One of the most common support queries we receive is customers complaining about a lack of speed on their internet.
A common theme between these complaints – user devices connected over WiFi.
Whilst Wifi is a wonderful thing and is something that we all depend on in everyday life, it is not the most business proof method of connecting.
Here at Stream, we wanted to identify why:
Congestion
WiFi works using radio waves. Radio waves are limited. This means that the more congestion there is, the worse your WiFi reception is going to be. Congestion is obviously going to be worse in well populated areas, an office block with 50 different connections will have more congestion than an Office barn with 2.
Multi-tasking
WiFI can only send or receive data, it cannot do both at the same time. This is known as a half-duplex system. A wired connection, such as an Ethernet connection, is a full duplex system meaning it can send and receive at the same time. This is one of the biggest reasons we’ll always recommend wired over wireless!
Internal Factors
Some factors that are (kind of) in your control can also affect the speed of your WiFi connection. First of all the location of your router is paramount to the quality of connection. Ensure it is in a central location, is in full visibility, on a shelf/table and away from thick walls.
Hardware
The hardware that you are using will also greatly impact the speed of your connection. If you are purchasing a new router ensure that it uses the 5GHz frequency. This is newer and is intended to replace the older 2.4GHz frequency which is heavily congested. In terms of the device that you are trying to connect to the WiFi, a general rule of thumb is the newer the better.
These are so many factors that can affect the quality of your connection over wireless, this is why we will always recommend using a wired connection.
Whenever we ask customers to complete a speed check, it will always be over an Ethernet connection as this will give a true reflection on performance.
If you want to talk more about Wireless v Wired or your router needs, please feel free to contact us on 01635 884170 or info@sales-networks.co.uk