How to find the root of the wi-fi problem (and fix it)

When the wi-fi is down at the office, there are a Ghz-illion potential reasons why, ranging from major construction to the kitchen microwave.

When marketing-comms agency Highwire first moved to its New York City office three years ago, CTO Jason Mayde had to consider the space’s structural elements—more like obstacles, really—when placing access points and tuning signal strength.

First, the building’s 30-foot-high ceilings required anchored pole extensions to keep the access points (and signal) closer to the floor. Next was the issue of the building’s concrete floors, which “might as well be a mirror,” Mayde said, because when beams hit that surface, they bounce and create scattered, unpredictable coverage. The building has exposed iron-support structures, which are pure wi-fi blockers (“They’re your lineman,” Mayde said).

Even a corner conference room presented coverage difficulties, thanks to a nearby stairwell that acted like a fire-protected and hardened “monolith,” complicating placement of access points.

But the wi-fi has worked, and that’s what matters when it comes to helping employees do their jobs. Mayde and other networking pros share how they find and handle wi-fi trouble spots.

What to use. In an email to IT Brew, Amit Patel, SVP at technology transformation partner Consulting Solutions, provided recommendations for the gear that helps find and fix spotty wi-fi.

• Weak coverage? Tools like Ekahau and Hamina provide “heat maps” to reveal two important measurements: RSSI (received signal strength indicator) and SNR (signal-to-noise ratio).
• Too many users? Maxed capacity? Wireless management platforms from vendors like Cisco, HPE Aruba, and Juniper Mist can analyze the number of clients per access point (AP), Patel wrote. A wi-fi frequency band (2.4 GHz, 5 Ghz, 6 Ghz) also has various “channel” options, and tools can identify the overloaded ones.
• Interference? Spectrum analysis visualizes raw radio frequency (RF) signals to determine if interference arrives from other wi-fi networks or another, non-wi-fi source—perhaps a Bluetooth device or microwave oven.
• Poor roaming? Wireless platforms can measure roaming times, failed associations, and disconnects as devices move between access points.

“I always recommend that before you start changing settings, first figure out whether it’s happening across the network or just with certain devices,” Patel wrote.

Mayde’s go-to hardware is the 3-by-5-inch WiFiMan Wizard from Ubiquiti, a spectrum/RF analyzer that connects to his phone and displays each access point’s signal strength, who’s competing for airspace, and the most optimal channel spread settings.

Mayde also reviewed his own steps when finding and fixing the spotty wi-fi amid concrete, high ceilings, glass windows, and iron blockers.

First, he checks logs in his wireless management cloud dashboard, looking for information on connection rates, signal strength, and number of connecting users. He verifies the band configuration, for example, to ensure business users aren’t on, say, a guest network’s 2.45 Ghz, a slower option.

Next, he will go to the problem area and test the signal strength—perhaps with WiFiMan in hand. He’ll use the tool to reveal competing channels and the optimal channel spread, which he can tune via his wireless management cloud portal, followed by a retest. If adjustments and power settings are unsuccessful, he’ll consider moving an access point.

Keep at it. Ultimately, the wi-fi challenge is ongoing for IT teams everywhere. New users arrive on an access point; floor plans change. The job requires an appreciation for trial and error.

Mayde remembers a time in the early 2000s when he went to a CompUSA in Manhattan, bought a consumer-grade access point, and installed it in a conference room ceiling with an extension cord so he could keep it hidden from guests. The same idea applies a couple decades later: Whatever the challenge, you can find a way.

“You just kind of keep troubleshooting it. You make it work.”