How Much Does a New Wifi Network Cost?

Are you planning a new wireless network for your company and wondering how much your new WiFi network will cost? Or do you have an existing Wi-Fi network that is too slow, too unreliable or insecure?

If you feel a little overwhelmed by the whole process and don't know where to start, you are not alone.

In a digital world, your company's success depends largely on its ability to adapt the technology it needs to be competitive. When so many end-users connect to your WiFi with their smartphones, tablets or laptops, you don't want all your business applications to run on a slow, fragile and clumsy wireless network infrastructure.

But unless you're a professional looking for and buying a wireless network, you may not even know the right questions to ask. And the technology changes so quickly; what you knew a year or two ago may not be relevant.

Also, as corporate wireless has evolved, being a generalist in IT or a computer network won't cut it. Too many stakes.

And of course, no the company can afford to write a blank check for WiFi, initially or continuously.

What is the right answer for your situation? How do you determine WiFi Installation Cost? What should you look for in an economic quote?

In this blog post, you will learn about WiFi planning, how the WiFi design process works and the budget for WiFi as a service for your new WiFi network.

Wifi Planning

Before going too far, find out what's going on in WiFi planning best practices. And just as important, remember that finding and buying a business-class Wi-Fi network is very different from installing an access point in your home.

What should you think to prepare for success with your new wireless network?

Check out each of these seven areas to make sure your WiFi quote is truly complete:

Radio Frequency (RF) Planning and Design - Unlike traditional computer networks that use twisted pairs and fiber optic cables, WiFi networks operate on radio frequencies. Since RF is invisible to the naked eye, make sure that the company you are considering is familiar with predictive RF design, surveys on wireless sites, wireless engineering, performance reviews, performance monitoring and systems management.

Coverage vs. capacity: your WiFi planning should also consider the effectiveness of your 

wireless coverage and how this approach to managed WiFi will meet the end-users' capacity needs, both now and at least in the intermediate future, in the next 24-36 months.

Access Points - Think about a big city with major crossroads and traffic lights and how they keep traffic flowing without too many accidents. With this analogy, you begin to approximate the importance of access points. But how many PAs do you need? What type of related equipment is required? And where should all this be installed to make sure your WiFi is as fast, reliable and secure as it is needed?

Network infrastructure - Yes, the access points are the building blocks of WiFi. But your access points are almost worthless without a solid underlying network infrastructure. Controllers, switches, firewalls and power supplies must be addressed in the same type of conversation.

Scalability: your business can have 50 end-users in one place. And each has two devices. How will your WiFi evolve if you reach 150 end-users in the same place, add 30 guest users per day and each user now carries three devices? Good question, right?

Security: Is the Internet becoming more secure with each passing month? Almost. And there is a good reason why cybersecurity experts demand such high starting salaries. There are not enough of them and the training is long and expensive. If your IT team doesn't have advanced Wi-Fi security skills, it's best to find someone who falls under your managed WiFI agreement.

System Management - Travel. Adds. Changes. Integration of new users. If any of these make you look like a dot between a deer in the headlights and a cold sweat, be sure to consider your system management needs in your overall WiFi budget.