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What to Avoid When Building a Wireless Network

What to Avoid When Building a Wireless Network

What to Avoid When Building a Wireless NetworkA strong wireless network could be considered tent pole that supports a number of business processes. With these wireless networks now supporting a whole array of BYOD mobile devices in addition to laptops and printers. Building a proper enterprise wireless network isn’t as easy you may think though. If this is your first time building a wireless network in your office, you’re almost guaranteed to make a few missteps along the way. The best way to defend yourself against these errors, is to acquaint yourself with them before they actually happen.

Below we’ve assembled the top mistakes to steer clear of when assembling your network.

Under-Provisioning Your Wireless Network

One of the most common errors made in a wireless networks is over relying on one access point regardless of the network load. Because of the amount of devices on any given network, whether they be smartphones or tablets, you need to be cognizant of the amount of stress your putting on your access points. With access points, it’s always best to have too many than too little. You should be aware that an extreme excess of access points can actually slow down your network. The increase in radio signals can cause interference between signals.You can also avoid added stress to your network by moving Ethernet ready devices such as laptops to a wired connection rather than relying on a wireless network.

Ignoring the 5GHz Bandwidth

If your router provides simultaneous dual band, you should ensure that your 5GHz radio is turned on. This feature gives devices that support 5GHz to be offloaded onto this less cluttered band, relieving some stress from 2.4 GHz band and making room for other devices.

Using the Default Channel on Your Router

Not to insinuate that you lack patience, but using your router with its default settings straight out of the box might not be the best idea. In fact, using the default channel supplied by the manufacturer could be problematic, as it may already be in use by a neighbor. In order to avoid this issue, you should change the channel on your device upon setting it up. It’s pretty easy since there are only three non-overlapping channels: 1,6, and 11. If you live in a particularly crowded area, you may need to tweak the channels a bit before you receive the best results.

Poor Access Point Placement

The placement of your wireless access points is just as important as the amount of stress your putting on them. If you put an access point next to metal fixtures, in receded alcoves, or behind any other sort of obstruction, you’re not going to receive the wireless service that you’re hoping for. Since there’s typically more obstruction near the floor, its considered best practice to place your access points closer to the ceiling than near the floor.

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