When businesses started operating on Wi-Fi it was a matter of you, your internet provider, or your IT person installing a wireless router. Business Wi-Fi today is a much more complex proposition. You want your Wi-Fi to be available to everyone who needs to use it, to have good upload and download speeds and be secure. When we come into a business, one of the things we often find is that the business’s Wi-Fi is lacking in one or more of those key elements.
Security
Wi-Fi security is the most important element to consider. When your Wi-Fi isn’t secure, you leave your business data, and in many cases, your customer’s data, open for anyone to see or steal. A secure Wi-Fi has many elements including:
- Encryption
- Personalized Network Name
- Firewall
- Strong Password
- Updated Firmware
You and your managed service provider (or staff member) may also want to segment your network if you are a larger company. Your router should not be easily accessible – it should be in an office or technology closet with limited access. Also, if you allow anyone outside of your company to connect to your network, you need a guest Wi-Fi. We also recommend if you allow your staff to connect personal devices to your network that they utilize the guest Wi-Fi for cell phones and tablets that don’t need access to the company’s data.
Availability & Speed
Although these are two separate problems many business Wi-Fi networks have, the solution tends to be the same. Availability can mean two things. It can be that there are dead spots in your facility where Wi-Fi drops off. Or, it can mean that people who need to connect can’t because there are no more available nodes on the network. This is also where speed overlaps availability. If you don’t have enough bandwidth for your Wi-Fi traffic, your team member may be able to connect but not be able to send or receive data. Other times speed issues are just that, your router is too old to handle the speeds capable on today’s technology. This is something else your managed service provider can verify.
How Toucan Technology Can Help Your Business Wi-Fi
As an experienced managed service provider, we can help ensure that your business Wi-Fi does not have any dead spots in your facility. We are ECSE Design certified which means we can test both reach and reliability of your network throughout your facility. We can then add to your existing equipment, reprogram your routers, or move them (sometimes a little of all is necessary). If you don’t already have a guest network, we can set that up for you. Of course, we’ll check the security of your entire network and offer recommendations if there are concerning issues. And, if you don’t have a backup and recovery plan in place, let us help you with that too. Call us today at (317) 376-4874 or fill out our contact form for your free no-obligation consultation.
