Wi-Fi keeps dropping in your office? Five checks before you buy new hardware
GNS Engineering Team 2 min read
Every week someone calls us because their office Wi-Fi "keeps dropping". Sometimes the hardware is finished. More often the network was never designed for the number of devices now using it. These five checks separate the two.
1. Count the devices, not the people
A fifteen-person office can easily have eighty connected devices: laptops, phones, tablets, printers, a smart TV and a point-of-sale terminal. Consumer routers are rated for a fraction of that. Count the real number before concluding you need "a stronger router".
2. Find out whether one access point is doing all the work
If every device connects to a single access point in a corridor cupboard, anything three rooms away holds a weak signal, drops to the slowest possible data rate and drags everyone else down with it. Coverage is a placement problem, and no amount of transmitter power fixes it.
3. Check 2.4 GHz and channel width
In dense buildings 2.4 GHz is crowded. Leave it on 20 MHz for range and compatibility, keep 5 GHz at 80 MHz or less, and let the controller choose channels automatically instead of pinning them years ago.
4. Walk the floor with a real test
A speed test at your desk proves nothing about the meeting room. Walk the floor during a busy hour and watch signal strength and roaming between access points. We look for spots below roughly -70 dBm, and for devices that refuse to hand over to a closer access point.
5. Look at the cable and the switch underneath
An over-committed PoE switch, a damaged patch lead or a single 100 Mbps link in the chain produces exactly the symptoms people blame on Wi-Fi. Test the physical layer before replacing anything wireless.
When new hardware is genuinely needed
If the wiring is sound, the channels are clean and coverage still fails with more than about twenty devices per access point, it is time to move to a managed system: several access points, Power over Ethernet, central management, and separate networks for staff, guests and the till.
That is the point where a survey pays for itself, because the design — not the brand — decides whether the network still holds up next year.
If you would rather have someone measure it for you, we survey offices, shops and clinics across Hong Kong. The first visit is free.
Frequently asked questions
How do we know new hardware is genuinely needed?
If the cabling passes testing, the channels are clean, and coverage is still poor with more than about twenty devices per access point, it is time to move to a managed system. If the cause is placement or channel settings, new hardware will not help.
How many devices can one access point carry?
It depends on the mix. A business-grade access point usually stays stable to roughly twenty or thirty mixed devices; beyond that, latency climbs noticeably at peak times.
Do you charge for the check?
The first visit is free. We measure coverage on site, scan the channels and test the physical links, then quote a fixed price. Whether you proceed does not change the findings.
How should 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz be split?
Keep 2.4 GHz at 20 MHz for IoT and older devices, and run 5 GHz or 6 GHz at 80 MHz or less for everyday office use, letting the controller pick the channel.
