Enterprise WiFi: Things To Consider

Trying to find an enterprise WiFi solution can seem like something of a struggle – but the good news is it needn’t be complex once you know what you need to consider. By arming yourself with a little knowledge you can give yourself the upper hand when it comes to discussing your requirements with potential suppliers.

The first step is establishing the access points you intend to install – something which should be straight-forward enough for most offices. Once you’ve planned accordingly, it’s time to consider how these access points will be deployed and supported.

The increasing complexities of wireless networks

As wireless networking becomes more complicated, it makes sense for IT departments to seek simple solutions to manage their business and education WiFi setups without having to become an RF expert.

Thankfully, most modern WiFi solutions don’t require a command line interface, and instead operate through a user-friendly centralised management platform.

Dedicated WiFi management services

If a prospective supplier proposes WLAN controllers to you, it’s important to ensure that management of the system is included as standard. Some suppliers will attempt to add management – be it cloud-based or in-house – as an additional cost. Nowadays, easily-managed cloud networking solutions are becoming increasingly popular as a method of wireless controller administration.

WiFi: the steps to take

Before committing to a solution, you should determine what management options best suit your needs (public/private cloud or on-premises), and challenge your supplier to demonstrate that they are capable of meeting the following criteria:

• Planning – can your supplier import floor plans and perform a survey of the premises in order to meet the coverage and access demands of your business?

• Provisioning – How does a device connect to an access point? How are features configured? What level of expertise is needed to understand the interface?

• Unified policies – Will this enterprise WiFi solution support additional devices, such as routers and switches? Does the solution allow you to manage third-party devices?

• Visibility – What data is available? Is it possible to search data? Are customisable reports available?

• Support – What are the processes when a problem occurs? Are there any tools included for troubleshooting?

Contact us at Redway Networks today for more information and advice on enterprise WiFi. https://www.redwaynetworks.com/enterprise/

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