Is WiFi going to be easier for network teams to manage?
The short answer is… Yes! Essentially, moving forward WiFi ‘should’ be much less of a headache for network teams to manage. More and more network hardware providers are moving towards cloud management for administrating network infrastructure equipment. Essentially this means that enterprise-class performance can be managed from the cloud. This presents a number of advantages including faster deployment, simpler administration and a higher degree of visibility.
The Step-Change for Network Infrastructure
WiFi 6 is the most important and significant improvement for WiFi networks that we have for some time. As a result, manufacturers are going to be designing new and improved methods for managing how network teams can administrate and manage their networks. Management of network systems is becoming more centralised and as a result easier to network teams to monitor and manage.
High Efficiency Wireless
Modern WiFi 6 access points have been ruthlessly optimised and are built to provide a much smoother, seamless user experience. The outcome of this foundational work has been faster connections, increased user capacity, increased coverage and fewer support calls. This is especially true with the latest range of Cisco Meraki kit.
Increased performance
Enterprise-class Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) access points feature higher power radios and enhanced receive sensitivity compared to their WiFi 5 counterparts. This is thanks to brand new technologies such as OFDMA, integrated beamforming and MIMO which maximise network capacity without and sacrifice in range.
- Up to 8 transmit and 8 receive antennas for enhanced performance and better coverage
- Multi-gigabit Ethernet for up to 5 Gbps over a single existing cable
- Custom RF design supports high client density environments
Dedicated Security Radio
Most WiFi 6 APs provide high power client-service radios which cover the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz spectrums. Cisco Meraki kit also includes a dedicated security radio. The function of this additional radio is:
- To continuously scan and protect against security threats
- Actively adapt to interference that may be present in the RF environment
- Maximise performance through automatically tweaking the configuration of RF settings
Unmatched Visibility
Modern configuration dashboards help to provide a deeper level of network insight which enables smarter network management. With more and more manufacturers moving to cloud infrastructure management systems it’s a lot easier for administrators to access the rich analytics they need to fine tune the access control and application usage policies they need. This invariably optimises both the end-user experience and network security.
Managing the Entire Network Within One Screen
Cloud based administration systems such as Meraki allow network administrators access to an incredible amount of information within single screen. This can include:
- Powerful and intuitive multi-site management via the cloud, whilst eliminating the cost and complexity of traditional on-site wireless controllers
- An end-to-end solution which unifies WAN, LAN, wireless LAN, and mobile device management within one administration screen