Slow internet speeds got you down?
For many businesses, simply having Wi-Fi feels like enough, until slow internet speeds start to hurt productivity and customer satisfaction. Taking a few simple precautions can help avoid these issues and drastically increase your office internet speed today.
Here's how to get started:
It's common for businesses to hide their routers to avoid clutter, but this is a common mistake. Walls, metal, and obstructions actually weaken Wi-Fi signals. Generally, a central location will provide the best coverage in office spaces, but there are a few different ways to check.
According to Net Spot, signal levels around -75 dBm or higher is strong enough for stable browsing, video calling, and streaming. dBm stands for decibel milliwatts, which is just the unit of measurement for the power levels of a Wi-Fi signal.
One of the most common Wi-Fi problems is interface from overlapping channels. Luckily this problem is also a quick fix. You can utilize a Wi-Fi channel scanner to see if your network is overlapping with others.
There are two common "bands" with various "channels" in them. A 2.4GHz band (pictured below) has 3 channels that don't overlap (1, 6, and 11) and provides a longer range of signal. A 5GHz has 25 channels that don't overlap and is a common bandwidth for large companies to support a variety of devices with faster speeds.
When selecting a channel, empty channels are the best option to increase internet speed. If an empty channel is unavailable, choose a channel with another network, don't try and overlap channels to fit into an empty space. Wi-Fi networks can detect each other in the same channel, overlapping channels is what causes bandwidth issues. The example above has two overlapping channels, although this will not decrease the Wi-Fi speeds drastically, best practice would suggest moving them to channel 11.
Although similar to optimizing router placement, optimizing device placement is regularly overlooked. Positioning devices close to the router can reduce the need for Wi-Fi signals to travel long distances, speeding up your device's internet speed in return.
Another trick to increase Wi-Fi speeds, without rushing to upgrade the entire router, is through the antennas. Check to make sure the antennas are not obstructed by anything, but if they aren't and the bandwidth still isn't strong enough considering upgrading them. High-gain or directional antennas can increase Wi-Fi speeds dramatically compared to the defaults.
Many people assume that when Wi-Fi is unstable in larger offices there is a simple fix: add another access point, but too many APs can actually make a network slower and less predictable. Increased interference, confused devices, and roaming problems could be a sign you have an overload of APs. According to Net Spot, you may have "too many" APs if your devices randomly cling to different access points or if speeds fluctuate while not in use.
With today's technological advancements and bandwidth demands, older routers will struggle to keep up no matter what. Optimizing router placement, device position, bandwidth, channels, as well as reducing access points and upgrading hardware like your router's antennas will help your router keep up. If you continue to have problems after implementing these changes it may be helpful to partner with an IT provider in your area, especially if your company doesn't have an internal IT department.