video

Wi-Fi 6

Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) arrived in 2019, boosting the theoretical maximum speed to 9.6 Gbps. It operated across the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. This standard offered more capacity, introduced MU-MIMO technology, and was better suited for environments with many devices.

Wi-Fi 6 at a glance:

  • Operates on the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands
  • Maximum theoretical speed of 9.6 Gbps
  • More capacity
  • MU-MIMO technology
  • Better for many devices

Wi-Fi 6E

A slight variation, Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax), followed in 2020. While maintaining the 9.6 Gbps speed, its main improvement was the utilization of the new 6 GHz band in addition to the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. This provided less interference and improved security.

Wi-Fi 6E at a glance:

  • Operates on the 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz bands
  • Maximum theoretical speed of 9.6 Gbps
  • Less interference
  • Improved security

Wi-Fi 7

The newest standard, Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), is projected for 2024. It will support all three major bands (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz) and offer an ultra-high theoretical maximum speed of 46 Gbps. Its key features are very low latency, making it ideal for demanding tasks like gaming, 8K video, and Virtual Reality (VR).

Wi-Fi 7 at a glance:

  • Operates on the 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz bands
  • Maximum theoretical speed of 46 Gbps
  • Very low latency
  • Great for gaming, 8K video and VR

Why is Wi-Fi 7 (the latest available standard) good for your business?

Wi-Fi 7 is usually a pretty decent upgrade for businesses because:

  • It delivers up to 46 Gbps speeds
  • It has ultra-low latency (so the delay between device>router>internet and back is smaller)
  • It has greater reliability in crowded environments – Perfect for offices
  • It eliminates network bottlenecks for data-heavy tasks, helping to ensure smooth day-to-day operations.

You might also ask…

  • How do Wi-Fi speeds differ across Wi-Fi standards?
  • What is the timeline of Wi-Fi generations?
  • How much faster are Wi-Fi generations?
  • What are the differences between Wi-Fi 4, 5, 6 and 7?
  • Wi-Fi 7 vs previous generations
  • Wi-Fi 6 vs Wi-Fi 7
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Wi-Fi 7Wi-Fi DesignWireless NetworkWireless Technology

How Will Wi-Fi 7 Be Supporting the Next Generation of Connected Spaces

Whether you’re responsible for your Wi-Fi network at home, in your business or in a public venue, Wi-Fi 7 has been designed to improve connectivity in your device-heavy, dense environments.

Regardless of the type of network, wireless networks are supporting more users, devices and applications than they ever have before, including places like:

  • Large stadiums packed with people
  • College campuses with a multitude of connections
  • Offices with lots of devices in a confined space
  • Entertainment venues supporting various media 

Not only are wireless networks now supporting a wide range of venues, they are also providing connections for many different uses within those venues, for example:

  • Paying with their phone
  • Streaming video content during a live event
  • Joining a virtual meeting
  • Accessing cloud applications
  • Sharing content in real time

Whatever the venue, whatever the reason to connect, users expect seamless connectivity that is strong, reliable and secure. 

The role of Wi-Fi 7 in the future of connected spaces is constantly being spoken about in this industry by sector leaders, and was a key focus during a recent Connectivity Expo via the Connect (X) Connected Spaces panel.

Wi-Fi 7 is the latest evolution of Wi-Fi technology, and at its heart is designed to deliver connectivity in increasingly crowded environments that is:

  • Higher capacity
  • Lower latency
  • More reliable 

Wireless environments like homes, businesses, campuses, and venues will all benefit from Wi-Fi 7.

Why is Wi-Fi 7 Different?

As wireless demand has grown, Wi-Fi technology has continued to evolve and match pace. 

With Wi-Fi 6 we saw:

  • Improved network efficiency 
  • Better performance in crowded environments

Wi-Fi 6E then arrived on the scene and offered:

  • Expanded access to the 6 GHz band 
  • Reduced congestion with wider channels

So what will Wi-Fi 7 bring to the table? Wi-Fi 7 further builds on the advancements just mentioned, along with new capabilities specifically designed for high-capacity environments. 

Wi-Fi 7 improvements include:

  • Wider 320 MHz channels that support higher capacity
  • Multi-Link Operation (MLO), which allows devices to use multiple bands more efficiently
  • 4K QAM modulation, which enables faster speeds for high-bandwidth applications
  • Lower latency and improved reliability

Perhaps the most important improvement is that Wi-Fi 7 is designed to create a more consistent user experience – Even as wireless traffic continues to grow. This is especially true for dense environments with thousands of connected devices, like stadiums and campuses.

How Will Wi-Fi 7 Manage with Real-World Deployments? 

It’s already moving into it. We’re not talking future concepts here – Wi-Fi 7 is already moving rapidly into deployments and has been since 2024. In the US we’ve seen large venues, enterprise environments and college campuses start to reap the benefits of Wi-Fi 7 already. 

Here are some examples of how Wi-Fi 7 is already improving connectivity for large, device-heavy wireless environments. 

Levi’s Stadium: 

The stadium deployed Wi-Fi 7 ahead of the most recent Super Bowl in February 2026 and supported tens of thousands of fans with high-quality wireless connectivity. 

Modern venues rely on wireless networks for almost everything, including:

  • Mobile ticketing 
  • Concessions 
  • Streaming
  • Social sharing
  • Venue operations. 

Wi-Fi 7’s higher capacity and improved efficiency make it well-suited for dense environments like stadiums and arenas.

Georgetown University

Georgetown University along with many other college campuses and universities, are planning their next-generation campus connectivity upgrades with Wi-Fi 7. In campus environments, wireless demand grows for things like:

  • Cloud applications
  • Collaboration tools
  • Connected devices
  • Hybrid learning environments
  • Leisure time e.g. streaming and gaming 

From public spaces, offices, labs, classrooms and libraries, university and college campuses increasingly rely on wireless networks to support high-capacity, always-connected experiences..

It’s important to remember that in college campus wireless environments, there are also cellular and private wireless networks in use so Wi-Fi 7 needs to work reliably alongside those. 

How Can We Utilise Wi-Fi 7’s Full Potential?

As wireless experts and network engineers deploying Wi-Fi 7, we understand that it takes a lot more than simply upgrading some access points to make full use of Wi-Fi 7’s potential. 

We also recognise the bigger picture. The performance of Wi-Fi 7 also depends on the broader connectivity ecosystem, that includes:

  • Devices
  • Broadband infrastructure
  • Spectrum availability 

If you want your business to fully benefit from Wi-Fi 7 you need to embrace:

  • Wi-Fi 7 capable devices entering the market across smartphones, laptops, and connected technologies
  • Broadband infrastructure capable of matching higher wireless capacity, including modern backhaul and network equipment
  • Sufficient unlicensed spectrum availability, particularly in the 6 GHz band
  • Thoughtful network design that supports performance in dense environments.

Is Wi-Fi 7 the Future of Connected Spaces?

The demand for wireless connectivity is accelerating EVERYWHERE – Homes, businesses, campuses, and public venues. Connected devices and data-intensive applications continue to become a larger part of everyday life.

Indeed, future Wi-Fi technologies, including Wi-Fi 8, are already in conversation.

Modern connected spaces are to be unlocked with Wi-Fi 7 by design.  Will it hold long-term success? That really depends on strong broadband infrastructure, continued innovation, and policies that support future wireless growth.

We’re excited to see where this takes us. 

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JitterLANNetwork AdministratorWAN

What is Jitter?

You want smooth streaming when you’re binge-watching your favourite show. You want seamless gaming when you’re online with your friends. You want stress-free browsing when you’re shopping online between tasks. Jitter can cause interruptions to all of these things, causing a lot of frustration. 

What is Jitter and how does it affect my connection? 

Jitter in the technical sense refers to the variation, inconsistency, or fluctuation in the timing of signals in electronics or data packets in networking. The result of Jitter? You’ll often experience: 

  • A lag
  • Choppy audio
  • Interrupted video
  • Image distortion. 

Network issues can cause data packets to arrive at irregular intervals. These varied delays between received packets can cause problems when the expectation is for them to travel and arrive at evenly distributed times. 

Imagine voice packets are being transmitted every 10 milliseconds. You would also expect them to be received at 10ms intervals. If network problems mean that some packets are arriving after 20ms and other after 40ms, or even some packets not arriving at all, the variation and delay in receiving the packets is what we know as Jitter. 

How do I reduce Jitter?

Contributing factors that can cause Jitter in a network are:

  • Network congestion
  • Faulty queuing
  • Configuration errors 

Mitigating Jitter for a LAN (Local Area Network)

Jitter can be kept to a minimum if a LAN is well planned and well designed. Factors to consider are:

  • Ensuring there is enough bandwidth and good physical network connections throughout the network helps reduce potential network Jitter.
  • Congestion in a network can be monitored with network health tools to identify areas of poor network design, ensuring that changes can be made to avoid Jitter long term.
  • Setting alert thresholds to warn of possible congestion on a link would allow an administrator to tackle the issue before it has a serious impact on end users. If link utilization is 80% or over, this is a good indication that a high level of Jitter exists.
  • Buffers can be used to alleviate jitter but they are not a long-term solution. A buffer will collect and delay incoming packets, correct any out-of-sequence errors and will forward them at evenly spaced time intervals. By implementing quality of service (QoS), buffers can be used to manage VoIP traffic or other high-priority packets which when identified are immediately processed and sent out.
  • In situations where there is significant jitter, instead of creating delays in the buffer, it may be better to drop packets or create a fixed buffer size. If buffers are full they will be unable to contain all arriving packets.

Mitigating Jitter for a WAN (Wide Area Network)

WAN networks can experience significant jitter, especially when traffic has multiple paths and hops to a destination, or when load balancing through two comparable paths. However, there are several countermeasures that can be adopted to minimize these effects:

  • Implement QoS via a service provider as part of a managed service.
  • Utilize MPLS circuits. MPLS minimizes the effects of jitter by providing guaranteed QoS.
  • Use WAN virtualization – WAN virtualization tackles congestion-based jitter as it occurs by measuring one-way latency across all paths and will migrate data onto another path if it detects significant jitter.

What is an acceptable level of Jitter in a network?

As much as we would love to eliminate Jitter altogether, it’s unlikely that a network will experience zero Jitter. The good news is that even though we can’t eliminate it, we CAN manage it. So with this in mind, if you’re a network administrator, here’s how you can determine an acceptable level of Jitter for your network, and how to keep an eye on particular services that may be more sensitive to Jitter issues. 

Jitter and the effects on voice

High quality voice traffic is really important for every network administrator. There are unfortunately many factors that can affect voice quality, and one of the most common metrics to measure it is Jitter and latency. 

Voice quality can be affected by network congestion and/or slow internet speeds, resulting in voice packets being received in a different order to how they were sent, or being dropped altogether. 

Any Jitter in excess of 40ms can cause severe degradation in the quality of a call. Cisco’s Enterprise QoS Solution Reference Network Design Guide suggests the following guidelines for voice:

  • Delay (one-way): 150ms or less
  • Jitter: 30ms or less
  • Loss: 1% or less

How does Jitter affect Video?

Jitter can have a big impact on gameplay and streaming, hindering user experience quite significantly. A general rule of thumb is to ideally keep jitter for video between 30-50 ms.

For interactive video streams, Jitter should not exceed 30ms. On video streaming platforms (Netflix, NowTV, Amazon Prime, etc) Jitter is better tolerated because video streaming is unidirectional and when using a large buffer more data can be cached. Videoconferencing is more complicated as it utilizes bidirectional streaming. Real-time conferencing and high bitrate video can encounter noticeable issues when jitter is present within a network.

Users will notice the effects of Jitter through frozen or jerky video. 

What is the most common cause of Jitter?

The most common cause of Jitter is network congestion at an exit point within a network. This could be via:

  • A switch
  • A router
  • A firewall interface

Most issues will be mitigated by Jitter buffers. However, excessive Jitter will cause these buffers to overflow which results in data packets being lost. On the flip side, if the buffer size is too large it can cause excessive latency on the network. It’s a fine balance! 

Managing Jitter on Your Network

Jitter – the variation in data packet arrival times – is an inherent challenge in networking that can severely degrade the quality of real-time applications, resulting in frustrating user experiences like lag, choppy audio or interrupted video. 

Whilst eliminating Jitter is nearly impossible, it is entirely manageable for network administrators. 

Ultimately, successful management hinges on maintaining a fine balance with Jitter buffers to correct out-of-sequence errors, without introducing latency issues into the mix. 

By following industry guidelines, for example keeping Jitter for voice traffic at 30ms or less, network administrators can ensure a reliable and seamless user experience. 

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Wi-FiWi-Fi 6Wi-Fi 7Wi-Fi AdviceWireless NetworkWireless TechnologyWLAN

“Should I upgrade from Wi-Fi 6 to Wi-Fi 7 for my office?”

The 90,000 fans who pack out Wembley Stadium for England matches bring more than just their voices and their optimism. Each fan tends to bring at least one connected device, creating a wireless environment that would cripple most enterprise networks within just a few minutes. 

How do high-density crowded areas handle their Wi-Fi capabilities?

Wembley Stadium is partnered with EE for their wireless infrastructure. During 2025, Wembley Stadium was upgraded to feature advanced connectivity, including 5G standalone (SA) technology and next-generation Wi-Fi capabilities. This means their network can handle high-density crowd demand. 

EE has heavily upgraded the network to support high-speed internet and reliable connectivity during major events. Key Connectivity Upgrades included:

  • 5G Standalone: In February 2025, EE launched a 5G standalone network at Wembley, providing increased capacity and faster speeds independent of 4G infrastructure.
  • Wi-Fi 7 Integration: As part of a 2025 technology upgrade, Wembley integrated Wi-Fi 7 to enhance connectivity.
  • Capacity Enhancements: The network upgrades allow fans to share and experience events with improved performance in busy areas. 

Wembley Stadium is committed to premier level digital infrastructure. They have a multi-year partnership with EE and the upgrades seen during 2025 ensure that stadium visitors can stay connected whilst attending matches and other events. 

What Wi-Fi and connectivity problems affect public venue operators? 

Public venues across the country face the same problems with business-critical wireless infrastructure. 

Football fans are no exception to the connectivity requirements people have come to expect when they are out and about. People want to be able to:

  • Have streaming capabilities
  • Share content to social media platforms including images and video
  • Place online orders
  • Access digital tickets
  • Pay for food, beverages and merchandise

When you have a lot of people all in one place, the network can start to struggle. As device density increases (along with guest expectations), older infrastructure like Wi-Fi 6 can start to buckle under the strain. 

To maintain a seamless guest experience, connectivity cannot fail. Unreliable Wi-Fi can have a massive negative effect on revenue, organic marketing opportunities and engagement. 

Embracing Wi-Fi 7 capabilities is just one solution to the issues facing venues, festivals, apartment complexes and offices throughout the UK.

Choosing to deploy next-generation, Wi-Fi 7 wireless technology instead of waiting for incremental upgrades could be just what your venue or office building needs.

Why does Wi-Fi 7 work well in high-density environments like offices?

We’ve banged on about Wembley Stadium in this article so far, but Wi-Fi 7 as a standard introduces capabilities specifically designed for all kinds of ultra-high-density environments, whether that’s a stadium or your office building. Environments that have historically defeated wireless deployments are now finding connectivity success in high-density settings with Wi-Fi 7.

What are the biggest advancements Wi-Fi 7 offers?

  • Multi-Link Operation (MLO)
  • Double the channel width
  • Increased QAM modulation and increased data rate
  • Speed improvements and low latency
Multi-Link Operation (MLO)

The most significant advancement is Multi-Link Operation (MLO), which allows devices to transmit and receive data across multiple frequency bands simultaneously. 

Previous Wi-Fi generations forced devices to choose a single band, creating bottlenecks during peak demand. MLO provides a single access point to dynamically distribute traffic across 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands, dramatically increasing aggregate throughput.

Double the channel width

Wi-Fi 7 doubles the channel width to 320 MHz from Wi-Fi 6E’s 160 MHz. 

Increased QAM modulation and increased data rate

Combined with 4096-QAM modulation (versus 1024-QAM in the previous generation), the theoretical maximum data rate approaches 46 Gbps. What does that mean in real terms? In a large-scale deployment, these advancements mean sustained multi-gigabit performance even when tens of thousands of devices compete for bandwidth.

Speed and low latency

Beyond mere speed improvements, Wi-Fi 7’s lower latency characteristics also enable applications that were previously impractical in high density environments, helping to overcome the issues and expectations outlined above. 

What companies are offering Wi-Fi 7 compatible network hardware? 

The enterprise WLAN market is a highly competitive one, with many companies offering different strengths for varying wireless deployment scenarios. Companies with a Wi-Fi 7 offering include:

  • Cisco
  • HPE
  • Aruba
  • Extreme Networks
  • Ubiquiti
  • Ruckus Networks

What are the operational returns of upgrading to Wi-Fi 7?

There are many operational returns of upgrading to Wi-Fi 7, whether you are providing connectivity for a stadium, event venue, warehouse, retail unit or office building. Returns on Wi-Fi 7 investment for your business could be seen in:

  • User productivity
  • Social media engagement / organic marketing
  • Real time inventory management
  • Mobile point-of-sale transactions
  • Security camera feeds
  • Staff communications 
  • Improved transaction speeds in retail environments
  • Analysis of device density to show user movement patterns and give insights into crowd flow and congestion points
  • Adjusting staffing to meet demand in real time

What organisations can benefit from Wi-Fi 7 deployment? 

Wi-Fi 7 deployment can impact businesses and organisations across all industry sectors where they are managing connectivity in demanding physical environments, including but not limited to:

  • Warehouses
  • Manufacturing floors
  • Hospitals 
  • University and college campuses
  • Convention centres
  • Shopping centres
  • Corporate headquarters
  • Office buildings 

These premises all share characteristics that can make wireless deployment difficult: 

  • Large footprints
  • Physical obstructions
  • Unpredictable user density
  • Business-critical applications competing for bandwidth

Wi-Fi 7 for Enterprise Networks

We began this article looking at stadium Wi-Fi, but the principles that govern that type of space also apply directly to other enterprises. IT leaders in all the environments mentioned above should:

  • Treat connectivity as foundational infrastructure rather than a discretionary amenity; every digital initiative depends on it.
  • Plan for peak demand rather than average utilisation, because network failures occur precisely when the most users need access.
  • Recognise the operational value of a robust network, which often exceeds the guest-facing benefits; the same infrastructure that serves visitors also powers point-of-sale systems, IoT sensors, security cameras, and workforce applications.
  • Prioritise vendors with proven expertise in RF-hostile environments, because access points that perform adequately in open office plans often fail in spaces with concrete, metal, or high human density.
  • View Wi-Fi refresh cycles as strategic investments with multi-year payback horizons rather than routine equipment replacements.

Don’t treat connectivity as an afterthought. Organisations need to deliver the experiences that modern guests, employees, and customers demand. Will you be deploying Wi-Fi 7 in your business? 

Get in touch with our Wi-Fi Experts at Geekabit

If you’re interested in Wi-Fi 7 for your business, then get in touch with us today. Our expert Wi-Fi engineers across London, Cardiff and the South Coast can carry out Site Surveys and provide Wi-Fi Planning and Design so that your deployment offers the best connectivity possible. 

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6 GHzCiscoCruise Ship ConnectivityCruise ShipsFCCWi-Fi

Improved Wi-Fi for Cruise Ships via 6 GHz Thanks to the FCC and Cisco

Passengers and crew aboard cruise ships will soon be enjoying hugely improved Wi-Fi – Thanks to some new rules passed by the FCC and Cisco. 

A while back we reported on Cisco petitioning the FCC to allow 6 GHz Wi-Fi on cruise ships. Cisco first proposed the idea to the cruise industry back in January 2024, and ever since Cisco has been working with the FCC to get the rules changed. 

And now, as of February this year, the FCC has proposed a new rule which would allow 6 GHz Wi-Fi to be deployed and operated on cruise ships. 

This is great news for cruise passengers (as well as the crew) who will no longer have to suffer with sub-par Wi-Fi services on board the boat. Cisco is saying that significant progress has been made, and our expert Wi-Fi engineers here at Geekabit are excited to see it, both personally and professionally. 

Why is Wi-Fi big business on cruise ships?

In just a year, the US cruise industry will see 26 million passengers aboard their ships. And providing them with better connectivity while they are on board will make a huge difference – All thanks to introducing 6 GHz Wi-Fi.

The cruise liners we see today are more like floating cities than cruise ships. The cruise industry generates over US$25 billion in annual revenue and provides a huge 290,000 jobs. 

With thousands of passengers and crew on board each ship, there are a lot of connectivity needs to meet. People expect excellent connectivity wherever they go, and out at sea is no exception. 

Up until now, 6 GHz Wi-Fi has not been available for ships (you can find out why here). With the FCC proposal to allow low power indoor 6 GHz Wi-Fi, this is all set to change. Users will find a significant boost in quality and speed. 

Cisco is assisting the FCC by helping to verify that this access to the 6 GHz band will not cause interference to current users, both at sea and in port. 

Cisco’s Senior Director of Connectivity & Technology Policy Bill Davenport says:

“The FCC is recognising what passengers and crew have long experienced: Onboard connectivity often falls short of modern expectations. This welcome step begins the process of updating legacy rules that constrain network performance and opens the door to faster, more reliable internet at sea.” 

Will 6 GHz Wi-Fi on cruise ships cause interference to other users?

Expert Engineer at Cisco, Matt Swartz,  believes it is highly unlikely that indoor 6 GHz cruise Wi-Fi will interfere with incumbent satellite services or microwave links. 

Why won’t 6 GHz Wi-Fi on cruise ships cause interference?

Cisco Engineer Matt Swartz says: 

“Cruise liners can have as many APs as stadiums, sometimes more. Even an installed base of 4,000 APs is not uncommon for a single ship. Fortunately, most ship deployments have now moved APs into individual cabins, which means that Wi-Fi signals are well contained within the ship’s heavy steel and reinforced glass structure. We’re now working with the cruise industry to test and verify that there’s no risk of interference with incumbent services when using 6 GHz Wi-Fi at LPI levels within the ship.”

Why is there a drive for better Wi-Fi on cruise ships?

One of the significant drivers for improved Wi-Fi on cruise ships and other vessels has been the introduction of more robust and much faster satellite backhaul services at sea. 

Yes, we’ve experienced okay in-cabin Wi-Fi using the existing 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz operations, but we expect 6 GHz to make a big difference for connectivity, speed and quality within the ship’s high traffic areas including the ship’s entertainment venues. 

Much like a stadium or other large public venue, a busy cruise ship is a high density environment with thousands of different user devices all competing for the same spectrum within a small area. 

When the FCC gives permission for Cisco to go ahead, they will be using their high-density 6 GHz expertise to boost onboard connectivity for both passengers and crew, improving quality and speed significantly. 

Cruise ship Wi-Fi not just for leisure

We’ve focused here on the improvement that passengers and crew will see in terms of internet access and communications.

But better onboard cruise ship Wi-Fi can also be used for:

  • Ship operations
  • Messaging
  • Safety procedures

We would expect a positive decision from the FCC within the year. Better Wi-Fi when out at sea? We can’t wait. 

You can find the full FCC document here. 

People also ask…

You may be wondering one of these frequently asked questions yourself. 

Why was the 6 GHz Band previously not allowed on ships? 

6 GHz was originally prohibited on ships in order to protect EESS remote sensing measurements across the oceans. 

EESS stands for Electrical Energy Storage System. It’s a technology that captures and stores electrical energy for later use, like a rechargeable battery. These systems are important for ensuring reliable power supply. 

You can read more about this here.

Why is 6 GHz connectivity needed on cruise ships out at sea?

Whether you are a seasoned cruise ship guest or have never cruised out on the open ocean, you might question the necessity of needing connectivity when you’re not in port. 

Any business in the hospitality industry strives for the best possible guest experience. Wi-Fi is a huge part of that, whether you’re on land or out at sea. 

Some examples of needing a reliable Wi-Fi connection on board a cruise ship are:

  • To stream movies from ship data centers 
  • Experiencing AR/VR for gaming
  • Relying on a connection for dining and retail purposes 

Allowing 6 GHz Wi-Fi whilst out at sea not only enhances the cruise experience for guests but also provides reliable connectivity to support critical ship operations.

Reliable 6 GHz connectivity for Ship operations could include:

  • Real-time access to navigational data and weather forecasts via Wi-Fi 
  • Sensors to monitor engines, ship systems, facilities, and security applications 
  • Communication between cruise ships, port authorities, crew members, and passengers

Why is Cisco so interested in cruise ship connectivity? 

You might be wondering why Cisco is bothering to petition this? Connectivity in the cruise industry actually has the potential to be big business. 

The network on a cruise ship typically consists of 4000 Access Points, supporting more than 10,000 Wi-Fi devices as well as providing connectivity for ship operations.

Cruise ships are quite literally packed with guests. Cisco sees the importance of delivering the right high density connectivity onboard sea vessels. In the US alone, the cruise industry is worth $3.7 billion. 

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