How to Set Up a Safe and Fast Business Wi-Fi Network

Free Wi-Fi access is no longer unique to coffee shops—plenty of latte-less businesses support wireless internet access because it’s simply good business. A wireless solution could also be essential if your employees frequently use phones or laptops for work. Either way, if you’re planning on creating a business Wi-Fi network, it’s important to review a few important points that will protect your business and keep any Wi-Fi users happy.

First things first: you’ll need internet access. Scout out the best business-grade satellite or fiber internet providers with your business’s needs in mind, and choose the one you think fits your company best.

If your guest network needs to expand to multiple floors or rooms, you might need additional access points to avoid poor performance. Different devices expand your network’s coverage in alternate ways and come with different names to match—boosters, repeaters, and extenders. Find the type of setup your business needs to make sure no one in your business space is struggling with a weak signal. As you add access points, you might need to consider a wireless local area network (or WLAN) controller to manage multiple access points in one place.

The devices connecting to your network will also need to be wireless-enabled, of course, but nowadays, all mobile devices should be Wi-Fi ready. Keep in mind that any desktop computers might need additional hardware (in lieu of an Ethernet cable) to connect to Wi-Fi.

Although a wireless network does a lot of work on its own, it still needs a bit of management and support from time to time. ISPs sometimes offer managed networks to their business customers, taking over monitoring and managing tasks to free up time for your employees. These tasks might include the following:

• Optimizing system performance
• Monitoring download speeds
• Collecting data on a daily basis
• Device troubleshooting
• Updating firmware
• Managing network controls and restraints
• Connection point-of-sale (POS) devices like tablets or registers
• Connecting Internet of Things (IoT) devices like laptops and smart phones

An in-house IT team can work on these tasks. But if your business would rather spend that time elsewhere, a managed network could be the perfect solution. You can talk to your current ISP about network management if it’s available, or you can look for a business that will offer that support right from the start.

You don’t want to overlook network security any more than you want to leave your business doors unlocked at night—either mistake could cost you. Hackers can steal secure data from your business or your customers if you don’t take the necessary steps to protect your wireless network.

You’ll also want to ensure your router uses a more secure encryption protocol like WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access 2) and not an outdated protocol like WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy). You can change to WPA security under your router’s settings or upgrade your router if the option isn’t available.

Finally, it’s also essential to separate private and public access of your network. You don’t want your customers on the same network as your employees. You can use different service set identifiers (SSIDs), one for your business network and one for your guest network, to separate the two.

For most businesses, a Wi-Fi guest network makes a lot of sense. And even if your business doesn’t have visitors, your employees might favor the freedom of Wi-Fi for their laptops instead of a network cable. Use this article to pin down some of the important steps to take as you set up your business Wi-Fi. And please let us know about any other important Wi-Fi tips you’ve come across in the comments below!

Disclaimer

At Business.org, our research is meant to offer general product and service recommendations. We don't guarantee that our suggestions will work best for each individual or business, so consider your unique needs when choosing products and services.