Seems we can’t get enough wireless connectivity these days.
It doesnt matter where you are: in the office, down the pub, sweating it out at the gym or getting ready to board your train or plane… We just can’t help looking at that one extra email, that latest Facebook status or downloading that song that You Just Have To Hear Right Now Before You Board from GooglePlay or Apple Music. This seems to make us all very happy.
For the same reason, poor wireless connections seem to make us all very grumpy. Like were being deprived of a basic human right.
So whats a wireless network manager to do Here, in plain English, are five culprits behind bad wireless connectivity and some advice on how to avoid them to keep your users happy and content:
Culprit #1: Not enough radios in crowded areas
All wireless devices in an area share the radios bandwidth. So if just one device connects, it essentially gets 100 per cent of the bandwidth. If 10 devices connect, they each get 10 per cent (in theory) and if 200 devices connect, they each get a paltry 0.5 per cent.
Thats a problem: who cares if 200 devices can connect to a single access point if the user experience is maddeningly slow” Its an experience thats common at conference and exhibition centres and, in this scenario, impacts on people being able to get their jobs done while out of the office.
In fact, in our independently commissioned research, 85 per cent of respondents across the board said bad Wi-Fi has kept them from doing their job. Drilling deeper into the results, almost two thirds said that this was specifically the case in an arena or conference venue.
Remedy: When vendors tell you how many devices each access point can connect, follow up with how many can connect with a good experience. The answer will depend on what your users are doing (discussed next) but the quality of your connection, not the quantity of devices connected these days is king.
Culprit #2: Greedy applications
Wireless network performance also depends on the kind of applications that run on it and the ratio of data, voice and video content that is travelling on it at any one time.
A Wi-Fi network that works perfectly well when 100 users tweet and check email might collapse when just 20 users stream live high-definition video or upload photos.
This should be of particular concern to wireless network providers in stadiums, concert venues and sports grounds anecdotal evidence that we have gathered suggests that DropBox is amongst the most frequently used application on wirelessly enabled devices.
This is because of the auto-sync default settings that are in place these days on many smartphones. If you stop and think about it, this means that every time someone takes a photo or films a short sequence of their favourite team or pop star (which doesnt in itself require Wi-Fi connectivity), it’s immediately transferred over the wireless network theyre connected to and into the cloud.
Remedy: Use a traffic management tool to monitor network activity. Look for a tool that lets you assign priority to specific apps and to limit or block others. Just be careful how you use the block function – gather some intelligence over a period of time to see which are your organisations and users most valuable and popular applications and data sets, and use this to inform your prioritisation and blocking policies.
Culprit #3: Interference
Some electronics equipment produces interference that can degrade Wi-Fi performance. Examples include Bluetooth devices, baby monitors, microwave ovens, other hotspots, and even your neighbours networks.
Remedy: Plan and design the network to minimise interference. Techniques include selecting the right channels, adjusting power levels, and fine-tuning antenna direction.
In very high density areas consider the advantages of opting for APs with a directional antennae, as this creates greater isolation between radios. This, in turn, reduces the potential for interference and improves channel allocation capabilities.
Its also worth considering a multi-platform radio. Traditional Access Points (APs) with two radio cells may be fine for some areas, but they have limitations when deploying Wi-Fi in public spaces and conference areas. Instead, consider APs that can support more than just two radios and also offer flexibility in number of 5GHz radios.
Culprit #4: Not enough 5GHz radios
You need to be flexible on how you mix 2.4GHz and 5GHz radios in your access points. Newer wireless devices like the latest smartphones, tablets and laptops can connect to either type, while many older devices can only connect to 2.4GHz radios.
This can be a problem in hotels, for example, where 90 per cent of guests’ devices are able to take advantage of the 5GHz spectrum, while a far lower percentage of devices are limited to 2.4GHz only; many networks evenly balance the number of 5GHz and 2.4 GHz radios which makes little sense and results in reduced performance for all.
Remedy: Historically, access points (APs) came in a standard two-radio design one running on 2.4GHz and one using 5GHz. They couldnt be software-defined as needed and you were stuck with many unneeded 2.4GHz until you upgraded the network. This was the method everyone used a decade ago, and unbelievably it’s how many vendors still package their solutions today.
Dont go down this route! Instead, match the percentage of 5GHz radios to the percentage of devices that support it – often 70-90 per cent of the total. Avoid access points rigidly configured with one of each type of radio because youll be paying for far more 2.4GHz radios than you need.
Look instead for multi-state radios that you can configure for either band. Then connect as many devices as possible to the 5GHz band to avoid congestion and take advantage of the 23 channels available on 5GHz, in comparison to just three for 2.4GHz.
Read more about how Britain’s internet habits:
- Branson-backed global internet project secures $500m, but will the costs prove out of this world
- A breakdown of how the average Brit spends time online each day
- British businesses waste 371m on Wi-Fi and roaming costs each year
Culprit #5: Lack of flexibility
Better Wi-Fi technology comes along every few years. But if your network can’t adapt, you’re stuck with an unpleasant choice: either replace the network sooner than expected or settle for slower performance.
Remedy: Choose a Wi-Fi solution that you can upgrade to new standards with a quick and inexpensive software or hardware change – as a starting point, think about opting for APs that are built for modularity and support swappable radio modules.
As technology changes, these APs can easily support newer technology without having to rip them out and replace them with new ones.
A good wireless network does much more than help your users connect and get online. Its become an integral part of your brand, which can stand or fall on the strength of the connectivity you provide. Every other part of your operation might be running perfectly, but if your Wi-Fi fails to deliver it could put all of your hard work in jeopardy.
Perry Correll is principal technologist at Xirrus.
