performance of the wireless network is not as expected and you are thinking of upgrading it? A wireless network infrastructure is now one of the most important ways to keep productivity high. When performance deteriorates or breaks down, the impact will be felt quickly.
Employee engagement will also be affected. Forbes magazine recently noted that access to actionable data is one of three ways technology is changing company culture and employee engagement. This is facilitated in real-time by the power of the wireless network. Employee expectations of wireless performance are very high and will only increase if more Wi-Fi 6 is implemented in the workplace.
Management considering upgrading or upgrading a wireless network must prepare and consider the many factors that affect the immediate performance of the upgraded wireless infrastructure, but also ensure the ability to adapt as technology advances.
Here are some things to consider when upgrading a wireless infrastructure in a work environment:
- Workforce
The first thing to consider before you upgrade your office wireless is workforce. Is your workforce increasing or decreasing? The number of people accessing your wireless network is an important thing to consider. The planned number of company employees should be reviewed and built into the wireless infrastructure plan. Furthermore, COVID-19 has dramatically affected the way it works. If fewer people will be in the office permanently, it reduces the potential capacity required. The number of visitors and guests at the site should also be considered as they will often need to join the guest network. The point is the more people who will use WiFi, the capacity of the wireless infrastructure needed will be even greater. The next question is how many devices can be accommodated by 1 access point? Based on fuseconnect’s article on How to Identify and Correct Limited WiFi Connections wireless router and access points on average can support up to 250 devices. If there are 10,000 workers in your office, you can immediately estimate how many access points are needed.
- Devices used by employees employees use
Why do devices that need to be considered before upgrading the company’s wireless? The number and types of devices employees use has grown rapidly in recent years, including company-owned and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) devices that access wireless networks. This exponentially increases data consumption in wireless networks. BYOD devices inherently increase the chance of interference due to the increasingly complex development of BYOD devices.
Furthermore, the devices in use today are smarter and use more data than before due to enhanced capabilities and performance. Video devices, for example, will continue to dramatically expand data usage. It’s very common for individuals to own laptops, smartwatches, tablets, and mobile devices – this includes individuals. Cisco estimates that the average number of devices per capita in the US will reach 13.4 by 2023. For details on the Cisco Annual Internet Report, please see here .
- Environment
The third is Environment.Do all of your rooms have the proper wireless signal coverage? Many common changes to the work environment can transform a wireless infrastructure. Building renovations are a common example.
Outdoor spaces where people can work, relax, eat – and hope to be on the wireless network need to be planned. Cafeterias, training centers and medical areas are all spaces that should receive special attention to ensure they have proper wireless access.
The solution provider can test the range of your wireless signal in your current environment using Passive Surveying. Once you have determined the new environment you want, you can pair your passive survey with the Predictive Planner which simulates a new environment taking into account design, layout and architecture.
- Speed
Fastest WiFi speeds will come from the latest WiFi 6 with speeds up to 40% faster than WiFi 5 and work more efficiently. If WiFi 6 sets a new standard for speed. Speed is one of the important factors that organizations take into account when upgrading their wireless network. Speed measures how much data is being transferred over the waves and as more data is created and shared between devices and from the internet (like 4k videos for example), speed is very important. If your company’s WiFi speed is currently slow, which interferes with work activities, this means that this is the right time to consider upgrading your wireless office with the latest technology and of course after conducting an assessment .
- Security
Breaches and attacks will continue, and the company continues to add security measures. Considerations when upgrading a wireless network should include updated hardware, plans for updates and repairs, and how the wireless network is accessed. Determine whether you needCertified WPA3 when you build infrastructure that is the next generation of WiFi security to ensure the latest security methods. WPA3 for enterprises has more enhancements and security options including authenticated encryption. If you need toCertified, WPA 3 you can read this information.
- Capacity
What is the relation between WiFi capacity and wireless upgrade? If you have a business location that is in a user-heavy area, then you are likely to run into capacity issues. Ever pulled up a WiFi network and seen dozens of options? While better wireless management and QoS helps to some extent, WiFi 6 is a step up step that helps with capacity issues. Wi-Fi 6 enables higher data rates, increased capacity, and increased power efficiency. The new protocol allows more devices to ‘talk’, and be understood, at the same time.
- Network Interference
Beware of network interference that can block signals or slow down the performance of your wireless network. You want to limit this. Examples include microwave devices, wireless printers, rogue devices, or anything else that uses wireless signals. Network interference can be tested in your current environment using RF Spectrum Analysis. One of the most attractive aspects of WiFi 6 is the channel interference mitigation at 2.4GHz which is widely used in production, manufacturing and storage facilities.
A bonus, to keep the wireless network connection running properly, it also needs to be considered in terms of monitoring and management of new upgraded wireless devices, because it is important to have the right tools including tools for remote diagnosis, as well as technical resources available at all locations to support onsite tasks in case remote access is hacked. Diagnosing complex wireless network problems can take some time. Make sure you have the right tools and resources to manage your wireless network.
