Wi-Fi that drops in the meeting room, the printer that "disappears" from the network or the video call that freezes just as you are talking to a client. Network problems are among the most common issues in offices in Benalmádena, Marbella and the Costa del Sol, and they almost always have the same cause: a network that grew through patches and that nobody designed around how the business works today.
Signs that your office network is no longer up to the job
- Areas of the office with no coverage or a very weak signal.
- Dropped video calls and slow access to shared files or cloud software.
- Computers that lose the connection to the printer or the server.
- Clients and visitors connected to the same network as the company's computers.
- Nobody knows the router password or who has access to the Wi-Fi.
The keys to a business network that works
1. Cable where possible, Wi-Fi where needed
Desktop workstations, printers and the server work better and more reliably on a cable. That leaves the Wi-Fi free for laptops, mobiles and meeting rooms, and everyone gains speed.
2. Professional access points instead of repeaters
The router supplied by your internet provider is not designed to cover a whole office, and home repeaters usually reduce speed. Several professional access points, well positioned and centrally managed, let you move around the office without dropouts.
3. A separate network for guests
Clients, suppliers and personal mobiles should use a guest Wi-Fi isolated from the company's computers, server and printers. It is a simple measure that greatly reduces the risk of an infected device reaching your data.
4. Router and Wi-Fi security
Changing factory passwords, using the latest encryption your devices support (WPA3 or, at the very least, WPA2), keeping the firmware updated and disabling unnecessary features are basic steps that many offices have not taken.
5. An internet connection that matches your use
If the business works in the cloud, makes video calls or depends on online management software, you should consider upload speed, not just download speed, and have a backup connection (for example 4G/5G) so that an outage at your provider does not stop the office.
6. Documentation and control
Knowing which devices are connected, where each network point is and who has the passwords avoids depending on a single person and speeds up any repair.
Remote working and remote access
If part of the team works from home or needs access to office files, access should go through a VPN or a properly configured cloud service, with two-factor authentication. Opening router ports to connect to remote desktop is one of the entry points attackers exploit most. We explain it in our guide to cybersecurity for SMEs.
We help you put your business network in order
At Master Informática we review the networks of offices and businesses in Benalmádena, Marbella and the Costa del Sol: coverage survey, cabling, access points, guest Wi-Fi, router security and remote access for remote work. And if you would rather have someone make sure everything keeps working, we include it in our IT maintenance for businesses. Tell us what problems you have and we will propose a solution with no obligation.
IT maintenance