Back in the day, all routers from the likes of BT, TalkTalk, Sky Broadband and Virgin Media were designed to bring your broadband to life at a single point of entry. There would usually be one port to wire your computer into and that was that ...
Firstly, all these providers tie you into lengthy contracts by offering special prices and also a free router. Secondly, a decent router on the open market is around £90- £150 on the open market so this price has to be factored into the contract.
In almost every network-supplied router I have looked at in the last 24 months, when a laptop or PC is plugged directly into the device, all is well and the advertised speed is obtained. But when connecting to the WiFi, the connection speeds vary and diminish over longer distances, especially in older, thick-stone-walled countryside houses.
A network cannot 'guarantee' consistent WiFi coverage as they have not done or never will do an air frequency survey. This is to check what other WiFi signals are floating around from all the neighbouring WiFi routers and also checks what frequency setting each is using.
BT are particularly naughty as their terms say that they can use part of your broadband connection, to share with any other BT Broadband customer, thus claiming to have the widest 'broadband' network in the UK.
Most routers are connected in one corner of the room where the incoming copper or fibre enters the building and then the kids are moaning about slow internet (even if you have a modern 1Gbps service.
The size, shape, and building materials making up of the walls and ceilings all contribute to how great, mediocre or absolutely diabolical the experience is in using the multitude of devices that now connect via your WiFi.
In an office environment, the story is slightly different as offices and commercial spaces normally have data cabling installed for wired connections. However, WiFi coverage is in big demand and for commercial applications, a lot more technical planning, with a higher level of skill set and knowledge is required!
As with any good engineer, if they deal in commercial applications, advising on domestic requirements is a walk in the park, but never trust a 'home engineer' to do a large-scale commercial deployment.
WiFi can work extremely well if, like me, you have the know-how.
If you feel inspired to find out more then do call me on 07555 807700 or leave a comment below and I'll be in touch as soon as I can.