Wired and WiFi networks are complex – but they don’t have to be sources of frustration. While they require constant management and oversight, there are certain long-standing issues that no one should be dealing with anymore. These include:

• Poor WiFi experience and unreliable connectivity
• Network downtime and outages
• Limited visibility and control
• Scalability 
• High maintenance costs

These are yesterday’s problems. We now have the solutions on hand to either eliminate them or resolve them so quickly that end users are never aware of their existence. Let’s look at each one in more detail.

1. Poor WiFi Experience and Unreliable Connectivity

These are two of the most common networking problems faced by organizations. From video collaboration issues and slow connections to dropped signals – these issues cause real performance problems. 

In today’s mobile age, users expect the WiFi network to be reliable throughout a building. This even includes locations such as stairwells and hallways. When reliability doesn’t extend to every corner, productivity and user experience are impacted.

Solution: 24/7 Analytics 

A WiFi site survey is a requirement for any new network design. These surveys should be periodically redone as networks are dynamic and impacted by changes such as new devices on the network and new office layouts. However, surveys can get expensive. Instead, organizations need a budget-friendly analytics solution that works 24/7 to identify coverage gaps and the root cause of performance issues. This is better for productivity than relying on an annual or biannual site survey to identify ongoing problems.

1. Network Downtime and Outages

Network downtime and outages can cost organizations hundreds of thousands of dollars because of lost productivity. Minimizing downtime is fundamental to operational efficiency. When problems do occur, IT needs to know immediately if the issue lies on the network, or outside of the network.

Solution: Automatic identification of real-time behavior and long-term performance trends 

Give IT a solution that automatically identifies real-time and long-term performance trends, and teams can resolve potential issues before they cause downtime. Proactive measures always provide the best return on investment.

1. Limited Visibility and Control

As we said in the beginning, today’s networks constantly grow more complex. There are hundreds or thousands of devices connected to a network at any given time. This equates to tens/hundreds of thousands of data packets sent every second. 

Analyzing those data packets manually to understand user experience and network behavior is impossible. This lack of visibility and control forces IT teams to work reactively whenever there are problems..

Solution: Complete visibility

This one might seem obvious – replace limited visibility with complete visibility – but limited visibility is still a way of life for far too many organizations. There are solutions out there that will analyze every last data packet in real-time and automatically deliver network insights.

Use these solutions. Save your IT team.

1. Scalability and Performance Bottlenecks

Successful organizations grow and evolve. Your business and networking needs should not stay the same year after year. However, if networks aren’t designed with scalability in mind, there will be problems. When existing infrastructure can’t keep pace with increasing demands, user experience degrades. Organizations can see productivity and revenue decrease.

Solution: Vendor-agnostic solutions and long-term performance trends 

Work with vendor-agnostic solutions so that you aren’t backed into a corner, unable to easily adapt to changing networking standards and device requirements. Adopt an analytics solution that will identify long-term performance trends so that decision makers can actually see what upgrades their network needs to keep meeting user needs into the future.

All organizations should have detailed insights into their network’s unique and specific needs. This is the most cost-effective way to plan upgrades and updates.

1. High Maintenance Costs

Lack of visibility into WiFi and wired networks results in high maintenance costs. Without the proactive identification of issues, problems aren’t identified before they are problems. Root causes can go unidentified for days or weeks. This all leads to costly upkeep and maintenance.

Solution: Complete visibility

With complete visibility, organizations only solve the problems that need solving; all maintenance budgets go exactly where they are needed. Problems are solved faster than ever before, and organizations are hit with fewer problems over time.

The Overarching Solution: AI-Powered WiFi Automation and Network Automation

AI-powered WiFi and network automation solutions are the key to cost-effective, reliable WiFi and wired networks.

WiFi automation solutions automate the detection, notification, and mitigation of WiFi network issues. Network automation solutions do the same thing for both the WiFi and wired networks. 

Both provide:

• 24/7 analytics

These solutions work 24/7. They do not need breaks and, with their constant attention, they ensure that nothing that happens on the network goes undetected. 

• Complete visibility

Automated solutions do what humans can’t – analyze tens/hundreds of thousands of data packets a second, analyze the behavior of every connected device and all infrastructure, and deliver insights to IT teams in real-time. No more network mysteries.

• Consistent network testing

Solutions don’t only passively analyze network behavior. They also run performance tests, either on a scheduled or manual basis. 

If tests fail for any reason, IT is automatically alerted. Depending on the solution, alerts can include root cause analysis and recommended resolutions. 

The end result? Problems identified and resolved before users’ digital experiences are impacted.

• Automatic identification of real-time behavior

Solutions drill into specific network behavior, analyzing thousands of data packets a second. Thanks to AI-engines, they learn to recognize normal and abnormal network behavior. They know what should be happening on each unique network and what shouldn’t be happening. They will alert IT immediately at the first sign of a problem.

Problems are resolved faster than ever – and stay resolved.

• Automatic identification of long-term performance trends

Solutions take daily analytics and use these insights to identify trends over time for elements such as AP performance, client distribution, RF and client utilization, RSSI, noise level, and even non-WiFi interference.

With these proactive insights, IT professionals and decision makers can see the overall health of the network, including possible future issues that wouldn’t be identified with only real-time alerts. Professionals can then better predict future needs and allocate resources accordingly.

• Vendor agnostic

Technology constantly changes. This includes both the devices and the WiFi standards we use. Companies need to be able to adapt to changes to best meet the needs of their users. 

Vendor agnostic WiFi and network automation solutions ensure that the vital proactive alerts and analytics needed for operational efficiency are continuously delivered, no matter what changes are made to network devices and infrastructure.

• All-in-One answers

WiFi and network automation solutions provide everything needed for cost-efficient and reliable network optimization. Organizations that make the choice to adopt these all-in-one solutions only have to train IT professionals to use one solution.

With AI-powered WiFi and network automation solutions, organizations don’t only experience faster real-time resolutions, they also see fewer network issues overall. The network is no longer a mystery. Its workings – all of them – are laid bare before IT professionals. Optimal performance is a given, not a prize.

If you’re still dealing with poor WiFi coverage and unreliable connectivity, network downtime and outages, limited visibility and control, scalability, high maintenance costs, or any other issues – even ones that seem to defy explanation – it’s time to get help. 

Network assurance is a lived reality for organizations around the world. Why isn’t it for you?

Contact Wyebot today to learn more about a free demo or trial of our network automation solution, the Wireless Intelligence Platform™.