Managed Networking - We The IT Team

Wifi for Business

Business WiFi has evolved from a nice-to-have to a critical investment in the modern office. With staff and guests increasingly using mobile devices rather than hard-wired desktops, businesses need a fast, secure and reliable WiFi signal to optimise productivity. It’s one of those elements of infrastructure you just need to work without you having to think about it.

You don’t need drop-outs or a slow connection or to worry about who could be accessing your network from outside the physical office boundaries. You need a supportive environment for staff who prefer to work in breakout spaces, guests coming in for meetings or to support the myriad of devices that come into the office each day. Wireless internet for business needs to be fast, reliable and secure.

A peek inside a typical small business today will likely reveal lots of wireless devices, with little, if any, wired hardware in evidence. Problems could occur, however, if the small business deploys consumer-centric access points targeted at home users.

This lack of attention towards what is now a business-critical technology can be a threat to productivity, security and the smooth functioning of the business. Here are some important considerations that smaller businesses need to bear in mind to have a safe, reliable Wi-Fi network.

A common question often centres on the need for a business-grade access point over the many less-expensive alternatives with similar specifications. However, it is worth noting that an important premise for a business-grade access point is reliability under sustained, heavy usage, which is unlikely to be the case from an access point picked from the bargain bin.

Indeed, Wi-Fi studies have shown that even top-tier wireless access points do not perform the same when placed under heavy load. Sustained performance aside, IT professionals also know that access points can crash or lock up, which makes robust operation an important consideration.

What is a Router?

A router is a device that communicates between the internet and the devices in your business that connect to the internet. As its name implies, it “routes” traffic between the devices and the internet.

With the right kind of router in your business, you may be able to enjoy faster internet service, help protect your staff & business from cyber threats, and avoid those maddening Wi-Fi dead spots.

What is an Access Point?

An access point is a device that creates a wireless local area network, or WLAN, usually in an office or large building. An access point connects to a wired router, switch, or hub via an Ethernet cable, and projects a Wi-Fi signal to a designated area. For example, if you want to enable Wi-Fi access in your company’s reception area but don’t have a router within range, you can install an access point near the front desk and run an Ethernet cable through the ceiling back to the server room.

What is a PoE Switch?

A power over Ethernet switch can provide both data and power to wireless devices over the same Ethernet cable. To build enterprise PoE wireless network, the power over Ethernet switch connects to a router that connects to the Internet. The network provides network connectivity among PoE wireless network devices and computers that have a wired connection to the switch. The PoE wireless access points connect to a PoE switch that provides them with power. Each wireless access point connects multiple wireless devices to the network.