WIRELESS ACCESS POINTS: TOP 5 CONSIDERATIONS
Decades ago, we rarely leaned on technology for our day-to-day business operations. But today, technology – specifically the Internet – is woven into nearly everything we do. And if you’ve ever lost connectivity while trying to send an important email or navigate to a website, you know the frustration involved with this experience.
Many employees today, roughly 3 million and rising, work at least a portion of the time outside the traditional office. Some days, the number of connections to your network will be low, while on others it will be high. And it’s these changing needs that make selecting wireless access points very important. But before making any decisions, it helps to consider a few factors that will drive a positive employee, and ultimately customer, experience.
Simultaneous connections in the office. Tally up simultaneous connections on the average day and also on a peak attendance day. Don’t forget to consider all devices, such as connecting through phones, tablets and laptops.
Number of walls for passage. Count the number of walls the signal must pass through in a worst-case scenario. This will affect your connectivity and the solution that you will require.
Type of information transmitted. What type of information will be transmitted over the wireless connection? Will it be data, voice or video? This consideration is important because voice and video require stronger and more capable wireless equipment to maintain a good user experience.
Risk for meshing. Do you have more than two WAPs in range? If so, you should consider whether you want them “meshed.” Meshing allows a device to seamlessly connect and reconnect to the WAP and the strongest signal. WAPs that do not support meshing will result in your device disconnecting and reconnecting as you move around. This may cause work interruptions for staff working in multiple locations.
Power at installation site. If power is not available, a PoE switch will need to be added to the network so that power can be supplied over the Ethernet cable.
By considering these five simple items, you will have the knowledge required to secure the best connectivity option available for your business. If you have questions about wireless access points, please contact CMIT Solutions of Stamford at 203-595-9091 today.
