It’s hard to think of a business that doesn’t require a strong Wi-Fi network. Unfortunately, many smaller businesses try to go it alone and put together their own network – in the process, they tend to make these common mistakes.
Buying a Basic Router
The entry-level router you use at home might handle residential needs, but it’s going to fall far short of what you need for a business. When you first start, such a router might be adequate, but it’s going to become overloaded once you add more team members or start using high-end appliances. Using an off-the-shelf router can result in unexplained slowness or connection failure. Instead, you need a router developed for business-grade use.
Relying on One Access Point
Even a small business is going to need more than one access point to the internet. Why? Because of the vast number of devices that network is probably going to need to handle. Maybe you only have a few employees, but they’ll often want to hook up their work device, personal device, smartphone, and tablet. Having so many wireless devices using only one access point is going to create bottlenecks, radically reducing productivity in the process. Carrying out proper network mapping can help you outline your network and every device connected to it. Setting up the wi-fi in a way that ensures speed and connectivity even with multiple devices should be the goal. With help from professionals who provide it solutions for businesses, figure out the bottlenecks and ensure that your network remains stable & secure.
Placing Routers Poorly
You might think that proper Wi-Fi installation skills revolve solely around knowing the latest hardware and software. That’s certainly important, but you’d be surprised how much of a difference the physical location of a Wi-Fi access point makes to your connection speed. Larger metallic fixtures, concrete beams, or even line of sight barriers can interfere with the signal. Even smaller business offices tend to contain quite a few obstructions, and most people don’t understand how to work around them.
Expecting Advertised Speeds
Okay, so you’ve decided you know enough to set up your small business IT network, so you go shopping for routers and pick up one that advertises a high speed. The problem? That advertised speed is often theoretical – it probably takes absolutely no real-world conditions into account. As such, businesses often end up experiencing unexpectedly low speeds.
