Enterprise wifi best practices

Here are some tips to secure and speed up your organization's WiFi:. Interference is one of the major hindrances to any WiFi network. As an organization, if you are struggling with inadequate or slow WiFi networks, eliminating or avoiding interference should be one of the first things to do.

Wireless interference occurs when another wireless signal affects, weakens, or disrupts the WiFi signals. Most of today's WiFi networks operate at 2. Common devices that cause interference are: wireless remote controllers, wireless surveillance cameras, cordless phones, and Bluetooth devices.

Some of the most effective solutions to cut down or minimize WiFi interferences include: better placements of routers and access points, load balancing the traffic on different network bandwidths, beamforming, and eliminating any other radio interference.

Organizations can also use WiFi surveillance tools such as TamoGraph or Ekahau to perform automated channel analysis and network planning. While a majority of the devices are still running on older 2. Because the 5GHz network band offers more channels, organizations can use it to split the traffic on the network.

By configuring and deploying both 2. Companies can also implement band steering to enable the devices to automatically connect to the best available network, depending on their compatibility. Most modern routers offer Quality of Service QoS tools to ensure network quality by restricting the amount of bandwidth that apps use.

Organizations can use these QoS tools and services to configure and prioritize network usage. For example, companies can decide to prioritize browsing speeds over downloads.

Some modern network equipment such as routers can also help prioritize certain apps — or even blacklist the apps — to prevent excessive bandwidth usage. A WiFi signal is divided into different channels. Every router uses a predetermined WiFi channel to communicate and establish a connection with the devices. In an organization with multiple routers and multiple channels, it is essential to balance these channels to avoid network congestion.

Network policies may include: blocking ads, using streamlined browsers, and installing virus and malware scanners. Other useful network configurations include: shortening the packet sizes and transmission times, configuring channel widths, and disabling lower data rates to speed up your enterprise WiFi.

Failing to perform regular updates and upgrades is often the root cause for inefficient and slow WiFi speeds for small- and medium-sized business SMBs , as well as larger organizations. Network equipment can play a huge role in determining the quality of the wireless network and the internet speeds. For companies and organisations, zero trust is your best bet to ensure your IT hardware and connected devices are secure, and employees are protected.

Smart mobility is critical to the smart city and plays an important role in sustainability. ALE technologies are helping cities achieve these goals. Unsupported Browser Alert: Your current browser is not supported and may not display content correctly. It is recommended you use an up to date version of Chrome, Firefox, or Safari to get the best experience on this site. Mauro Rizzi. February 13, Mauro Rizzi, 38, is a fitness and technology lover About the author.

Digital Age Networking. Communications Platform As A Service. More Blogs. ALE office locations. Become a Business Partner. Request a call from sales. Chat with us. How many consecutive streams of virtual meetings are expected to take place during the same time? What applications will be used? By whom? How frequently? Knowing your audience gets you closer to definitive answers to questions like these, which will help you design the most effective wireless network possible.

As the saying goes: What gets measured gets managed. Implementing a wireless network is only part of the job. Doing so will uncover the data you need to optimize the network. A partial list of what you might measure includes:. Iterative changes made as a result of this process will help ensure the network stays effective, strong, and secure.