7 Handy Tips for Setting up Wireless Network Access Points for Your Business

Wireless connectivity is one of the most fundamental requirements for any growing business. Many businesses understand the importance of installing wireless access points but only a few can effectively install multiple access points within their office premises.

In this blog, we will provide 5 useful tips that will help you set up efficient wireless access points for your business.

Evaluate Your Network Requirements

Before you plan to invest in WiFi access points, you need to clearly outline your wireless connectivity requirements. Document how many people, devices and systems will connect to the network and what activities they will perform using the internet. This will help you understand how much data your business requires at a time, giving you a chance to find out the best wireless access point according to your requirement.

Choose the right WiFi access point suiting your requirement

There are several wireless access points available in the market. You need to make the right decision. The best way to choose a suitable wireless ap is to create a list of access points by the number of antennas an access point has for transmission and reception.

The more antennas a WiFi access point has, the better will be the reception. But keep in mind that access points with a large number of antennas are costly than the ones with fewer antennas. You can think of installing RayLife wireless access points which offer several different access point hardware according to your need.

Understand your device limitations

You must understand that the speed and performance of the network don’t just depend on the type of wireless access points you install or the network you build. Sometimes, your devices may be not upgraded enough to get the best out of your wireless network,

Many older devices like laptops, smartphones may not be equipped with high-speed connectivity features. This can give your employees a substandard connectivity experience. It is important that the portable devices users use every day are equipped with the latest connectivity technology as well as a configuration that maximizes the performance of the wireless network,

Consider the cables you will need for wireless access points

Well, the wireless access points do require Poe cables or similar types of connectivity switches to connect via a power source and network. When deciding over the type of wireless access point you install, make sure to choose the ones that run on the latest wireless framework.

This will ensure that the access points offer higher throughput and bandwidth and support a large number of devices on a single access point. Also, the installation would get simplified because there will be a minimum requirement of making changes to your office infrastructure for access points.

Account for network interference during wireless access point installation

You need to understand that there are a lot of things that can affect your network performance. While you install access points in your office, you need to have a proper channel plan so that the access points do not interfere with each other.

Sometimes, co-channel interference can lead to lower speeds and disruptions in connectivity. To ensure that you do not suffer from interference, you need to analyze spectrum utilization while installing multiple access points.

Also, if you have an office in a crowded locality, there are chances of interference from other access points or WiFi devices in the building. You need to get in touch with an expert for the installation of wireless access points for your business.

Setup the wireless access point at a proper location

Many people believe that access points should be centrally placed in office. However good this advice seems this is not useful in every case. If you have a small office, then this strategy might work but ideally, you should place your access points near to the area where most people will be using the network.

Though you are not required to place wireless ap in every room, you should properly plan the locations for setting up access points while planning for multiple access points installation. 

Keep in mind that every access point is different. Some work best by mounting on the ceiling or wall while others can provide the best performance while on the top of the desk itself. You need to understand the recommended placement instructions to get the most out of wireless access points.

Choose an open area to set up access points away from pillars, speakers or other digital devices that might interfere. Also, don’t install access points inside the false ceiling or behind ducts or wire meshes at it will reduce the performance.

Always measure the signal strength before finalizing the placement

Don’t just start installing access points around your office without checking out the signal strength at various places. You need to make sure that the wireless access point offers the best strength wherever you need the connectivity.

You can make use of a WiFi analyzer app after powering an access point to check its strength at various places within the office. For the best performance, your signal strength must be between -60 dBm and -40 dBm.

During the setup process, don’t forget to account for security measures as it can not only hamper growth but also cause disruption in your routine business activities. A secure WiFi network is essential to business growth. So, make sure you focus on security and safety measures too.

Wrapping Up

Though the above tips might sound quite general when it comes to wireless access point installation, many businesses still fail to keep them in mind. These tips would help you get the best network connectivity from a wireless access point architecture. If you are curious about the potential of wireless access points and want to make the most out of access points, you should contact the professionals for valuable planning and consultancy regarding installation. Ray Life empowers SMEs and businesses to leverage the wireless technology for setting up secure and reliable networks within their office premises. Get in touch with our experts to know more.