WiFi: why 'there is WiFi' says nothing

Every building has WiFi. The question is whether it works where you sit, at the moment everyone is online at once.

Coverage and capacity are two things

Coverage is about reach: is there signal where you work? Capacity is about how many devices can be served properly at the same time. A network can have excellent coverage and still be unusable the moment thirty people sit in the same room.

That distinction explains most complaints. The signal shows four bars, and yet the call still breaks up, not because reach falls short, but because too many devices share the same access point.

What determines coverage in a building

The building itself

Concrete, steel, coated glass and lift shafts dampen the signal. Two buildings with the same equipment therefore perform differently.

Placement of the access points

It's not the number that counts, but where they hang. An access point in the corridor does little for the meeting room behind it.

The cabling behind it

Every access point hangs off a cable. If that cabling falls short, so does the WiFi. See [fibre optic and cabling](/kennisbank/glasvezel).

Management

A centrally managed network can adapt to usage. Standalone access points can't.

Why a walkthrough proves nothing here

On a quiet Thursday morning, almost every network works. The load on a full Tuesday afternoon is a completely different test. That's why the IT-Label doesn't just assess whether WiFi is present, but also measures performance under real conditions.

What the levels say about WiFi

WiFi is one of the components where the delivery levels distinguish themselves. IT1+ PREMIUM includes enterprise WiFi with full coverage and central management; IT1 HIGH PERFORMANCE includes strong coverage throughout the building.

IT2 PLUG & PLAY offers functional WiFi in the spaces in use, and at IT3 READY WiFi is limited: present, but not designed for intensive professional use. At IT4 CORE and IT5 SHELL, the tenant installs it themselves.

The question to ask

Don't ask whether there is WiFi, but whether there is coverage in every space you will use, including the meeting rooms, the quiet booths and the canteen. And ask how many people can connect at once without it becoming noticeable.

In a certified building, you don't need to ask: it's stated in the label. See what to look out for as a tenant.

How does the WiFi in your building perform?

The audit measures coverage and capacity where people actually work.

How the audit works

Related information

Request an IT-Label