Business WiFi, engineered properly.
Most office WiFi installs are wrong: too few APs, in the wrong places, with the wrong settings. The hardware costs the same as well-designed networks — only the engineering differs. Site survey, AP placement, channel planning, segmentation. The engineering layer that separates working WiFi from "why is the WiFi so bad".
- 📐 Site surveys & AP placement
- 📡 Channel planning & interference
- 🔌 PoE-powered installations
- 🌐 Mesh vs controller-based
- 🛡 Guest VLAN segmentation
- 🚪 Captive portals
- 📊 WiFi 6 vs WiFi 5
- 🔄 Roaming & handoff
Why most office WiFi installs fail.
The typical UK office WiFi install: one consumer-grade router or mesh system placed wherever the broadband line enters the building. Maybe a second mesh node in the far corner. The router does double-duty as the firewall, the network switch, and the WiFi base station.
This works for a 5-person home office. It fails predictably in real business settings because: (1) one or two APs can't cover larger spaces evenly. (2) Walls, especially internal partition walls with metal studs, attenuate the signal. (3) High device density (modern offices have 3-5 wireless devices per person — laptop, phone, tablet, headset, plus building IoT) saturates a single AP. (4) Adjacent businesses' WiFi networks fight for the same channels. (5) Consumer hardware doesn't support proper VLAN segmentation for guest traffic.
The hardware cost difference between a "consumer mesh in the corner" install and a properly-designed business WiFi network is often small — £600 of business APs vs £400 of consumer mesh. The engineering effort difference is large. Site survey, AP placement modelling, channel planning, VLAN configuration, controller setup, and ongoing management is the work that produces actually-working WiFi.
This guide walks through the engineering layer. Read it before signing a WiFi quote that doesn't include site survey work.
The engineering that prevents the most expensive mistake.
A WiFi site survey maps your building's physical reality and produces a deployment plan. It involves walking the space with measurement tools (typically a laptop running survey software like Ekahau or NetSpot, plus a reference AP), recording signal strength at various points, identifying sources of interference, and modelling where APs should be placed for optimal coverage.
What a good survey identifies:
- Coverage gaps where signal is too weak for reliable operation
- Walls and materials causing significant attenuation (concrete, brick with metal mesh, foil-backed insulation)
- Interference sources (microwaves, neighbouring WiFi networks on overlapping channels, Bluetooth-heavy environments)
- Optimal AP locations and quantities
- Cable routing requirements for PoE
- Channel planning to minimise self-interference between your own APs
When you need one: offices over ~30 users or 3,000 square feet, multi-floor buildings, buildings with complex layouts or unusual construction materials (listed buildings, converted warehouses, historic premises), or any environment where WiFi reliability is operationally important.
When you can skip: very small open-plan offices (1-10 users, single room) where an experienced installer can place a single AP correctly without formal survey work.
Where access points actually need to be.
Access points should be located based on the physics of WiFi signal propagation, not where there happens to be a power socket. Key principles:
Ceiling-mounted, central locations. WiFi signal radiates roughly spherically from the AP. Ceiling-mounted positions in the centre of coverage zones give the most even distribution. Wall-mounted APs work but cover an asymmetric area.
Away from interference sources. Don't mount APs immediately above microwaves, near large metal objects, or close to fluorescent lighting ballasts. Avoid mounting inside plant rooms where structural metal heavily attenuates signal.
Account for walls. Drywall: ~3dB attenuation (negligible). Brick or concrete: 8-15dB. Concrete with metal reinforcement: 20-30dB. Foil-backed insulation: nearly impassable. Plan AP locations so any given user is covered by an AP without too many walls between them.
Density over distance. In high-density environments, more APs at lower power output give better performance than fewer APs at maximum power. This counter-intuitive principle: each AP serves fewer devices, reducing congestion. APs broadcast at lower power, reducing co-channel interference between your own APs.
PoE-powered placement. Power over Ethernet eliminates the constraint that APs need to be near power sockets. The network switch in the comms room provides power through the data cable. PoE switches cost £200-1,000 for typical office sizes; PoE-capable APs cost similar to non-PoE.
Preventing your APs from fighting each other.
WiFi operates on specific frequency channels. In the 2.4GHz band there are only 3 non-overlapping channels (1, 6, 11). In the 5GHz band there are typically 20+ non-overlapping channels depending on regulatory environment.
When two APs broadcast on the same channel within range of each other, they interfere — both APs reduce performance trying to share the channel. Multi-AP deployments need to be channel-planned so neighbouring APs use different non-overlapping channels.
Auto channel selection (where the AP picks its own channel based on what it detects nearby) works for simple deployments but often produces suboptimal results in complex environments — particularly where neighbouring businesses' WiFi affects channel availability. Manual channel planning or controller-based dynamic management produces better results.
For high-density 5GHz deployments, 80MHz or 160MHz wide channels can be used for higher per-AP throughput but at the cost of fewer non-overlapping channels available. The right channel width depends on AP density and interference environment — narrower channels (20MHz or 40MHz) are often better in dense urban office environments where many networks overlap.
The architecture decision that matters at scale.
Consumer mesh systems (Eero, Google WiFi, Orbi, Netgear Orbi Pro): each node communicates wirelessly with neighbouring nodes to extend coverage. Simple to deploy. Works well for small spaces (homes, very small offices) but wireless backhaul reduces capacity significantly — each hop between mesh nodes uses bandwidth that could otherwise serve clients.
Business cloud-managed systems (Ubiquiti UniFi, Cisco Meraki, Aruba Instant On, Ruckus Cloud): APs connect to a wired network (PoE switches) and are centrally managed via a cloud controller. No wireless backhaul cost. Proper VLAN support. Centralised configuration, monitoring, and updates across multiple APs and sites. Strong fit for offices over 20 users.
Enterprise controller-based systems (Cisco Catalyst, Aruba Mobility Controller, Ruckus SmartZone): on-premises or cloud controller manages dozens to hundreds of APs across multiple sites. Sophisticated features for high-density environments, captive portals, network access control, application visibility. Right for larger deployments (100+ APs); overkill for typical SME.
For most UK SME offices (10-100 staff, 1-3 sites), business cloud-managed systems are the right answer. They sit at the sweet spot of capability vs operational complexity.
Guest WiFi belongs on a separate network.
Standard practice for any business WiFi deployment: separate the network into VLANs (Virtual LANs) so different traffic types are isolated from each other.
Staff VLAN: employee devices on the main business network with access to internal resources — file servers, printers, internal applications, VoIP phones.
Guest VLAN: visitor devices isolated from internal resources. Can reach the internet, cannot see internal devices or other guests. Captive portal authentication where guests accept terms or enter an email before access.
IoT VLAN: building infrastructure devices (CCTV cameras, smart thermostats, occupancy sensors, smart locks) on their own segment. Limited internet access for cloud management, no access to staff or guest networks. Critical for security — IoT devices have notoriously poor security and shouldn't be on the same network as business data.
POS/Payment VLAN: for businesses handling card payments — card terminals on a dedicated isolated VLAN per PCI-DSS requirements. Direct path to payment processors, no reachability from other network segments.
Proper VLAN configuration requires business-grade APs that support 802.1Q tagging and the switching/routing infrastructure to enforce the isolation. Consumer mesh systems generally can't do this properly. Telexico WiFi installations include VLAN configuration as standard alongside the AP deployment.
The standard for 2026 office deployments.
WiFi 6 (802.11ax) and WiFi 6E (extending into 6GHz spectrum) are the current generation. For office deployments installed in 2026, WiFi 6 is the sensible standard — the price premium over WiFi 5 is small (~30%) and the performance improvement in high-density environments is substantial.
What WiFi 6 actually improves:
- OFDMA: one transmission can serve multiple clients simultaneously rather than one at a time. Massive efficiency improvement in dense environments with many small transactions (typical office).
- BSS Colouring: reduces interference between overlapping APs and neighbouring networks by labelling transmissions to indicate which network they belong to.
- Target Wake Time: client devices sleep more efficiently, improving battery life on phones, tablets, IoT devices.
- Higher modulation: 1024-QAM allows higher peak throughput per client when signal quality permits.
WiFi 7 (802.11be) is emerging but pricing remains premium and client device support is limited as of 2026. Most offices should standardise on WiFi 6 or WiFi 6E. WiFi 5 (802.11ac) APs still work fine but won't last as long before needing replacement.
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Frequently asked questions
Why is my office WiFi so bad?
Almost always: poor design rather than poor hardware. The single most common cause of bad office WiFi is the wrong number of access points placed in the wrong locations. A typical install puts one consumer-grade router in the corner of the office and expects it to cover everything. Real office WiFi needs multiple business-grade access points designed around the actual building floor plan, with attention to interference, channel planning, and roaming behaviour. Hardware costs the same; the difference is engineering.
How many access points does my office need?
Typical guideline: one business-grade access point per 1,500-2,500 square feet of usable space, adjusted for construction materials and user density. A standard 50-person office (~3,000 sq ft) typically needs 2-3 access points correctly placed. A larger office or one with thick walls / concrete construction may need more. Open-plan modern office: lower density. Cellular partition walls or historic buildings with thick walls: higher density. The right answer comes from a site survey, not a guess.
What's a site survey and do I really need one?
A WiFi site survey is engineering work that maps your building's physical layout, identifies sources of interference (microwaves, neighbouring WiFi, building structure), measures existing signal levels, and produces a deployment plan showing where access points should be located. For offices over 30 people or buildings with complex layouts, yes — site surveys prevent the most expensive WiFi mistake: paying for and installing the wrong number of APs in the wrong places, then having to do it again. For very small offices (1-10 people, open plan), an experienced installer can often skip a formal survey.
What's wrong with consumer mesh WiFi systems in offices?
Consumer mesh systems (Eero, Google WiFi, Orbi) work fine for homes — they're designed for residential usage patterns. In office environments they often fail because: (1) limited support for high client density (more than 25-30 concurrent devices per AP starts degrading). (2) Wireless backhaul between mesh nodes costs significant bandwidth and adds latency. (3) Limited VLAN/guest network segmentation. (4) No centralised management for multi-AP deployments at scale. (5) No PoE — every node needs mains power, restricting placement. For an office with 20+ users and multiple devices each, business-grade controller-based or cloud-managed systems (Ubiquiti UniFi, Aruba Instant, Meraki, Ruckus) are the right answer.
What's PoE and why does it matter for office WiFi?
PoE (Power over Ethernet) delivers electrical power and network connectivity through the same network cable. PoE-powered access points don't need mains electricity at the install location — the network switch in the comms room powers them via the data cable. This matters enormously because: (1) APs can be installed on ceilings, in plant rooms, or anywhere a network cable can reach without needing an electrician. (2) Optimal placement isn't constrained by power socket locations. (3) Cleaner installations with no power adapters dangling from ceilings. PoE-capable network switches cost £200-1,000 depending on port count; PoE business APs cost £150-500 each. The total cost is usually similar to non-PoE alternatives once you factor in electrical installation work.
Should I separate guest WiFi from business WiFi?
Always, for any business handling sensitive data or payments. Guest WiFi traffic should be on a separate VLAN with isolated network access — guests can reach the internet but cannot see internal network devices (printers, file servers, POS systems, CCTV recorders). This is a security and PCI-DSS compliance requirement for retail and hospitality, and a sensible practice for any business. Captive portal login pages (where guests accept terms or enter an email before getting access) add another layer of accountability and let you collect marketing-permission data. Standard configuration on business-grade WiFi; usually missing on consumer mesh systems.
Is WiFi 6 worth it over WiFi 5?
For office deployments installed in 2026 and later, yes — WiFi 6 (and WiFi 6E which adds 6GHz capacity) handles high client density significantly better than WiFi 5. The technical improvements that matter in offices: OFDMA (lets one transmission serve multiple clients simultaneously rather than one at a time), BSS Colouring (reduces interference between overlapping APs), and Target Wake Time (better device battery life). WiFi 6 access points cost ~30% more than WiFi 5 equivalents but the performance difference in 25+ device environments is substantial. WiFi 7 is emerging but pricing remains premium; for most offices in 2026, WiFi 6 / 6E is the sensible standard.
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