What’s the Best Residential Wi-Fi Solution for Work at Home?
You may be, like a lot of people, working from home these days. And the setup and technology that was fine for your personal internet use just doesn’t seem adequate for your work. You are not alone. Many folks need just a little help when it comes to finding what, exactly, is the best way to get their houses wired their for their business. Here’s a two-part series to answer some of the more important questions:
Do I wire my house with CAT6 Ethernet everywhere or do I use Wi-Fi exclusively or a mixture?
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution here. If you are worried about security, wiring your entire setup with CAT6 Ethernet is definitely a great solution, because you’re not broadcasting any Wi-Fi signals and the neighbors’ signals aren’t interfering with you. It’s more secure. It is also faster. But, it’s more expensive, as well, and may not be necessary. So, it depends on exactly what you’re doing at the house and how much security and speed you need. Distance from the main router is a factor for strength of signal. For a lot of applications, Wi-Fi is just fine. But for the very best in performance and security, hard wiring should be considered.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of VoIP phone systems?
VoIP systems work through your internet connection. A major advantage is that they are inexpensive. Since they are internet reliant, these systems may be unavailable during power outages or if you have internet problems. For many people, as cheap as these systems are, using them in concert with a traditional land line or cell system is the best solution.
Do I put wired hot spots throughout my house for Wi-Fi or mesh the Wi-Fi to each room?
Both of these solutions help maintain signal strength throughout larger areas or homes. Wired hot spots will be more secure, with high performance, but more expensive. Mesh systems are completely adequate for most purposes. Range extenders can be another option. These systems are only needed when signal strength is not adequate in some areas.