As a savvy business person, you certainly would not have missed the memo about going digital. These days, the businesses that are thriving are those who have, not only an online presence but a stable connection that allows them to buy and sell online, and also stay in consistent contact with their client base.
To achieve this, businesses, like yours, have a wide variety of both wired and wireless solutions at their disposal. These solutions can be customised to suit specific company needs, while they are also generally quite flexible which means they can be used successfully for many years, as the company grows and evolves.
Switchcom, South Africa’s foremost provider of networking devices, tools and accessories, provides all of these products and more to suppliers and individual clients alike. We deliver throughout the country and our rates are unbeatable. You can browse our full products selection online.
When the time comes to determine what is best for your business, these are a couple of the very best wired and wireless solutions you should have a look at, starting with the wired.
Wired Solutions
With fibre taking over South Africa’s wired internet connectivity, businesses can look forward to faster internet access along with more connection reliability. Accessories like cabinets and rackmounts (both of which are available from companies like Extralink) are important, but the devices without a doubt are the more necessary of the two.
These are a few of the wired solutions to consider.
- Router
Routers are a necessity, whether you intend to go wired or wireless. For those who are keen to drop the wireless networks that are prone to unreliable connectivity, investing in a good quality wired router is a must if you want to enjoy all of the advantages on offer.
On the market at the moment, some of the best routers are manufactured by companies like MikroTik, Ubiquiti, and TrendNet.
- Network Cabling
To connect the router to all of the PCs and other devices needing internet access, network cabling is something you cannot overlook. And like everything in the world, there are the good kinds and the bad.
You can choose between indoor and outdoor cabling, and cabling in different colours, but what is most important is that you select cables that are flexible and durable.
- Managed and Unmanaged Switches
A network switch gives you the means to connect devices to a computer network. By using them, a business can be more flexible and adaptable with their networking setup and this in turn can ensure that they are more productive.
Switches can be managed or unmanaged, and currently some of the best providers of switches include Ubiquiti, TP-Link, and TGNET.
Wireless Solutions
Wi-Fi is often used as a standalone internet connectivity solution, but it is mostly used in conjunction with a wired network, to provide the ultimate web coverage for a home or office. These are some of the most important wireless solutions to look at.
- Antenna
You already know that both wired and wireless networks need routers in order to function, so we can skip that part. What you do need to know is that in order to get stable connectivity, you need the most appropriate antenna. The success of the antenna can be greatly affected by the size of the office space or overall facility in which it will be used, the distance between the transmission points, and the type and amount of obstacles in the way of the connection.
Mimosa and Cambium are two of the industry’s biggest manufacturers of Wi-Fi antennas.
- Mesh Wi-Fi System
A mesh system is used to get rid of dead zones, i.e. the place in your home or business where the signal doesn’t reach. In a way, a mesh system is a type of Wi-Fi extender, and it is a must if you want to ensure that every corner of your office has coverage.
Some of the best mesh Wi-Fi systems used in South Africa are made by Tenda, Ubiquiti, and TP Link.
Alternatively, to improve signal range, a range extender can be used, although it does require a little more effort to connect to the network.
- Signal Booster
As the name says, a Wi-Fi signal booster is used to improve signal and in some cases even extend its reach. This device can expand Wi-Fi coverage and make the signal that little bit more stable, thus reducing breaks in the connection.
