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This is the support site for Andrews & Arnold Ltd, a UK Internet provider. Information on these pages is generally for our customers but may be useful to others, enjoy!

Category:WiFi Challenges and Limitations: Difference between revisions

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This may not be as daunting as it sounds - you do not need to run a separate cable from every device back to a central point (structured cabling). High speed (gigabit) switches are surprisingly cheap, and can even be powered over the Ethernet cable, so getting one cable behind the TV could easily power a switch with 4 ports that connect to TV, Sky box, Apple TV, and so on without even needing an extra power socket. Our support staff will be happy to explain options with switches and cables if you need.
 
==The fabric of the building==
 
The methods employed in the construction of your property will impact the usability of WiFi, and not always in the ways one might expect. There are not general rules of thumb about the age of the property. It is impossible to simply say "older buildings are worse for wifi", for example.
Buildings with timber/drywall stud walls often make WiFi connectivity between rooms easier, unless any 'foil backed' drywall has been used, which always makes matters far worse.
 
==2.4GHz -vs- 5GHz WiFi==
 
Conventional wisdom often suggests that a switch from 2.4GHz WiFi over to 5GHz will immediately yield improved performance. This is often absolutely true. But it is important to explain the difference between the two, and where 2.4GHz might actually be better.
5GHz is a much later standard, and as a result fewer devices support it. This means that 5GHz is a less congested band.
 
==The Laws of Physics==
 
There are some aspects of physics that can come into play as well. 2.4GHz will tend to travel through solid objects (like brick and concrete walls) somewhat better than 5GHz. Inside of an individual property, this may actually be an advantage, since the 2.4GHz signal from an access point to a device will be stronger. On the other hand, the outside walls of the building will tend to let in more stray signals from neighbouring networks.
Just to add to the confusion there is a new WiFi standard that can use multiple frequencies together, called WiFi6. It may be a few years before this is a sensible choice, and at present the equipment for this is very expensive. In the long term the WiFi standards are always improving and could make WiFi in the home simpler and better.
 
==No guarantees - but we'll always try our best to help you==
 
The service we sell is "Internet Access", and we work hard to ensure the performance of that service is the best it can be. But that is a service up to the broadband router. WiFi is down to the equipment you connect to your Internet service.
We can also never guarantee that a WiFi network will continue to work indefinitely. We have experienced situations where the RF environment around a customer's property has changed (for example, an increase in the number of neighbours running WiFi networks, causing more congestion on the channels). Obviously a neighbour's activities are entirely outside of our control. We can usually improve matters by doing a site survey, and looking for a quieter channel on which to place our customer's WiFi. But, again, this is not always possible.
 
==More advanced access points, more of them, and sensible locations==
 
The inbuilt access point in most broadband routers will almost never be as good as a dedicated access point, or, even better, multiple access points covering a property. If it's possible to do so, installing access points on each floor of the property, or in each area (or even room), properly configured, will give the best chance of good WiFi performance throughout.
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