4 Things to Consider in Deploying Business Wi-Fi
Monday, May 15, 2017, 6:00 AM | Leave Comment
Getting a Wi-Fi network set up at your business is a different matter than getting one at home.
Other than finding the right internet service provider, you also have to consider some things that residential subscribers don’t need to think about.
Here are four examples:
-
Number of Users and Devices
Of course, the first thing to consider when setting up a business Wi-Fi network is the number of people going to connect to it—specifically your employees.
After all, there’s a limit to the number of simultaneous connections per access point. By not considering this figure, you may end up with an overcrowded network offering a slow internet connection.
And you shouldn’t just focus on your company’s current number of employees. When deploying Wi-Fi, it’s also important to consider future expansion plans for your business.
Whether it’s hiring a big batch of new employees or the setup of a new site, your network should be able to accommodate it—or can be easily upgraded to accommodate them.
It’s not just the number of employees that you should count. The number of devices connecting to your Wi-Fi access point should also be taken into consideration.
Like dealing with users, routers can only handle a specific number of connections from individual devices at the same time.
If an employee has a smartphone and a laptop connected to your network, that’s counted as two connections, even if only one person uses them.
Visitors—such as vendors and contractors—at your site who will need Wi-Fi access should be also included in the count. That way, when they connect to the network, they won’t automatically overload it.
-
What the Wi-Fi Will Be Used for
It’s not merely the number of users connecting to a network; the tasks they will perform online should also be factored in.
For example, if your employees would need to use the Wi-Fi network for downloading high-resolution images and videos, or to make video conferences, they will need more bandwidth. This is versus a group of employees who only need to use the internet to send emails day in and day out.
The network should also have software to manage the distribution of bandwidth equitably between employees at the office. That way, if employees have to perform different tasks online at the same time, they won’t run into any problems.
-
Security
While network security is also important for residential subscribers, it’s doubly important for business Wi-Fi networks. After all, it’s not just your personal data you’re handling—you also have to protect the information of your customers.
-
Other Pain Points in the Existing Wireless Network
Unless you’re trying to set up a Wi-Fi network at a new place, you’re most likely getting an upgrade from your old office internet.
And if you’re upgrading, you should take note of the problems you used to have with your soon-to-be former network. That way, whoever is tasked with setting up the network will be able to implement fixes for the problems you’ve encountered before.
These four things are merely the most basic considerations when setting up a Wi-Fi network for your business. Hence, it’s important to consult an IT expert before purchasing any equipment or configuring a network.
Throw us a like at Facebook.com/doable.finance
