BYOD only as strong as the wireless network

One of the main features that every new mobile device toutes is speed. Users can download, share and communicate at the blink of the eye and according to each gadgets’ respective marketing campaigns, they do it the fastest. Consumers are becoming spoiled by this and any form of slowdown can turn into a major problem.

Bring-your-own-device (BYOD) practices have brought this mindset into the workplace. While using the latest devices is always an upgrade, if the wireless network that they are running on can’t handle the increased traffic and they are running slowly, what good does it do? While consumers just experience frustration, a business dealing with this kind of scenario on a large scale can face wasted money, time and resources.

Lee H. Badman, a networking professional and professor at Syracuse University, authored a recent column for Network Computing about the importance of a strong wireless system. He used his experience handling with university’s networking upgrades to frame the piece.

“As we’ve grown our network to meet user demand, our assumptions about what we know about WLAN design have really been tested,” Badman writes. “We’ve reviewed and altered designs and added and upgraded hardware. And we can always count on users to let us know if our BYOD efforts aren’t making the grade.”

One of Badman’s major points is that the number of devices weighs much more on a network strength than the number of employees. While a company may not change headcount for years, it’s not out of the realm of possibilities to think those workers may now be using tablets and smartphones, as well as their computers – increasing traffic on the network.

Auditing and testing a wireless system and cabling solution can be tricky. IT consultants like CTI Technology can help technology departments ensure their network can handle increased traffic.