Is your business’ wireless network slow, weak, or dead in certain areas? Do you experience poor wireless signals in your office, despite having a reliable internet provider and brand new network hardware? If so, you may need to consider updating your wireless network to a mesh Wi-Fi system.
It can help significantly improve the performance of your business network, especially if you have problems even after everything in the backend checks out. We’ll now discuss whether your business needs mesh Wi-Fi and share the benefits of getting one.
But first…
What Is A Mesh Wi-Fi?
A mesh Wi-Fi is a wireless network system where the primary router is connected directly to the modem, along with one or more strategically placed nodes or satellite modules. These nodes are placed to cover more area around an office, blanketing it with the wireless network.
The wireless network across these devices shares the same network with the same login credentials (SSID and password). It is called a mesh Wi-Fi because the wireless network blankets the coverage area, creating a sort of virtual mesh around and between the nodes and router.
A mesh Wi-Fi extends the signal from the wireless router, ensuring proper network access around the coverage area in an office.
Does Your Business Need a Mesh Wi-Fi?
Most businesses and offices with network connectivity issues, dead zones/ spots, or inadequate network equipment structure need mesh Wi-Fi. It can instantly improve connectivity and, therefore, business communications.
It is also a cost-effective yet inferior alternative to high-speed Ethernet integrated into the structured cabling of an office. Mesh Wi-Fi can be useful for businesses with offices that have:
- More than 3,000 square feet of coverage area
- Unfavorable floor plans like “L”- shaped floor plans
- Thick walls, especially metal or brick walls that easily block wireless signals
- Dead zones/spots or rooms without electrical service
These are all things that cause slow, weak, or faulty wireless network connections. Businesses with such issues have difficulty communicating online or being productive because some of their office spaces are not connected to the Internet.
If your employees don’t have proper access to the wireless network, mobile devices like laptops, smartphones, and tablets become virtually useless. If your office has any of the mentioned issues and your wireless network is not working sufficiently, your business needs a mesh Wi-Fi or better network solutions.
Benefits of a Mesh Wi-Fi for Your Business
The benefits of mesh Wi-Fi are crucial for the productivity of any modern business.
● Reliable Coverage and Connectivity
Many offices are not designed with the wireless network in mind since a wireless network is adaptable and can be worked around the design. However, a challenging design of an office space can create dead zones in it where the wireless signal is weak or cannot reach at all.
Often, employees complain that their Internet is slow or their network connection keeps dropping. Imagine someone in your office trying to close a deal over a video conference, but the poor connectivity makes it impossible to communicate online.
Mesh Wi-Fi is a simple and cost-effective network solution to end such problems. It allows you to broadcast your primary router’s original signal strength much farther and wider around the office. You can expect the original signal strength to remain undisturbed within a range of around 100-feet.
Of course, you’ll have to place the nodes strategically to get the best results. However, it is important to note that the nodes are not separate networks. They simply rebroadcast the wireless signals coming from the primary router.
They provide reliable coverage and network connectivity throughout the “mesh” or coverage area. Mesh Wi-Fi systems are often enough to cover small to medium offices and even provide reliable coverage and connectivity outside buildings.
● Consistent Network Speeds
A simple Wi-Fi router will lose its signal strength the further you move away from it, which means you also lose network speed. This is simply how wireless technology and wireless networks work. Offices that are 3,000 square feet or larger can feel this change significantly.
They may find their network speed fine in certain areas and very slow in others. It can be the difference between a seamless conference call and one that loses you, the client, customer, or partner. Such fluctuations are frustrating and can also bring downtime and revenue loss to your business.
Once again, mesh Wi-Fi can eliminate this issue. The strategically placed nodes ensure a solid wireless signal and consistent network speeds throughout the coverage area. Depending on your business’ needs, you can even add nodes or satellite modules to expand the coverage area.
Most small-to-medium businesses (SMBs) use more than half a dozen nodes around their office to cover more areas, especially office spaces like workstations, conference rooms, and common areas.
● Business Network Management
Most mesh Wi-Fi routers have built-in network management tools that help you fix, improve, and maintain your business network. They have things like mobile app integrations that allow you to control and manage your business network through a user-friendly mobile application.
You can even do these things remotely, without ever going near your office building. This feature eliminates the need for specialized technicians, in-depth knowledge, or handing over temporary access to your business’s wireless network to technicians for maintenance purposes.
● Network Security
A huge concern of business owners is that amplifying or rebroadcasting the wireless network may increase the coverage area enough for outsiders to gain access. You may be fearful that an unauthorized person may breach your business network because the wireless signal may even stretch outside the building.
However, this fear is unfounded because something like this rarely happens. The network features, manual hardware control, and restricted access make it nearly impossible for an outsider to gain access.
Suppose, it does happen and someone breaches your business network. In that case, you always have the option to change your network settings, restrict every connected device, change the password (and SSID), and restart your wireless network.
You can issue a memo with the new credentials to all the employees who need network access. Such comprehensive controls, network management, and other features of mesh Wi-Fi make it one of the most secure wireless network systems available today.
Conclusion
A mesh Wi-Fi is incredibly reliable, secure, fast, and convenient. It can spread the same network throughout your office and provide network management tools that make maintenance even more effortless.
You can always go to the market to buy a mesh Wi-Fi router/system and install it in your office by yourself. However, it is best to let professionals handle such business network installations. When installed incorrectly, your office may retain dead zones, weak network connectivity, or not utilize the system to its full potential.
Hence, we always recommend the expert professionals at Communications Solutions Inc. in Jacksonville, Florida. They can help you find the right mesh Wi-Fi for your business network needs and install it with professional accuracy.
If you want to learn more about mesh Wi-Fi, whether your business needs mesh Wi-Fi, or if you want comprehensive network solutions for your business, Contact Us Today!