Enterprise WiFi: The Basics & 6 Ways to Speed Up

Wi-Fi attend an indispensable part of today's enterprise. Not only for the convenience of employees' offices, they also take on important information security and data transmission tasks. However, as enterprises continue expanding, Wi-Fi performance often encounters bottlenecks, which will affect the work efficiency of employees. It's the moment for Enterprise Wi-Fi to make its move.

The Basics of Enterprise WiFi

Enterprise Wi-Fi refers to the wireless local area network (WLAN) technology used by enterprises in their internal offices to connect network devices such as computers, printers, and switches and provide wireless Internet access services. It is a wireless communication technology that allows employees and visitors to connect to an internal corporate network anytime, anywhere, for data transfer and internet access without network cables. Enterprise wireless networks may comprise both a private, secure network for staff and a public, open network for visitors and clients.

Why do We Need Better Enterprise Wi-Fi

• Enterprise Wi-Fi is designed to handle a large number of wireless devices, providing fast and reliable connectivity for all employees and visitors to ensure that productivity is not compromised. A stable and reliable network is the necessary guarantee of enterprise information today.

• Ensure security is effective. Stronger encryption and malicious device monitoring are employed by the AP throughout the deployment of wireless access to assure the integrated security of data transmission from the client to the management end, minimizing unneeded financial losses brought on by network leaks.

• Cloud management enables efficient management of remote branches centrally and automatically. An enterprise may have dozens or even hundreds of APs, which need to be managed in a centralized and systematic way. Centralized remote management can be achieved through WLAN access controller or cloud management platform.

• Full coverage of wireless network. Follow the users readily to prevent disconnection while they are in motion. Due to enterprise wireless enhanced signal coverage, users may walk around the office without losing connection or experiencing any delay.

6 Ways to Improve Your Enterprise WiFi Speed

1.Place Your APs Strategically

To improve network signals, wireless access points must be placed correctly. Wi-Fi signals can be blocked by dense walls. Additionally, it should not be put near other technological devices that could interfere with the signal. This means you need to place the access point in a position that can clearly send the signal so that the user can use it smoothly. The ceiling is an excellent location for placement, and the wireless signal tends to spread downward, so the placement on the ceiling favors larger signal coverage.

2.Choose the Right Frequency

The current common AP frequency band is 2.4GHz and 5GHz. First, we need to know the characteristics of different bands. The 2.4G band has strong penetration, but weak resistance to interference; the 5G band has strong anti-interference capacity, but the lower penetration is suitable for small range coverage. You can choose the appropriate frequency band according to the actual application scenario. Besides, choosing the right frequency also needs to consider the compatibility between devices. If different operating frequencies are used, signal interference or data transmission problems may occur between devices. However, when your AP and terminal device support both 2.4G band and 5G band, the terminal device will automatically select the band with the strongest signal when connecting to the wireless AP.

3.Manage Your Bandwidth

Network management tools can be used by administrators to restrict the amount of bandwidth allotted to each device in an enterprise network. You can limit non-essential traffic: Limit the bandwidth usage of non-essential applications and services that can wait, such as file downloads and streaming videos. This can be done by setting policies that limit bandwidth usage during peak hours or by using traffic shaping techniques. In addition to this, critical traffic can be prioritized: applications and services that are critical to business operations can be identified and their traffic prioritized over non-essential traffic. This can be done by configuring quality of service (QoS) Settings on the access point.

4.Set Up a Guest Network

When visitors come to your company, they will most likely want to connect to your enterprise wireless to use the networking features. If visitors are connected to the same network as employees, it is likely to pose a threat to company data and reduce the bandwidth used by employees. Enterprise Wi-Fi can give visitors access to the network without granting them access to the company's internal network. Your network and stored data are secure even if a visitor unintentionally downloads malware from a dubious website.

5.Avoid Interference Sources

One of the main reasons for affecting enterprise wireless networks is interference. Common interference sources include mobile phones, tablets, bluetooth devices and so on. All of these devices generate wireless signals that can overlap with corporate WiFi signals, resulting in slower network speeds. In addition, one of the causes of enterprise Wi-Fi's sluggish speed is power interference. The current flowing in the power line can interfere with Wi-Fi signals, which affects the transmission of Wi-Fi signals. Enterprise Wi-Fi should be deployed away from power lines, such as transformers and welding machines.

6.Upgrade Your Wi-Fi

The inability to do termly updates and upgrades is often the main factor contributing to low and slow WiFi connections for small and medium-sized companies (SMBS) and large enterprises. Both the performance of your wireless network and the speed of the Internet are significantly affected by network devices that can help you deal with congestion and reduce interference. At this time, Wi-Fi 6(802.11ax) has to be mentioned. The latest wireless devices are often equipped with the most advanced technology, which is great for improving work efficiency. Greater bandwidth is made available by speedier Wi-Fi 6, which can also increase download and upgrade speeds. Wi-Fi 6 for enterprise is also better able to communicate with various devices that are simultaneously in need of data and prioritize traffic between these devices.

Devices to Meet Your Needs

Wireless access point: FS provides both indoor and outdoor access points equipped with the latest Wi-Fi 6 technology. Designed to provide your business with a higher level of coverage, ease of installation and management. The device supports 2×2MU-MIMO or 4×4MU-MIMO, and can provide services in both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands with a maximum speed of 5,375Mbps. Suitable for a variety of application scenarios, such as enterprises, educational institutions and entertainment venues.

Wireless controller: Wireless access control makes it simpler to monitor and manage your network. FS's access control products support 802.11ax, the highest with 8 Gigabit Ethernet ports, and manage up to 224 Wi-Fi 6 access points. Without changing any network architecture and hardware devices, it can be deployed in any Layer 2 or Layer 3 network structure to realize seamless roaming among different areas of the entire network for wireless users, meet the security and session integrity of mobile roaming, and fully meet the data interaction and voice fluency of Wi-Fi voice communication. Suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises, hotels, educational institutions and other local area networks.

PoE switch: The FS switch supports up to 48 PoE+ ports. Each port supports up to 30w power output, which can be used to support PoE and PoE+ device power supply. It also supports virtual stacking of 4 units. The switch is powered by an advanced Broadcom chip and offers a maximum switching capacity of 176Gbps and a forwarding rate of 132Mpps. Applicable to campus networks, SMB networks, and enterprise networks.

Security gateway: The FS security gateway fully integrates routers, firewalls, and controllers to enable cost-effective secure connections between medium and large network egress, supporting up to 1,500 users. Enterprises can minimize network complexity, protect and prioritize resources, enhance user and application experiences, and lower total cost of ownership by combining quick, highly available routing, firewall, and controller features in a single device.