Four Things that May Be Blocking Your Wireless Network

Sometimes your wireless network can can be all over the place in terms of connectivity; it’s up then it’s down, then up again and there seems to be no obvious reason why. You’ve checked all the usual easy fixes but you’re still finding interference that are throwing your whole network off. Here are four, strange reasons why your wireless network may be under performing.

1. Your Neighbors– This conflict is especially prominent in small businesses in office parks. Because you are surrounded by upwards of 20 individual wireless networks at any given time, you may get in each other’s way as your signals overlap. The best way to fix this scenario would be to switch to 802.11ac if you haven’t already for the bigger bandwidth and try switching to a different wireless channel.
2. Old Firmware– Make sure your firmware is all up to date. There could be a security bug that is preventing you from utilizing your network the way it’s meant to be. Be sure to check your administrative interface at regular intervals just in case there is an update. Like with any other technology, not updating your wireless firmware can cause it to quickly fallout of date if it is left several updates behind.
3. Other Electronics– Things like break room microwaves and radios can interfere with a wireless signal in a big way. Since radio waves are what Wi-Fi uses to communicate with devices, adding other radio waves into the mix can complicate things. Making sure any microwaves are of a different GHz than your router should stop this interference from happening. If employees enjoy listening to the radio, it might be best to switch over to an app or an internet listening service.
4. Humans– Since humans are made up mostly water and water can interfere with Wi-Fi speeds, too many bodies between to devices trying to connect and the access point can slow down wireless speeds. Testing your network network for placement of APs needs to be done while there are people around going about their everyday jobs. If you test after hours, you may find your signal interrupted by your employees.