Mobile devices have become more and more prominent over the years. It used to be that every electronic, even laptops, needed a hardline connection to have Internet and network access. While wireless connections do still have faster data speeds nine times out of ten, they cannot quite compare to the convenience of Wi-Fi. Having Internet access remotely has become even more important with the rise of cell phones, tablets, and other handheld electronic devices. Being able to carry a device from room to room without having to unplug a cable, find a new Ethernet port, and plug the cable back in every time is a huge time saver. Keeping our devices always at-the-ready makes it easier than ever to check emails, keep up with the news, look at weather reports, and more.
While some similar technologies were around as far back as the mid-80s, it was not until 1997 that Wi-Fi entered the public domain. It quickly became popular and by 1999 a non-profit organization called the Wi-Fi Alliance had formed to provide certification for Wi-Fi technologies. Operating on radio frequencies, Wi-Fi can be broadcast within the range of a single-family home or across an entire city, provided powerful enough equipment is being used. The ability to have access to the Internet, the vast sum of knowledge recorded throughout all of human history, and the communications technology it provides has drastically changed civilization on a global scale over the last 20 years.
Installing Wi-Fi Networks
Out of all the different pieces of modern technology on the market today, Wi-Fi is one of the easiest to set up. That being said, there is a bit of forethought that goes into Wi-Fi installation. The pre-installation checklist involves two schools of thought: a cabling survey and a wireless survey. The cabling survey is pretty straightforward and is used for any type of installation that involves running cables through walls, floors, and ceilings. The existing infrastructure needs to be examined to make sure there is room for new cables to come through as needed. The wireless survey, on the other hand, is unique to a Wi-Fi installation.
Every building has a different layout and different needs, which will determine where the equipment generating a Wi-Fi signal (routers or modems) should be located. The further away a device is from a Wi-Fi signals point of origin, the weaker that signal will be. This can slow down loading speeds when using online functionality. Large, open area are the best for Wi-Fi signals since nothing blocks them. Anything in the way of the signal will causing some blocking through. Desks, chairs, floors, walls, and even people can degrade Wi-Fi signal quality. Particularly denser objects. For example, Wi-Fi will experience more signal loss going through a brick wall than a wooden wall. Wi-Fi signals do come with different strength ratings, so some of these issues can be worked around by simply using more powerful equipment.
Professional Wi-Fi Network Installations
During a professional Wi-Fi network installation, a site surveyor can come out to look at the facility and perform the cabling and wireless surveys. If there are blueprints or other documents detailing that information, someone may not even need to come take a look prior to the job. Regardless of how they acquire that information, an installation plan should be put together before an installer arrives so that they can get to work right away. It does help to have someone on-site to let the installer in and point them in the right direction if their work is taking place in specific parts of the facility. Otherwise, they will need some other way to have access to the building.
In any event, a professional installer should be able to implement a Wi-Fi network fairly quickly. Exactly how long it takes will depend on the scope of the project, but setting up each individual router is not a time-consuming process. While most routers configure themselves to network settings automatically, a professional should also check the network settings to ensure the software is running as well as the hardware. Once that is done, the new Wi-Fi network will be ready to go.
