5 Signs Your Business WiFi Needs an Upgrade

In today’s world, almost every business needs a strong internet connection at its physical location. You need it to run your network, share files, make sales, communicate through email and social media, and even can use it for an upgrade to your phone with a VOIP system.

You can also provide your customers who patronize your location with free access to a guest WiFi network while they are there. This is especially helpful in businesses with waiting areas such as auto maintenance and oil change businesses, doctor’s offices, or very popular restaurants. In fact, businesses that don’t offer free WiFi may be seen as out-of-touch or even unwelcoming.

WiFi for businesses must be able to handle multiple devices at once, cover a larger area, and provide enough speed to do business reliably. If your business WiFi is not up to the challenge, you may need to upgrade. Let’s talk about some of the symptoms you may notice that could indicate it’s time to upgrade your network.

Signs Your Business Wifi Needs an Upgrade

Slow Speeds

A slow connection to your business WiFi can be the result of a number of things listed here. But the one constant is that no matter what the cause, no one likes slow internet!

You might notice that pages or dashboards take longer to load, your video conferencing buffers or freezes frequently, or the time it takes to download small email attachments and files is more than a few seconds. All of these could be symptoms of a WiFi connection that is either too slow, too weak, or unstable.

First, check your speeds at speedtest.net or simply search for “speed test” and click “run” to find out what your current upload and download speeds are.

Next, take inventory of what could be causing your slower speeds. Making changes to your plan, your hardware, or how you set up your network could impact your ability to do business more efficiently.

Weak Signal Strength

Moving around the office should not mean you lose your WiFi signal. There are many reasons a signal could become weak such as moving too far away from the router, the router’s placement, the makeup of the building’s walls, bad equipment, etc.

The best WiFi system for business is the one that works for you! Mesh systems, signal boosters, and more already exist to help cover your business with robust and reliable WiFi so you can get back to work. If you have dead spots, it may be time to upgrade.

WiFi Signal Easily Overwhelmed by Multiple Devices

The number of devices connected to your WiFi at any given time can use up what is known as bandwidth.

Imagine your WiFi speed as a pie. The whole pie equals your total speed which we will say is 25Mbps. Each device that connects to your WiFi takes a slice of that pie away to use for itself. If you only have 8 slices, but 10 devices, then some of those slices will have to be much smaller so that you can still serve that device with access to the internet.

The bigger the pie, the more slices you can make and the more devices you can easily run at top speed on the WiFi network. If your business WiFi can only have a few devices connected before losing speed, it may be time for an upgrade.

Security Concerns

The level of security needed for your business depends on what kind of business you’re in. Working with sensitive patient information or dealing with the government will mean your network must be updated regularly and outfitted with powerful security technologies. Your hardware and software must be compatible so that there are no holes in your security grid and security concerns should be evaluated regularly.

However, even businesses that do not operate in these fields still need up-to-date, solid protection. So, if you are concerned your hardware or software is slowing down, it may be time to upgrade your business WiFinetwork.

SEE ALSO: How to Get High-Speed Internet in Rural Areas

Outdated or Slow Hardware

One of the most common issues slowing down your business’ WiFi has nothing to do with your service, but your hardware. As updates and upgrades are made to your services, sometimes the hardware itself is unable to process data or carry information at the available speeds. Imagine trying to force a gallon of water through an opening the size of a pencil. The water (data) can only flow at a certain maximum rate that the opening allows. Upgrading your equipment could mean making the opening larger, say, the size of a basketball. Then data is able to flow much faster.

The other issue is that the hardware itself has plenty of power, but has simply gotten old and begun to underperform. If so, your business WiFi could suffer because you simply need to replace the equipment.

How to Get Business WiFi

So what is business WiFi? In short, it’s a valuable tool for doing business with customers who are all digitally connected. Your ability to meet them where they are can bring in more revenue or turn it away.

If you notice any of these symptoms plaguing your business’s WiFi network, then it is probably time to upgrade your equipment, your software, or even your plan.

TISD advisors are experts in helping businesses diagnose their needs and finding solutions for doing business in a highly-connected world. Contact us and let’s talk! We want to give you a strong, fast, and reliable business WiFi network that works for you!