Many businesses use wired connections to get their employees on the internet. There are a few good reasons for this, namely that most employees in any given office will be working on a desktop PC while there. Since virtually all employees are desk-based while at the office, even those with a laptop are easily and painlessly able to connect through a Ethernet cable without any real complaints, especially since wireless networks are often slower than their wired counterparts.
So for small offices, it can seem a bit pointless to spend extra on a reliable router and have someone who can maintain it and fix it if or when it breaks. There are, however, a few situations in which your business should consider hooking up a wireless router and ensuring it works.
First, you may want to have the wireless network for meetings with visitors. Often, visitors will have their own computers and will want to connect them to the internet in your meeting room. If you haven’t got an extra Ethernet connection for them, they can be left without valuable information that would enhance your meetings and end with the results you both want.
Secondly, your employees probably wouldn’t mind the extra flexibility that a wireless network would grant them. Laptop users might relish the ability to work away from their desks once in a while; a change of scenery can, not surprisingly, do wonders for their work rate. If your wireless router is good enough, your employees might even be able to work outside. Heading out on a sunny day is the perfect boost to happiness and thus productivity.
If you do intend to purchase a router, there are a few important things to consider before you buy. Placement of the router is an important consideration. Routers have only a limited range, so don’t place one too far away from your board room. It’s unlikely that you’ll find a router which will send out a signal throughout the entire building, especially if your office is particularly large, but aim for the one which is proven to project a fair distance.
It’s also worth having at least a couple of employees who understand how to operate it in case of problems. It shouldn’t be a big job to maintain the router, but it is important to know how to reset it if it stops working and what connection goes where. They should also be in charge of security, setting the passwords and keeping them safe for when your visitors do request internet access. You don’t want people to steal your paid-for office internet access, especially important when your office is located in a city and people will have plenty of opportunity to do so.
The router can also free up your office. If your employees have no need to hook their computers into ethernet ports, they can move about at will, say spending a day next to someone working on a project and the next day with someone else. Laptops immediately become the useful, moveable tools they were designed to be.
Large offices may struggle more, as most routers are incapable of sending a signal further than the range of an average house. These businesses may require external IT support to set up a wireless network that will cover the entire building and guarantee internet access for everyone.
If your office hasn’t set up a wireless network, even now that we’re ten years into the twenty-first century, it is time.