Top 3 Wireless Connection Problems: And How to Resolve Them

Wireless connectivity has become the lifeblood of businesses everywhere. You rely on a stable Wi-Fi connection for almost everything ranging from email to teleconferencing. So, when your wireless network connection slows down or becomes unreliable it has a negative impact on your office operations, employee productivity, and even your customers. Learn how to quickly and easily troubleshoot the three most common wireless connection problems.

Wireless Connection Problems

Most dropped Wi-Fi connections are the result of environmental factors such as too many devices sharing bandwidth or interference from thick concrete walls. To troubleshoot dropped connections, start with the obvious and work backwards:

• Are all the cables plugged in correctly to the modem and router?
• Are the modem and router working properly (status lights on and solid)?

If these physical causes have been ruled out, it’s time to look at the modem and router configuration:

• Ping. A ping test helps confirm the transmission of sufficient Wi-Fi signal. This test can be run from the modem, router interface (most include a Ping tool), or command prompt (simply type “ping” followed by an IP address or URL—for example, “ping http://www.microsoft.com”). If the test fails after trying several sites, the problem may be with the modem, router, or Internet Service Provider.
• Change the channel. Routers offer multiple frequencies, or “channels”, so if users experience intermittent connectivity, the cause may be interference with the current channel.
• Is the modem or router’s firmware up to date? Make sure the modem and router are running the latest firmware from the original equipment manufacturer.

Dead Spots in Your Workplace

Like any radio-wave based communication, Wi-Fi is susceptible to interference from walls, electric and electronic devices (microwaves, baby monitors, refrigerators), and other Wi-Fi networks. Similarly, the further a wireless device is placed from a router or modem, the weaker the Wi-Fi signal becomes. Before troubleshooting dead spots, they need to be found. Doing so can be as simple as walking through an office space with a smartphone and noticing where the signal drops. Employees might be able to help identify where trouble spots exist; however, hiring an expert to do complete a full network analysis is worth it’s weight in gold.

Taking the following actions will help your business overcome Wi-Fi dead spots in the workplace:

• Install additional routers or extenders to extend wireless coverage.
• Eliminate or shield sources of interference.
• Set routers to a different channel to reduce wireless network congestion.
• If these steps don’t fix the problem, run a cable through the walls to physically connect routers or modems.

Slow Network Speeds

Nothing will cause employees to blow their stack like a slow Internet connection! Fortunately, some of the most common reasons for poor network performance can be easily remedied:

• Make sure modems and routers are using the latest wireless standards, such as 802.11ac.
• Establish acceptable use policies to reduce or eliminate excessive burden on the wireless network. For example, are employees streaming Pandora or playing Internet games during their lunch break?
• Don’t daisy-chain routers to extend the wireless network. Each router added in this way means that the wireless signal has to travel that much farther.
• If running cloud-based applications, make sure there is bandwidth to support them.
• Guard against and eliminate malware on the network.
• Make sure devices are using the right Domain Name System (DNS) servers and that those DNS servers are located within close proximity to networked systems.

A managed services provider can help engineer a wireless network to reduce and eliminate connectivity or latency issues before they start. Contact us today to speak with a qualified, professional network engineer.