The Pros and Cons of Wireless Networks

Whether you own a small business or a big one, you need to be able to access your work files and records conveniently. In order to assess whether wireless networks are the right choice for your business, consider the following pros and cons:

Pros

Wi-Fi is easy to install- you can even do it yourself. However, to ensure that there is proper wireless coverage in your area as well as tight security settings, it is recommended that you have it installed from a professional. Wi-Fi is actually the preferred option over Ethernet by businesses and individuals alike.

The cost for purchasing the equipment for wireless networks is low, as there is a large variety to choose from as well as their easy availability. Depending on the usage in your workplace, especially if it is to be used by more than a few people, it is recommended to opt for commercial routers, which are slightly more expensive but worth the investment. You should also have signal amplifiers installed for better speed.

The biggest advantage of a wireless network is that you can access your files anywhere and are not bound by place and device. You can access the data through your phone, tablet or laptop from anywhere at all.

Cons

The hard truth is that Ethernet beats wireless every time! There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. The best that can happen is the margin by which Ethernet beats wireless. Although speed levels via Ethernet will depend on the quality of the Ethernet cable but a Cat-6 cable is capable of delivering speeds of up to 10 GB/s. For Wi-Fi on the other hand, this has improved by leaps and bounds over the last few years; the speed you receive may not depend so much on your internet connection but your Wi-Fi router. We have gone from the 50-something MB/s speeds of the 802.11g standard of Wi-Fi to the speeds of almost 1 GB/s via the 802.11ac standard. The bottleneck of course, is not the Wi-Fi standard but the routers used to deliver the Wi-Fi, which are capped at about 150-300 MB/s, unless you use the most up to date 802.11ac compatible devices available on the market.

There is also the issue of latency between Wi-Fi and a wired connection, which basically is point the points between which the internet signal has to bounce, also known as the number of ‘pings,’ between the router to your device. Wi-Fi has higher latency compared to Ethernet, thus Ethernet will be faster even if they both have equivalent data transfer infrastructure as a result of latency.

Another drawback is wireless inference which Ethernet is not subject to but you Wi-Fi connection will be due to the many issues such as other devices used in your Wi-Fi network, other individuals using the Wi-Fi spectrum in your neighborhood, etc.

Wireless networks have become very popular, especially for their mobility. This is why you may find several other networks in your place of business or work to be well in range. Wireless setup is considered a basic operating need due to its continuous rise with among businesses and homes. Furthermore, newer technologies are being developed increasing the overall bandwidth which serve Wi-Fi at speeds demanded by consumers and required for businesses.