Blog
Certain problems are especially common in large enterprise networks. Learn how the tools from 7SIGNAL can help
Any network team within a large enterprise knows how critical it is to business success to have continuous, fast, high-performing Wi-Fi. The mobile workplace now requires that employees and clients be connected anywhere and everywhere, which requires a reliable connection that can adapt to an always-changing network environment.
These common roadblocks can hinder the success of networks, especially within large enterprises:
1. Congestion
Congestion can be a big challenge for any network, but especially for large organizations that are co-located within buildings with other companies. When multiple wireless networks exist close together like this, the wireless signals may bleed together and cause significant congestion on a given frequency.
2. Troubleshooting
A lot can go wrong when trying to troubleshoot an issue. Think of the average user—if something goes wrong on their individual device, they are likely to automatically think it’s the Wi-Fi network. Thus, they’ll call the help desk, an investigation that takes time and resources will be conducted, and, much of the time, the real issue will have to do with the device itself.
In a survey from ZK Research on Wi-Fi troubleshooting, 64 percent of respondents reported that Wi-Fi was the issue, but only 40 percent of reports were verified by the network management team as being due to the network. Unfortunately, the fact that there’s a big gap between what the end-user thinks is going on and what the IT team actually finds means that troubleshooting itself can be a time waster and can lead the focus to the wrong problem area.
3. Remote location performance
Extremely large enterprises most likely have more than one operating location with remote sites using the Wi-Fi, and remote maintenance to handle any issues. Problematically, the Wi-Fi experience can vary greatly from site to site and offsite IT staff don’t have the perspective to accurately troubleshoot some problems. A lot of time and energy can be wasted without the right support tools in place.
4. Not enough bandwidth
The bandwidth for your network determines the amount of data that can be transferred and the speed at which it happens. This can be a big problem for large enterprises, especially those that are growing quickly and outpacing their needs. It can be a challenge to know how much a network requires until it’s too late and users start to experience poor performance.
5. Maintaining public and private networks
Many organizations offer both public and private Wi-Fi networks so that guests can also connect to the internet when they’re in the area. While this is a plus for user experience and customer satisfaction, it increases complexity and adds security management tasks.
6. Failing to solve an underlying problem
Because the performance and quality of Wi-Fi is based on so many different factors, it can be easy to assume you’ve found the problem without much digging. You then solve that issue, yet the overall problem persists. Quick “fixes” aren’t enough to get to the underlying problem with the Wi-Fi—thorough and proactive wireless network monitoring is.
7. No support for roaming
Roaming allows users to move throughout the network’s coverage area seamlessly without losing service. When a device moves from one access point (AP) to the next, there’s no interruption. Without adequate roaming support, connections could be lost when they’re needed most.
Why wireless network monitoring tools are a must
Many things can go wrong with your enterprise network. There are so many moving parts and people that it’s a challenge to manage it all and accurately isolate and address a variety of potential issues. To ensure that you have continuous, high-quality performance, it’s crucial to implement network monitoring tools that will run constantly and alert you to any problems before the end-user experiences any drop or slow down.
Wireless network monitoring (WNM) services track your network’s connection and data rates, packet latency, client throughput, voice quality, signal strength, RF interference, end-user experience, and more. Only by monitoring it all can you ensure that high-density areas and timeframes are accounted for and that the right issues are addressed right away. And WNM means you’re getting to the bottom of the problem, not just trying to implement a quick fix.
7SIGNAL’s wireless network monitoring solutions will maximize network uptime, device connectivity, and your network ROI. We monitor and test from the client’s point of view so that you see exactly what’s happening in real-time.
7SIGNAL® is a leader in enterprise Wireless Network Monitoring. The 7SIGNAL platform is a cloud-based Wireless Network Monitoring (WNM) solution that continuously troubleshoots the wireless network for performance issues – maximizing network uptime, device connectivity, and network ROI. The platform was designed for the world’s most innovative organizations, educational institutions, hospitals, and government agencies and is currently deployed at Booz Allen Hamilton, IBM, Kaiser Permanente, Walgreens, Microsoft, and many others. 7SIGNAL continuously monitors the connectivity of over 4 million global devices. Learn more at www.7signal.com.