In summary
- More access points do not mean better Wi-Fi. Too much equipment, poorly positioned, interferes with one another and degrades the network.
- The problem is almost never the contracted speed — that is, coverage, interference and capacity per area.
- One coverage study prior to installation saves you more money than any top-of-the-range equipment.
- In warehouses and hotels, the challenge is density and roaming, not a debit.
In this article
Few things generate as many complaints within a company as a wireless network that “sometimes cuts out”. And few are so misdiagnosed — because the first instinct is to increase the speed contracted with the provider, when the problem almost never lies there.
Why domestic equipment isn’t suitable
A home access point is designed for a small number of devices, in a small area, and for intermittent use. A business environment imposes three requirements that it is not designed to meet.
Centralised management. If there are more than two or three access points, they need to function as a single system — with the same configuration, co-ordinated channels and a unified approach. Home devices are independent entities.
Roaming. Anyone walking across the office whilst on a call needs the device to switch from one access point to another without dropping the call. This requires coordination between devices that domestic equipment lacks — which is why calls always drop in the same corridor.
Segmentation. Separating guests, staff and production equipment into different networks is standard practice in a business but rare in consumer devices.
The four real problems
When a wireless network is not working properly, the cause is almost always one of the following four:
- Insufficient cover — areas where the signal is weak. Concrete walls, lifts, windows with metallic film and cold stores cause much more signal attenuation than one might expect.
- Interference — too many access points, or those poorly distributed across channels, competing with one another. Adding equipment without a plan only makes the situation worse.
- Capacity — excellent signal, but too many devices in the same area. This is the case in meeting rooms and lecture theatres.
- Upstream network — The problem isn’t with the wireless signal but with the cabling, the switches or the internet connection. An access point connected via an old cable will never deliver what it promises.
Having more access points rarely solves the problem. In many cases, this makes matters worse: nearby devices on the same channel interfere with one another, and the devices are unsure which one to connect to. The solution lies in correct placement and configuration, not in the number of devices.
The coverage study
A coverage study measures how the signal behaves in the real world, taking into account real walls and real sources of interference. It is carried out prior to installation, using floor plans, and is then verified by on-site measurements.
Identify three factors that determine the final outcome: how many access points are accurate, where remain, and on which channels and at what power levels work. That is the difference between a project and an attempt.
It costs a fraction of the price of the equipment and avoids the most expensive scenario of all: installing it, realising it isn’t enough, and having to buy more.
Harsh environments
Warehouses and industrial buildings. High ceilings, metal structures and movable racking. The height and angle of the antennas matter more than their power, and barcode scanners require flawless roaming — a forklift operator can cross the entire warehouse without stopping work.
Hospitality. Lots of rooms, walls to soundproof, and guests who judge the hotel by its Wi-Fi. The challenge is to achieve high density whilst ensuring isolation between users, and a clearer separation between the guest network and the management network.
Clinics and healthcare. Sensitive medical equipment, privacy requirements and high-density concrete zones. Segmentation is no longer just good practice; it is now a requirement.
Open-plan offices. It looks like a straightforward case, but it isn’t: having lots of people in the same area using video and voice at the same time is a capacity issue, not a coverage issue.
Mistakes that cost dearly
- Install using your intuition. “One in each corner” is the most common method and the one that creates the most dead zones.
- Ignore the wiring. Modern access points require suitable cabling and switches with Power over Ethernet. Relying on old cabling holds everything else back.
- One network for everything. Having guests and internal staff in the same space is an unnecessary risk that is easily avoided.
- Full power. It seems logical, but it is counterproductive: it increases interference and causes devices to cling to distant access points rather than switching to the nearest one.
- Do not measure afterwards. Validation following installation is what distinguishes a project that has been handed over from one that has been completed.
DataRoad designs and installs enterprise wireless networks, with a prior coverage study and on-site validation, integrated into the structured network of the company.
A chat before making a decision
Whether you’re tackling a specific problem, planning a move or simply looking for a second opinion, we always start in the same way: by understanding your situation before making any suggestions. No obligation, no jargon and no catalogues.
