The Key Factors that Affect Wi-Fi Transmission and Business Operations

As the digital age has progressed, businesses throughout the UK and the rest of the western world have become increasingly reliant on Wi-Fi connectivity.

The continued development of this technology (which has culminated with the introduction of the incredibly fast and efficient 5G connectivity) and has also presented new opportunities to business owners, with around 85% of companies having made the Internet of Things (IoT) a key focus area and investment target over the course of the last 12 months.

Of course, even advanced Wi-Fi connections can experience problems, with several factors capable of impacting on transmission and connectivity. We’ll address some of the key issues below, while asking how you can look to address these as a business owners.

• The Type of Antennas Used and Their Location

We’ll start with the antennas used in your service equipment, which play a key role in transmitting signals and impact directly on the quality of Wi-fi coverage you’re able to receive consistently.

For optimal performance, antennas should be built directly into your Wi-Fi access points, whether these are established in the interior of your office space or in an accessible external location.

The precise location of individual antennas also represents a key consideration, as those that are too close to a large building structure (such as a metal grid or a cement beam) may produce inconsistent and occasionally inadequate Wi-Fi transmissions.

Reviewing the location of your antennas and adjusting these when necessary can certainly enable your firm to benefit from improved transmissions, while using omni-directional antennas (the most common type) allows for 360 degree transmissions in the workplace.

• Equipment Type and the Power Level Factor

Interestingly, the individual power levels of your Wi-Fi equipment also influences transmission speeds and impacts on the overall performance of your connection.

While more isn’t always better in this respect, the power levels transmitted by your access points is a key consideration and you must have sufficient range and coverage for consistently effective transmissions.

Certainly, low level power or inefficient fittings can impact negatively on transmissions and cause significant Wi-Fi coverage issues, and one way to correct this is by using an AC to DC converter. This can readily transform AC voltages to higher or lower voltage levels for greater performance, depending on the equipment being used and its core purpose.

• Wi-Fi Data Rates

Let’s face facts; both personal and business Internet users want to transmit data as quickly as possible, which is why 5G has taken the communications market by storm in recent months.

This means that data rates to transmit packets can be a challenging factor to optimise in the case of Wi-Fi, however, as it’s notoriously difficult to successfully send data at higher rates than lower alternatives.

The key for business-owners is therefore to set a maximum data rate that’s considerably lower than the default maximum setting. Although this may sound counterintuitive, it will actually reduce data re-transmissions and create the ideal environment for optimal operational efficiency.

This will definitely produce dividends over time, as businesses look to optimise Wi-Fi transmissions and make the most of the technology at their disposal in the digital age.