Do I need cables?

Wireless networks have come of age in the last few years, “n” standard offers users network speeds ot 150Mbps and the “ac” standard can accelerate that past the 800Mbps level while the lowly cable is still a fixed and boring 1000Mbps.

First lets out speed into perspective, most of us use online services, we use our home wireless which is 20-100Mbps quite happily watching YouTube, browsing websites, shoping, using apps, watching NetFlix, without any problems, the internet connection we are using is probably the same speed or slower than the internet connection we have so we do not notice any problems. We also often share this wireless with our family, two or three poeople happiliy using an internet connection and wireless network without any problems.

An HD movie, (1080p) will require 22Mbps to function play
A 30MB Excel file however will take 10 seconds to open or save at the same speed.

Multiple users make the biggest difference though. a wireless access point which says it has a speed of 300Mbps means it, in total for all its connected users. In a house of 3 concurrent users that is find, it gives 100Mbps each however in an office of 30 people it is less than 10Mbps each and with overhead even lower.

Because of this a consumer level device is not appropriate for a commercial environment, you require a device which can effectively balance the traffic between the users. A normal router allows each connected device a “turn” to send and receive information. it does this by constantly switching its focus between each of the devices connected. When it has a single connection it can do one at a time but more advanced commercial equipment can connect to multiple devices at the same time. This means a technology called MIMO.

The down side to this technology is longer latency and “jitter” depending on the access point load and the can lower the quality of VOIP as well as frustrating video and other interactive apps. To resolve this again the device should be aware of the application data which goes through the device so it can assign the correct priority, an email for example requires no quality of service as it will arrive as a completed item and can be re-read at leisure. A voice conversation however is time critcal and the audio needs to be delivered ins a “steam” in the correct order otherwise it will just not work.

Cables on the other hand operate with 1000Mbps between the connected device and the “switch”. Unless it is a very old swithc it is likely to be able to switch data at your

To conclude, CenCom always recommend the use of cables as a default. when implimenting wireless CenCom would install for small organisations the Draytek system where the devices are to support peoples mobile phones and the occasional wireless guest or laptop. When wanting more robust and mission critical wireless CenCom implement the Ubiquity equipment which support 4X4 MIMO and provides the best awareness and management tools to assist our technicains to maintain a rubust and effective wireless network for your organisation.