Wi-Fi Best Practices
Proper Network Setup
Have you ever held up your phone in an attempt to get just one more signal bar? Wi-Fi is no different. There will be some places in your home that get a strong signal and other places that simply don’t get one at all. Perhaps there is a concrete wall getting in the way, or just too many walls in general. Or maybe your nanny cams, microwave, or other noisy appliances are interfering with your Wi-Fi signal strength.
The reality is, the wireless spectrum is a very busy place, especially if you live in a city like San Diego. In fact, something as simple as being on the same channel as everyone else in your neighborhood can have a negative impact on your Wi-Fi signal performance. Wi-Fi can be quite fickle. Which is why avoiding issues like blind spots and interference by setting your home network up correctly in the first place is so important.
Proper network setup is an important aspect of wireless performance. Most of our mobile and entertainment devices rely solely on Wi-Fi for Internet and streaming media services, and everyday, more products and ideas rely on the wireless medium for success. Take a look at your kids, your colleagues, and even your parents. Everyone is consuming content wirelessly!
It is imperative that a wireless network be transparent to its end users. In other words, the network just needs to work. Every network is unique. There is no one size fits all. Things like coverage area, client devices, traffic, mobility requirements, avoiding obstacles, appliances and equipment all play a role in defining a home network that is right for you. With this in mind, we offer some insight on Wi-Fi best practices.
DID YOU KNOW?
A plasterboard wall reduces your Wi-Fi signal strength by as much as 50%!
Wi-Fi Best Practices: Coverage Area
For great Wi-Fi, you need even coverage. Building construction materials such as bricks or metal as well as distance can cause your home to work against your wireless network. Which is why understanding how your square footage, number of floors, and the materials used to build your home can have an impact a negative on your Wi-Fi signal strength. Obstacles that might block or deteriorate signal quality like metal studs, reflective glass, brick walls, all need to be considered when building your home network. From dead zones in the far corners of your home to overall poor signal strength, you might be in a situation where your existing Wi-Fi is struggling to keep up with the demands of your household. If this is the case, you may need multiple access points as a part of your home network design. Open floors typically need fewer access points per square foot than divided areas with many rooms. As a general rule of thumb, you need at least one access point per 1,000-1,500 square feet and per 30 client devices.
DID YOU KNOW?
That building materials like a wooden door, dry wall, or a cinder block, all affect your Wi-Fi signal by reducing it’s strength!
Network Requirements: Client Devices
With the multitude of connected home products as well as Wi-Fi enabled devices it’s important to how many devices will be connected at any given time. The reason this is so important is that older devices can limit performance for newer and faster equipment unless you plan for it. As a general rule of thumb, you should be using one access point per 30 devices. Client devices include things like computers, smart phones, media devices, and so on. Both coverage area and number of devices will have an impact on performance.
DID YOU KNOW?
Distance and interference are the biggest offenders to Wi-Fi speeds. They can bring the effective throughput down to <1Mbps!
Araknis Networks®
Connectivity for Every Environment
Araknis offers a line of enterprise-grade switches (unmanaged, managed, and managed with PoE) that have been engineered to meet today’s most stringent networking requirements for powerful performance and big bandwidth. Equipped with top-grade, focused feature sets and support for 1 Gbps across all ports simultaneously, they offer the connectivity needed for even the most demanding environments. Developing a product is one thing. Making sure it performs to expectations is another. Every access point, switch, and router we sell has been put to the test in the Araknis Lab, ensuring strength, quality, and reliability. From temperature testing in our thermal chamber to full bandwidth and surge testing, they push their products to the limit. For anyone that wants the best Wi-Fi experience possible, Araknis Networks delivers top speed and incredible performance, wherever you need it. Why settle for anything else?
Access Points
Designed with you in mind, these wireless access points provide industry-leading speed, coverage, and reliability. Plus, Fast Roaming capability allows for optimum performance in any environment.
Routers
The Araknis 300-series routers include dual-Gigabit WANs that can be configured to load-balancing or link failover modes, extensive VPN support, and an embedded firewall for wide-ranging network security.
Switches
Support all your network needs with a full line of professional-grade switches. The entire Araknis switch family offers full Gigabit throughput, PoE/PoE+, and cloud management through OvrC to monitor and control your network from miles away.
THE NEED FOR SPEED
When it comes to networking, every second counts.
Araknis Networks® + OvrC
With the OvrC Home app, you have complete control over your home network. Sometimes the smallest system issues can cause big problems, whether you’re watching late night TV or in the middle of a big party. Remote assistance means Shultz Audio Video can now investigate and fix common problems without needing to meet you at home. When it’s late at night, early in the morning, or just not convenient to call a our office, you can use OvrC Home, an optional mobile app personalized by our team, to resolve common issues and manage your network via parental controls.
QvrC
Convenient
With the touch of a button, you can fix small problems without needing to know system complexities. Through the app, you will be able to reset any OvrC-enabled devices, plus devices connected to individual WattBox outlets or Araknis PoE ports.
PARENTAL CONTROLS
Filter Content
Through the OvrC Home app, your can manage Wi-Fi access and filter network content with the push of a button. With easy-to-setup user profiles, parents can schedule and restrict Wi-Fi access to anyone on the network.
REMOTE ASSISTANCE
Non-Invasive Support
Sometimes the smallest system issues can cause big problems, whether you’re watching late night TV or in the middle of a big party. Remote assistance means we can now investigate and fix common problems without needing to meet you at home.
San Diego Home Networking Specialists
As a provider of home networking and Wi-Fi solutions in San Diego, Shultz Audio Video, brings high value to each of our clients. At Shultz Audio Video, our values drive who we are and what we do. We pride ourselves on building one-to-one relationships with each of our clients. We are passionate about providing the very best home networking solutions on the market. Our promise to you, to provide you with solutions that fit your needs and your budget, deliver the solutions that bring your high-speed Internet dreams come to life, and provide you with a level of service that makes you feel important because the truth is, you are! Our team of San Diego Home Networking, Experts will help you bring your home into the modern connected world. We offer home network and Wi-Fi solutions designed for homes of any size. Not sure what you need? We want to make certain you are getting the exact solution that you need for your home. Call us today to schedule your free home network evaluation (760) 505-7461.
