Sluggish Network? Why Employees Could Be the Cause
The internet of things (IoT) has enabled people and businesses to be more connected than ever. The problem? This can result in a very sluggish network for businesses. We’re constantly available to take calls from friends, family, colleagues, employers, and business connections. The world is moving at light speed; however, many small business owners are finding they aren’t equipped to handle the surplus demand placed on their office network. The culprit? Mobile phone service providers are beginning to introduce Voiceover LTE (VoLTE) to the masses as a means of placing and receiving cellular calls. VoLTE uses existing Wi-Fi networks to place phone calls and eliminates the need for traditional cell towers. This can bring network speeds to a crawl if mishandled.
What is Wi-Fi Calling?
Wi-Fi calling connects calls over a Wi-Fi network instead of a cellular network in areas where cell service is poor but Wi-Fi is available. This increases service coverage and helps to prevent dropped calls due to lack of service. Many operators like Sprint and T-Mobile now offer phones with built-in Wi-Fi calling. Wi-Fi calling is becoming widely adopted even in areas where cellular service is reliable and it will most likely replace traditional signal as the standard.
How Wi-Fi Calling Affects Your Business
It’s easy to place the blame on internet service providers (ISPs) like Comcast or CenturyLink; however, slow networks are usually not caused by ISPs. In most cases, there are other issues within the network infrastructure itself and how it’s designed or being used. For example, Wi-Fi enabled phones will automatically switch service to accessible Wi-Fi networks such as home and office networks. This means that if you have employees or clients connecting to your Wi-Fi network and taking calls – those employees could be slowing down your network substantially by using your bandwidth.
What You Can Do About A Sluggish Network?
Increase your Wi-Fi signal to make up for any increased usage:
- Access points can be placed around your building to boost wireless coverage, especially in larger buildings.
- Smart antennas can be installed to reduce signal issues and increase data speed.
- Traffic optimization technology can be used to minimize the effects of programs that may slow down network speeds.
Keep in mind that Wi-Fi calling is only one of many reasons why your network could be slow. Malicious software programs, faulty equipment, and background software applications can all result in sluggish network speeds. To optimize your network speed your infrastructure should be analyzed objectively from all angles.
All Phases IT is a Denver-based managed IT service provider dedicated to supporting the IT needs of small businesses. Contact us to speak with one of our computer networking consultants and get the speed your business needs to operate efficiently.
