Productivity is a major focus for practically every organisation. But what’s really holding your employees back from performing to the best of their ability? Could your internet tech be to blame?
Doing more, with less. That’s the goal, isn’t it? Of course it is. We all want to be achieving greater things, while utilising fewer resources. And a big part of that comes from empowering employees to work more productively and more efficiently, giving them the tools they need to truly succeed.
The good news is that many businesses are doing just that; providing employees with amazing software solutions that enable them to communicate, collaborate, and work better than ever. The problem is that these solutions are useless if your internet connection is too slow to handle them.
If your business internet connection seems slow and sluggish, this article is for you.
As you may know if you’ve been following our blog, we’ve already taken a look at some of the most common reasons for slow business internet. We’ve examined everything from office layout to router settings and poor bandwidth. Now, we’re moving on to another potential cause: outdated technology.
How old is your internet tech?
If you’ve had your current router in place for quite some time, it’s well worth asking yourself whether this could be contributing towards your slow internet speed. With WiFi standards evolving – we’re now on the 6th version of the 802.11 standard – older routers that were designed for earlier standards may not be able to meet the more advanced modern-day demands you’re placing on it.
But don’t move too quickly.
Before ordering brand-new tech, it’s always worth checking to see if there are any updates for your existing router. Manufacturers are constantly updating their firmware, pushing updates that resolve minor issues, fix known bugs, and enhance functionality to improve WiFi signal and user experience. It may be that you simply need to download and install a new update for a noticeable speed boost.
However, if updating your firmware doesn’t seem to help, don’t worry. Your effort wasn’t wasted. It’s always a good idea to get into the habit of updating any firmware and software you’re using to keep your network secure. If there are any vulnerabilities, you risk leaving your business open to attack.
Time for new hardware?
If it does seem to be time to replace your old internet technology with something more modern, then our recommendation is to consider a WiFi 6-enabled router. The WiFi 6 standard – more formally known as ‘IEEE 802.11ax’ – is the latest version. It’s been developed specifically for the ‘Internet of Things’ era; a time when we’re all connecting more devices to the internet than ever.
A WiFi 6-enabled router is a good choice if WiFi speed has been reducing your productivity. It offers increased capacity for more connected devices, so if your employees are using laptops, tablets, phones, and other devices to carry out their tasks, there should be more ‘oomph’ to go around.
However, it’s important to remember that outdated internet technology is just one possible reason for speed issues. Keep an eye on our blog to discover other aspects that could be slowing you down, or get in touch with us to find out more about creating a strong, connected working environment.
