In a home office or a small network with just a few devices sharing a single resource, Wi-Fi is one of the most convenient ways of setting up and running data communications. In offices which have more than eight or nine devices all trying to access the same local area network (LAN) at the same time, Wi-Fi tends to slow down as it deals with demand and the inevitable conflicts they bring. Even smaller offices with just a few staff will have multiple network devices these days, not just PC terminals. These include printers, video conferencing equipment and photocopiers, to name but a few. In such circumstances, it is better to install a structured data cabling network than to rely on Wi-Fi alone. Why?
Faster Communications
When data cabling is installed throughout an office each and every workstation gets a superfast connection to the server or hub. Cat-6 cabling is capable of providing speeds of up to 10-Gigabits per second which outstrips even the fastest Wi-Fi connections. Even if you opt for the slightly older technology of Cat-5 cabling, the connectivity speeds users can expect will be far better than a wireless set up. Of course, speed is not everything, so it is worth mentioning that structured cabling, which provides Ethernet connections between computer terminals, is also much more reliable with the packets of information they pass back and forth.
Low-Cost Installation
These days, you don't need a specialist network installer in order to flood wire an office with the Ethernet cables required to make a structured cabling network. A commercial electrician with the necessary experience will be able to do the same job for you at a fraction of the cost. If your office already has a suspended ceiling or dado trunking which hides its electrical cables away, then it is a relatively simple process also to install data cables neatly and out of sight. A few patch cables from the network's outlets to its devices are required to get up and running.
Security
All Wi-Fi networks are capable of being hacked into. Although encryption means that it is not child's play for hackers to gain information from a private Wi-Fi network, it can never be as secure as a LAN which is made up of physical, wired connections sat behind a firewall. Remember that anyone who knows your Wi-Fi code can gain unwarranted access to your network, even if you have rescinded access to it from a known device.
