Warehouses are complex environments for WiFi. Users and devices are constantly moving from place to place, the signal is attenuated by racking, and there is a large area to cover. As a result, many systems that would perhaps work well in a simpler environment (such as an office) are not transferable to the warehouse. When issues inevitably arise, it is understandably often a kneejerk reaction to make quick changes to try and mitigate the problems caused by a struggling network. These include: Add more access points This may well be the solution to your problem. Still, it needs to be managed ca ..read more

We often get asked questions about network switches that are so simple, but so important! In this article our network engineers cover: 1. What is a network switch? 2. What does a network switch do? 3. How does a network switch work? 4. What are the types of network switch? 5. Switch vs router: what is the difference between a switch and a router? 6. How much does a network switch cost? 7. What is the difference between a network switch and ethernet switch? 8. When should you replace a network switch? 9. When choosing a network switch, what speed is suggested for good performance? Let’s get cra ..read more

We’re thrilled to share that Lee Wright, one of our Senior Network Engineers, has achieved his Certified Wireless Network Expert (CWNE) qualification – the final step in the Certified Wireless Network Professional Programme. Only 112 engineers hold the qualification across the whole of EMEA, making Lee one of the most advanced WLAN professionals on the continent. The certification requires candidates to pass 4 exams, submit a technical white paper and 3 essays on completed WLAN deployments, as well as providing 4 professional recommendations – a serious undertaking to say the least! With 7 yea ..read more

In the age of digital education – whether remote, on the playground, or in the classroom – managing connectivity is key to student success and staff satisfaction. Shrinking budgets and scaling technologies, however, can thwart even the best efforts to deliver school Wi-Fi that underpins strong outcomes, and we commonly see a number of issues that repeatedly impact teaching, learning and socialising. These are: 1. Slow speeds 2. Variable performance 3. Issues with guest networks… 4. And BYOD 5. Bandwidth limitations (1:1 learning, anyone?) So what causes these problems, and what can schools do ..read more

The ability to use multiple passphrases on a single Service Set Identifier (SSID) has been in place for more than a decade; since that time, this method of access has grown in popularity and has seen increasing adoption from different Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) Vendors. Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2) underpins most of these existing solutions. However, weaknesses with WPA2, coupled with the inability of WPA2 to operate on the 6GHz frequency, necessitate alternative solutions. This paper examines both standards-based implementations of WPA2 and proprietary implementations of Multiple P ..read more

With cyber attacks on a continued increase, every industry should be looking long and hard at how it is safeguarding itself – and with good reason. According to 2022 Keeper Security research: Professional services firms were experiencing cyber attacks up to three times a week The average statistics for cyber attacks sat at 161 incidents in 12 months A third of firms in the research experienced financial theft, with 42% of these seeing a loss of between £100,000 and £1m Around half stated that reputational damage had occurred due to network security breaches Over 75% of respondents in the rese ..read more

Cyber Security is a top priority for small and medium businesses, who can no longer get by with standard solutions. SMBs need industry-leading protection. But a holistic SMB security solution must also provide affordable and flexible protection across the entire company. Why SMBs need advanced security solutions Over 50% of cyber attacks are aimed at small and medium-sized businesses and more than 80% are not financially prepared to recover from an attack. The average SMB IT team lacks staff resources to effectively manage cybersecurity and hybrid work. And troublingly millions of pounds each ..read more

Software-Defined Wide Area Networking (SD-WAN) and Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) are two prominent technologies that have emerged to address the evolving needs of modern networking. While both aim to enhance network performance and security, they have distinct characteristics that set them apart – something we’re often asked to define! Let’s delve right into it. What is SD-WAN? SD-WAN, in essence, is a technology that optimises the management and operation of a WAN by leveraging software-defined networking principles. Traditional WANs relied heavily on expensive, hardware-centric infrastru ..read more

Come and see us at MATPN Midlands 2023 and find out what the future of education looks like. MATPN is a unique, two-day learning and networking event which brings together the most inspirational leaders and transformational tech suppliers in the MAT sector to share cutting-edge insight, knowledge and experience. The agenda is carefully curated to address the most relevant and emerging challenges within the MAT sector. Visit us at the event and find out how we help multi-academy trusts create high quality learning environments that support their innovative strategies and collaborative approache ..read more

Digital transformation is vital for businesses today in staying competitive. With companies looking to save time and reduce costs, replacing outdated, legacy IT equipment with a cloud-first network is a key enabler to success. Businesses can benefit from the operational speed and agility made possible by cloud networking which enables them to adapt to changing work environments. Modernise your IT and reap the new benefits of a cloud-managed business As more businesses adopt a hybrid-workforce a cloud-managed IT infrastructure can drive business growth by boosting efficiency and innovation and ..read more