Room3.09Floor 3 Network and firewall
Business Wi-Fi installation and upgrades
Office Wi-Fi designed from your floor plan rather than guessed: the right number of access points in the right places, staff, guest and device networks kept apart, and coverage measured on site before we call it finished.
- Planned from the floor plan
- Staff, guest and device networks kept apart
- Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7
- Coverage tested before handover
Why office Wi-Fi so often lets people down
Most office Wi-Fi was never designed. It grew. A router from the internet provider went in on day one, a mesh kit from a store was added when the back office complained, and a range extender appeared near the boardroom. Each fix solved one complaint and made the whole network a little worse.
Meanwhile the demands kept rising. Every person now carries two or three devices. Teams and Zoom calls need a steady connection that does not stall when someone walks to the kitchen. Printers, TVs, door controllers and sensors want their own share of the airwaves. Wi-Fi that was fine for email in 2018 struggles with a video-first office in 2026.
Signs your Wi-Fi was never designed
- Calls freeze when people move between rooms
- Some desks have strong signal but painfully slow speeds
- Guests connect to the same network as your file server
- Nobody knows how many access points there are, or where
- The fix for every complaint has been another box
What designed Wi-Fi looks like
- Business access points on the ceiling, each with its own network cable
- Coverage planned for how many people sit in each area, not just for signal
- Separate networks for staff, guests and devices
- Calls that carry on as people walk from desk to meeting room
- A map of every access point and what it covers
Planned from the floor plan
Good Wi-Fi starts on paper, not with a box from a store. We design from your floor plan, then prove the design in the space once it is installed.
A predictive design
Your floor plan goes into professional Wi-Fi planning software, with the walls marked by what they are made of. Drywall barely slows Wi-Fi. Concrete, brick, glass with metal coatings, elevator shafts and filing cabinets block a great deal of it. The software shows where access points need to go before anyone climbs a ladder.
Capacity, not just coverage
Signal everywhere is not enough. A boardroom with 20 laptops and a large open area full of desks need more access points than a corridor of the same size. We plan for the number of people and devices in each area, so speed holds up when the office is full.
Cabling to every access point
Business access points connect by network cable and draw their power through it from a Power over Ethernet switch. Where cables already exist in the right places, we use them. Where new runs are needed, they are installed by a licensed cabling contractor, and we specify exactly where each one goes.
A survey after installation
Once the access points are up, we walk the office with survey equipment and measure real signal, interference and roaming. The results become a coverage map you keep, and anything that falls short is fixed before we leave.
Wi-Fi 6, 6E and 7: what each generation adds
Each Wi-Fi generation is named by number. The jump that matters most for offices is the 6 GHz band, which brings a large block of clean, uncrowded spectrum that older networks and neighbours cannot use.
| Standard | Bands | What it adds | When it is worth it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi 6 | 2.4 and 5 GHz | Better handling of many devices at once and longer battery life for phones | The minimum we install today, and enough for many small offices |
| Wi-Fi 6E | Adds 6 GHz | Access to the 6 GHz band, with far less interference from neighbours | Busy offices in multi-tenant buildings where 5 GHz is crowded |
| Wi-Fi 7 | 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz | Wider 6 GHz channels and multi-link operation, which lets a device use two bands at once | New installations meant to last five years or more, especially video-heavy offices |
Canada opened the full 6 GHz band, from 5925 to 7125 MHz, to licence-free indoor Wi-Fi in 2021. Higher-power 6 GHz use, which also allows outdoor coverage, works through an automated frequency coordination system, and Canada approved the world’s first commercial operator for it in 2023. Networks using 6 GHz must use WPA3 security, which is a good thing.
One caution: 6 GHz only helps devices that support it. Laptops more than a few years old will keep using 5 GHz, so we check your devices before recommending the newest standard.
Staff, guests and devices kept apart
A single Wi-Fi password shared by staff, guests, the TV and the thermostat puts everything on the same network as your company data. A properly set up network gives each group its own space, with rules about what each can reach.
| Network | Who uses it | How it is secured |
|---|---|---|
| Staff | Company laptops and phones | Each person signs in with their own work account, or the laptop connects with a certificate pushed by Intune, so there is no shared password to leak |
| Guest | Visitors and personal devices | Internet only, isolated from everything else, with devices unable to see each other |
| Devices | Printers, TVs, displays, sensors and smart building equipment | A separate network allowed to reach only what it needs |
| Voice | Wi-Fi phones, where used | Prioritized so calls stay clear when the network is busy |
We keep the number of network names to three or four. Every extra one adds background traffic to every access point and slows the network for everyone.
The settings that separate good Wi-Fi from great
Two installations with identical hardware can perform completely differently. The difference is in settings most installers leave at their defaults.
- Lower transmit power. Access points at full power make laptops cling to a distant one instead of moving to the closest. Turning power down improves roaming.
- Sensible channel widths. Wide channels look fast on paper but overlap in a busy building. We choose widths that suit the space, and use the wide ones in 6 GHz where room exists.
- Fast roaming. Standards known as 802.11k, v and r help devices find the next access point and move to it without dropping a call.
- Removing slow legacy rates. Old, slow connection speeds left switched on let one distant device hold up everyone else.
- Band steering. Devices that can use 5 or 6 GHz are encouraged off the crowded 2.4 GHz band.
The equipment we install
We choose access points to match the rest of your network, so everything is managed in one place.
- Fortinet FortiAP, managed from a FortiGate firewall, for offices that want security policy and Wi-Fi in one console. See our FortiGate page.
- Cisco Meraki access points, for multi-site businesses that already run Meraki. See our Meraki support page.
- Ubiquiti UniFi access points, for offices that want business-grade Wi-Fi with no licence fees. See our UniFi support page.
Some spaces need extra care: warehouses with tall metal racking, clinics with concrete and lead-lined rooms, boardrooms full of laptops, and older buildings with plaster walls. Our logistics and distribution page covers warehouse Wi-Fi in more detail.
Wi-Fi work we quote
Every quote is based on your floor plan and a walk-through, with access points, any new cabling and labour as separate lines.
- Wi-Fi assessment and coverage surveyFixed quote
- New office Wi-Fi designed and installedFixed quote
- Consumer mesh replaced with business access pointsFixed quote
- Staff, guest and device networks separatedFixed quote
- Upgrade to Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7Fixed quote
- Staff Wi-Fi sign-in with Microsoft 365 accounts or certificatesFixed quote
Questions people ask
How many access points do we need?
It depends on the size and construction of the space and, above all, on how many people and devices use each area. As a rough guide, a typical office needs one access point for every 1,500 to 2,500 square feet, with extra ones for boardrooms and dense open areas. A design from your floor plan gives the real number.
Why not just use a mesh system from a store?
Consumer mesh systems connect to each other over Wi-Fi, which halves the speed at every hop, and they are built for a handful of users in a house. They lack proper guest separation, central management and the roaming features calls need. Business access points connect by cable and are designed for dozens of users each.
Do we need Wi-Fi 7?
Not necessarily. Wi-Fi 6 is enough for many small offices. Wi-Fi 6E or 7 is worth it in busy multi-tenant buildings where the 5 GHz band is crowded, and for new installations meant to last five years or more. Your laptops need to support the newer standard to benefit, so we check them first.
Do access points need network cables?
Yes, for business Wi-Fi. Each access point connects by network cable and takes its power through the same cable from a Power over Ethernet switch. We use existing cables where they are in the right places, and new runs are installed by a licensed cabling contractor to our layout.
Can guests use our Wi-Fi safely?
Yes, on a separate guest network. It gives visitors internet access only, keeps them away from your company network and stops guest devices from seeing each other. It can also show a simple welcome page and limit how much bandwidth guests use.
Why do Teams calls drop when people walk around the office?
Usually because access points are set to full power, so laptops hold on to a distant one until the connection fails, or because fast-roaming features are switched off. Tuning power levels and enabling roaming features lets devices move smoothly from one access point to the next.
Do you do Wi-Fi site surveys?
Yes. We design from your floor plan before installation, then survey on site afterwards to measure real coverage, interference and roaming. For existing networks, a survey shows where the problems are and whether settings changes or more access points are needed.
Can staff sign in to Wi-Fi with their Microsoft 365 accounts?
Yes. Instead of a shared password, the staff network can check each person's work account, or company laptops can connect automatically with a certificate pushed through Microsoft Intune. When someone leaves, their Wi-Fi access ends with their account, and there is no password to change.
Tell us what’s going on
Pick how urgent it is and leave a way to reach you. The help desk replies by phone or email. If work has stopped, call 647-812-3775 instead.
Something broken, or something to plan?
For anything urgent, call. A technician answers the emergency line 24/7. For everything else, open a ticket and tell us what is going on.