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Is slow Wi-Fi making your office's productivity lag? Here are five ways you can bring your connection up to scratch.
1. Reconsider your router
Many Wi-Fi problems can be traced back to the router; if it's old or faulty your connection is going to suffer. As a result, looking into whether a new router is required is the first step you should take when looking to improve your Wi-Fi connection. New routers are continually being developed, delivering increased signal strength and reliability, so regularly upgrading your own model can help to ensure your Wi-Fi connection is as strong as possible. You can find out more about what to look about for in a router here.
2. Choose the right channel
The vast majority of routers will automatically connect to the least crowded channel and establish this as a default. However, should the number of users on that channel increase, you may find that your connection speed slows down. If you're having problems, it's worth checking the channel you're currently using and switching to a less crowded alternative if possible. Dual-band routers are able to connect to the 5GHz frequency, which contains a greater number of channels and tends to be less congested.
3. Give the router a helping hand
If your Wi-Fi connection needs to cover a large area, investing in some extra technology to support your router could make all the difference. For example, products such as this Netgear model are inexpensive, easy to install and can help to bring connectivity to parts of your workplace the router is struggling to reach.
4. Know your users
Ultimately, it is the people who use a Wi-Fi connection that have the greatest bearing on its performance. By knowing how and why individuals are using your network you'll be able to get to the root of any problems much faster. Are people using the Wi-Fi unnecessarily? Are they using it for non-work-related tasks such as video streaming? Perhaps they have connected a personal device to the network? All of these issues have the potential to slow down your Wi-Fi. One way of getting around this is to invest in a router that has quality of service functionality. This allows the network to prioritise certain activities, such as basic internet access and file transfers, over non-essential activity like video streaming.
Having the right tools can also help with this. For instance, our EnGenius range features Air Time Optimisation to allow multiple concurrent users, as well as giving enterprises the ability to easily look at user statistics across all access points through a simple to use interface.
5. Don't forget the basics
Your Wi-Fi problems could be caused by something as simple as the location of the router within your office. This can have a surprisingly significant impact on performance and there are all manner of seemingly unimportant factors that can affect the strength of your connection. For example, a router placed on top of a desk will generally perform better than one on the floor. Likewise, a router inside a cupboard or cabinet will deliver a weaker signal than one that is in an open location. Ideally your router should be situated in an open, elevated position as close to the centre of your office or workplace as possible.
