What are Enterprise WiFi Solutions?

Introduction

Today, businesses need fast and reliable internet connectivity to be productive. This is true especially in sectors where companies utilize machine learning and artificial intelligence in their systems. This need has led to the rise of enterprise WiFi solutions. These are advanced networks that use strategic design, more access points, and better equipment to create reliable web connectivity for business users.

Enterprise WiFi utilizes slightly different management methods and protocols compared to consumer networks. The equipment can support bigger loads without being affected by dropped or dead signals. An administrator controls access so that only authorized people are able to connect. In short, enterprise WiFi is an advanced version of home WiFi built to manage the greater demands of public institutions and businesses.

Features of Enterprise WiFi Solutions

Configuration and Management

It is easy to set up your business WiFi network. You’ll need multiple access points to cover your entire building as well as outdoor area. However, manually configuring several access points can result in errors. Therefore, most business WLAN solution vendors provide a controller, switch, or manager. You can use the controller to configure just one device and the configuration will be replicated for all the access points.

However, using a controller for your WiFi network costs extra. To save this money, you can use a setup where the controller feature is offered by the access point itself. This provides you the benefit of central management while eliminating the cost of deploying an additional box in your Wi-Fi network.

Guest Access

Businesses might need to provide internet facility to their guests. For this purpose, they will need to separate guest traffic from employee traffic, which will also provide info on who uses the WiFi network. The solution is to provide a Captive Portal, where guests can register or logon via their social media account. The advantage is it saves the hassles of managing a guest network such as creating temporary user accounts, producing and offering vouchers, etc. You can assign separate vlans to separate your guest traffic from employee traffic.

Security

It is essential to protect your corporate WiFi network to prevent unauthorized users from gaining access to it. Most enterprise WiFi solutions offer user authentication and encryption options. This may be enough for a home Wi-Fi setup, but corporate networks have additional concerns. Your employees will use different devices to login, so it is essential to simultaneously support various security options.

For instance, you can utilize WPA2 encryption for handheld terminals and extra authentication for laptops as they are used to access confidential data. In addition, you need an Intrusion Detection tool that informs you when an unauthorized party tries to gain access to your network, so that you can take effective preventive measures.

Support for Mobility

To cover your entire office premises you would need multiple access points. Your company employees are sure to move around the building and outdoor areas as they work. As a result, they’ll move from one access point to another and it is essential that their connection does not drop in the process. There should be seamless handover, and especially for video and VoIP, support for fast roaming and mobility is most important.

Benefits of Enterprise Wi-Fi Solutions

Boosts Productivity and Collaboration

Employees can use WiFi to do their work efficiently and productively. They can send emails, access online content, and follow WebEx presentations from anywhere in the business premises. Collaboration is also boosted as team members are not chained to their desks and can gather anywhere to do their tasks in real time. Plus, workers use mobile devices to be productive on the go and the enterprise Wi-Fi solution makes them web-enabled in all places from conferences rooms to the canteen. Since they access sensitive business data, it is important to ensure the WiFi is secure.

Guest Access

It is important for businesses to provide internet access to customers, visitors, vendors, and business partners who may visit their office for project work or on-site meetings. For this purpose, you can install a separate guest WiFi network. This can be easily done by deploying Service Set Identifier (SSID) technology which allows you to set up multiple WiFi channels. Thus, you can have a secure business WiFi network and another open-access guest network. The advantage is you wouldn’t need to share the business network password with outsiders.

Secure Access

Leading enterprise WiFi solutions scan and protect your network from security dangers by detecting attacks and interference on all channels. They accomplish this automatically, without the need for human intervention.

Better Performance

Corporate WiFi solutions measure interference, throughput, signal strength, and channel utilization to provide you better performance automatically even in high-traffic conditions.

Insightful Analytics

You can get insights on useful data such as the number of visitors using the service, user dwell time, repeated visits, and more that you can employ to plan more effectively to maximize the gains from your enterprise Wi-Fi investment.