Choosing WiFi Installers for Home or Business Installations
Local area networks (LANs) or, in larger organisations with multiple branches, wide-area networks WANs), have long replaced fax machines and postal services in the business world. Similarly, email, posting on social media, online banking, online shopping, and online entertainment have become the norm in most households. However, neither businesses nor homeowners could enjoy these facilities without the expertise of qualified WiFi installers.
There are currently more than 20 Internet service providers in South Africa, although Telkom owns most of the nation’s fibre infrastructure. A local WiFi network would be limited to sharing files and other resources without internet access, and a WAN could not make long-distance external connections. However, these service providers are only responsible for enabling that access. It is what happens beyond the access points that will determine the efficiency and capabilities of home and business WiFi solutions.
Choosing the right WiFi installer could distinguish between a trouble-free, fast, and secure network and frequent dropped connections and lost or corrupted data. The following paragraphs will examine the best practices required by installers to ensure the former.
Best Practices by WiFi Installers
If setting up a network involved no more than providing a cable from the router and others to connect the individual computers, almost anyone could handle it. However, an efficient installation requires a series of steps as follows:
- Initial Planning: Like most projects, setting up a network requires a plan. WiFi installers must liaise with the client to define its purpose and scope, identify user needs, and determine the number of devices to be networked and the bandwidth requirements. For business WiFi solutions, it will also be necessary to consider scalability for future expansion.
- Site Survey: The installation environment can have a marked influence on the performance of a WiFi network. The installer will conduct a site inspection to assess the power and cabling requirements, locate ideal access points, and identify potential sources of interference, like poorly insulated power cables and thick walls.
- Network Design: During this stage, WiFi installers will first select routers, switches, firewall requirements, and the type of antennas needed based on network size. Before the installation can proceed, it will be necessary to decide on the most suitable network topology (e.g., bus, ring, star, mesh, or hybrid), configure network IDs, security, and encryption protocols, and ensure redundancy. If there is an existing network, checking for potential compatibility issues will also be necessary.
- Installation: Once the preliminaries are complete, the next step is to install the access points and cabling and set up PoE (Power over Ethernet) or an external power source. After connecting and configuring switches, routers, access points, and controllers, it’s time for the next step.
- Testing: A competent and conscientious installation engineer will now perform tests to ensure complete area coverage and network performance, including speed, throughput, and latency, and to validate the security settings and access control measures. After identifying and resolving any signal weaknesses and dead zones, the installer should then document the final configuration and layout.
Although home WiFi solutions are generally less demanding, some older houses with thick walls and ceilings may require signal amplifiers if connectivity is needed in several rooms or on more than one floor.
Post-Installation Services from WiFi Installers
At this point, some installers might consider their job done. However, our policy at CCI Technologies is to maintain an ongoing supportive relationship with every client. Besides addressing issues like signal interference, failed connections, congestion, and bottlenecks due to slow speeds, we can set up remote monitoring tools, schedule essential firmware updates and security patches, and conduct periodic performance reviews.
If you are considering a home or business network and looking for experienced, competent WiFi installers, we tick all the above boxes. Contact us to discuss the perfect WiFi solutions for your needs.
