When an office has poor WiFi in one room, the usual reaction is to buy another router or extender. Sometimes that helps temporarily. Just as often it creates a second wireless network, more interference and devices that cling to the wrong access point.
WiFi is about coverage and capacity
A single access point may cover a small open office well but struggle through concrete walls, metal racking, cool rooms or multiple floors. The number of users and devices also matters.
Placement should be deliberate
Access points work best when positioned for the people and devices they serve, not wherever a power point happens to be. Ceiling placement, building materials and neighbouring networks all influence the result.
More transmit power is not always better
Phones and laptops have limited transmit power. An access point may be able to shout farther than the device can reply. Turning everything to maximum power can also make roaming worse.
Use wired backhaul where possible
Commercial access points normally perform best when each unit has a reliable Ethernet connection back to the switch. Mesh has its place, but a properly cabled access point avoids consuming wireless capacity for backhaul.
Plan guest and staff networks
Business WiFi should separate guest access from internal devices where appropriate. Network design also needs to consider printers, cameras, VoIP, cloud applications and any equipment that must remain reachable internally.
Shortcut Computers provides business WiFi installation, network switching and registered data cabling across South East Melbourne.
If you have dead spots or staff regularly switch WiFi off and back on just to reconnect, tell us the building layout. A small amount of planning often fixes a problem that extra consumer routers only complicate.
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