PCSOFT Blog

Individuals and businesses are increasingly relying on wireless technologies to maintain constant connectivity because users rely on wireless networks. In recent years, numerous innovations have occurred in this space, and we thought that in this month's newsletter, we’d highlight some of the key innovations in the wireless domain that you should be aware of.

Businesses today need to have a robust and secure wireless network, but building one isn’t always that easy. Since there are a lot of machines that use your business’ Wi-Fi—from core machines that are essential to your business’ productivity, to IoT devices that your employees or customers bring onto the network—it is important to understand how best to structure your wireless networks to meet the demands that are put on them. 

Businesses’ data needs are changing. Over the past few years, more care about data security, and with the amount of dangerous threats expanding as well, it is important to ensure that any technology moves you make don’t end up putting your business in harm’s way. Today, we’ll talk about the pros and cons of wiring up your computer network. 

Once you’ve experienced the freedom of using a wireless device, it’s hard to go back to being tied down to your desk. How nice would it be to have your office be completely wireless? In years past, this was a dream or something out of science fiction. Now, however, the all-wireless office is quite possible.

Granted, converting your office (which is likely already utilizing Wi-Fi and various wireless devices) to an all-wireless workplace may not be easy. Although, for organizations wishing to make the wireless leap, investing in wireless technologies will prove worth it.

This claim is proven true in a recent study by Cisco via their “Connected Workspace” project. In order to test out the cost-effectiveness of operating a wireless office, Cisco removed allocated desks and offices in favor of hot-desks and meeting spaces that support mobile devices. ITProPortal reports on the project’s bottom line: “The result has been a 30 percent reduction in floor space per person, increased productivity and a saving of $2.5k saving per employee per year.”

For companies with a large office building and large workforce, just do the math. Numbers like this should be tantalizing in regards to what’s possible for your own office.

Of course, transitioning to an all-wireless office isn’t going to happen overnight just because you decreed it. A decision to go wireless needs to be accompanied by a well-thought-out plan that takes into consideration the networking needs of your business (both current and future), security protocols, hardware needs, and more. If you’re serious about transitioning to a wireless office, we recommend starting out by thinking through these four wireless networking challenges.

• The management of your network: Don’t think for a moment that the conveniences of going wireless means that you can take it easy in regards to managing your network. You will still need a comprehensive networking plan, which must include protecting your data from the unique threats posed by having more access points.
• Deploying resource-heavy solutions that use voice and video: Consider the major bandwidth drain your network would experience if every employee used their mobile device to participate in a single video conference. While this scenario is unlikely, it just goes to show that your wireless network needs to be strong enough to handle high demanding tasks such as this during peak hours, lest you experience bottlenecking issues and dreaded downtime.
• Higher user density from having multiple employees with multiple devices gathered in one spot: You’ll also want to account for physical meetings. If your workers are all gathered in one spot and each person is making use of their mobile device, then this kind of demand may cause lag if such a spot isn’t accounted for by placing strong Wi-Fi routers nearby.
• Meeting high user expectations: When implementing a wireless network, you’ll want to avoid spotty coverage and have wireless signal available at every conceivable spot, like the parking lot and even the bathrooms (gross, but true). For the most part, end users have high expectations when it comes to accessing a wireless network. If you make the announcement that you're now an all-wireless office and your team is experiencing connectivity issues while in the break room, you’ll be sure to hear about it ad nauseum.

For most businesses, instead of completely upgrading to wireless technology in one big move, a more prudent approach would be to gradually go wireless as you upgrade your network, piece-by-piece. For example, when it’s time for a hardware refresh, migrate your data to the cloud and replace older workstations with mobile devices.

Whether your office goes wireless as soon as possible, or over the course of the next few years, the fact remains that the future of the modern office is wireless and your business will benefit by taking advantage of this trend sooner rather than later. For assistance implementing wireless technology or overseeing any of your company’s networking needs (wireless and/or wired), be sure to seek out the help of the IT pros by calling 02 98730080 today.

Today’s business owners are more mobile than ever before. The modern worker is no longer tethered to their desk at the office, and instead, can work in ways which allow them to get the most out of their workday. Wireless technology is great, but how does it affect your network? Should you stick with a wired network connection, or should you try to make that wireless, too?

The question of whether or not your business should go completely wireless is tricky to answer. There are advantages and disadvantages to both wired and wireless technology, and every business’s needs will differ. Here are some arguments to consider when contemplating the conundrum of a wireless network infrastructure.

The Case for Wireless
The primary reason that folks tend to use wireless technology is for the lack of wires that restrict mobility. By eliminating the wired components of your network infrastructure, you’re effectively eliminating the need to run cables all over the office to add new workstations and other pieces of hardware to it. The end result is a scalable network that makes your technology much easier to remember.

Of course, wireless technology isn’t completely impervious to failure. Your wireless connection could be disrupted by something as commonplace as a microwave or other household appliance. Plus, it becomes absolutely critical that your business secures any and all access points to your network, with some sort of encryption or password security protocol. Any unauthorized devices (and even those that are authorized) can become a threat to your business’s network infrastructure, which is why your organization needs to implement a comprehensive Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy that’s designed to target Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

The Case for Wired
In comparison to wireless technology, businesses that utilize a wired network infrastructure tend to experience increased security and reliability. Any new devices added to the network need to be physically plugged into an access point in order to connect, which means that you don’t have any random hackers accessing via your wireless signal. A wired connection isn’t going to be blocked by walls, floor, or the like, making it somewhat more reliable than the typical wireless network signal.

Wired technology, unlike wireless, makes for a much more complex infrastructure that isn’t so easily altered. Adding new users and equipment demands a certain level of consideration and expertise that only trained professionals should provide. Plus, being tied down to your location is somewhat unappealing, making it much more difficult to properly leverage your business’s technology.

Whether you focus on a wired infrastructure, or you want to concentrate on improving mobility with a wireless network solution, PCSOFT has your back. To learn more, give us a call at 02 98730080.