What is WiFi?

Wi-Fi is commonly explained as Wireless Fidelity; essentially it is wireless internet. Your router picks up Wi-Fi signals and an adapter within your computer allows, decodes and transfers the signal via radio frequency signals instead of a data cable.

The reliability of your Wi-Fi is dependent on the strength of your signal and there are many things that can affect your signal.

Wi-Fi is extremely beneficial when you have visitors to your office who have a laptop, tablet, or mobile that need to utilise a strong, secure signal. Another key reason that Wi-Fi is essential is its use in business collaboration; such as when you need to use AV equipment such as video conferencing or screen sharing on a TV for presentation purposes.

What are the Advantages of Business Wi-Fi?

Wi-Fi is essential for internal use as it can increase business productivity and enhance business collaboration by the following:

• No desk restrictions – your staff can pick their laptop or device up and move to another desk or perhaps a conference room and still remain connected. Ultimately, it means they aren’t tethered to one location when their job could take them all over the office.
• Increase Team Collaboration – colleagues can collaborate together in a team setting on projects, away from their desks.
• Operate Collaboration tools – you’ll have the ability to connect to AV technology to present presentations to internal or external people.
• Simple Infrastructure – you are no longer dictated to by wires and cables when your business grows or when you have an influx of visitors.

Public Wi-Fi network

Public Wi-Fi network is essentially opening your wi-fi network to the public so that everyone can access it. A Public Wi-Fi network is ideal if you have a physical location where visitors will be spending time such as a hotel, store or restaurant.

There are of course, security risks to consider which is why as a key rule you should keep all business operations on a separate network specifically for internal users.

Despite some risks, owning a Public Wi-Fi network can be hugely beneficial, for the following reasons:

• Marketing – you can have a fixed log-in page, where for users to obtain free Wi-Fi, they need to supply their emails and naturally be exposed to your promotional messages on the page.
• Increase footfall – if you advertise that you offer free Wi-Fi, that can be a huge draw for potential customers, especially, if they are looking to meet a business colleague.
• Increase repeat purchases – some people just need to sit down or burn time, so they’ll turn to their devices. If they can freely access your Wi-Fi, they may spend longer because they are more comfortable, which in turn can increase further purchases.

Mobile Wi-Fi

Mobile Wi-Fi is where you can make your mobile, a Wi-Fi hot spot.

A mobile hot spot allows other devices to utilise your data allowance to access documents which may be in the cloud, browse the internet or just generally carry out their job without needing to use a public network, connect via a cable or be in an office.

It is quite common occurrence and many mobile networks allow for this in data plans that they offer.

This can be particularly advantageous if you have travelling workers because it can:

• Increase your productivity, external to the office – whether your staff are travelling on a train, or attending a meeting at a customer’s office, they’ll be able to access your network and continue to work or process orders.
• Increase security – open Wi-Fi networks are frequented by hackers as quick-wins, by using their own mobile hot spot; your data is protected.
• Use other devices, securely – sometimes a mobile device is too small, so a tablet (or laptop) is a better solution but you need to connect to the internet; a mobile Wi-Fi hot spot allows you to do this and not be restricted by device.