Building Structures and How They Affect Your WiFi
Whether your business is in a historical landmark or a cutting-edge skyscraper, your office space affects your WiFi’s performance. WiFi works by transmitting and receiving radio signals, and a building’s materials and size can disrupt those transmissions.
If your WiFI is experiencing slow speeds, interruptions, or problems connecting, your building may be to blame–and you will need business-dedicated internet professionals like celito to fix it.
celito is the premiere internet company in Raleigh, NC. We provide top-notch dedicated fiber internet to local businesses, as well as IT consulting, data center, and internet phone services.
We are your local business dedicated internet specialists, and we have the internet solutions your office needs.
Size and Space
You may already understand that the closer you are to your router, the stronger the WiFi signal will be. A standard office building needs at least one WiFi access point per 3,000-7,000 square feet.
So, a major consideration for your business is where to place your WiFi router. In a small office, the answer is simple: place the router in a location that is central to the devices that need to connect to it.
However, to cover a larger area, you may want to consider other options. You can look into a WiFi signal booster, adding another router, or even using a more reliable dedicated fiber internet ethernet connection.
You should always consider situating the access point away from walls, reinforced pillars, or large metallic objects. Why? Keep reading to find out!
Once you’ve selected the best access point for your space, you will need help from a local internet company in Raleigh, NC to help configure your equipment and network. The smallest tweaks that can drastically improve performance.
Materials
No matter how you situate your router in your space, the materials used to construct your building can have a major impact on your WiFi. Just like any other radio signal, WiFi can be absorbed and disrupted by other materials.
Construction materials that can have a negative impact on your WiFi performance include:
- Concrete: Concrete is one of the most common construction materials, and it is also one of the thickest–which makes it one of the worst materials for WiFi. Whether it is reinforced with metal or not, concrete blocks WiFi signals.
- Metal: Metal conducts electricity, which means that it can absorb electromagnetic radiowaves like WiFi. Not only can metal in your building’s construction have an effect, but large metal furniture and blinds can also disrupt your WiFi.
- Brick: Similar to concrete, brick is very thick and dense, and it tends to interfere with WiFi.
- Plaster Metal Lath: Many walls and ceilings are coated in plaster, a combination of lime, gypsum, and cement. Plaster slows down WiFi signals, regardless of the wall’s thickness.
- Windows: The glass in windows reflects light, interfering with WiFi signals. Low-emissivity windows are particularly treacherous because they have a metallic film.
- Mirrors: Mirrors are backed with a thin layer of metal. While a small mirror is unlikely to affect WiFi signals, a mirrored wall will.
- Water: While your office may not have a water wall, if your router is positioned near pipes in the wall and the signal has to travel through the water, it can be negatively impacted.
If you have control over your office space construction, consider more WiFi-friendly construction materials. Plywood and drywall have been shown to have nearly zero effect on WiFi signals.
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