6 Signs Your Business Needs Higher Internet Speeds

When your business grows, your need for technology grows too. An increase in customers, employees, and equipment means an increase in your Internet bandwidth requirements.

Internet bandwidth (also known as Internet speed) is the maximum rate at which data uploads to or downloads from the Internet on your network. The more bandwidth available increases the speed at which an upload or download can happen.

However, your network’s bandwidth is fixed and must be split among all the users and devices using your network. So, as the number of employees and devices on your network increases, dividing the available bandwidth into smaller and smaller pieces. This decreases the speed at which you can work on the Internet.

Knowing when to increase your bandwidth can be a bit tricky. Here are some signs you need higher bandwidth:

1. More employees: Employees often have multiple devices connected to the Internet at one time – computers, laptops, smartphones, tablets, watches, etc. When you increase the number of devices on your network it can decrease productivity, increase employee frustration, and cause customer service issues.
2. More computers or point of sale devices: When you add additional devices to your network it can cause lag time or glitching, especially If they are constantly connected.
3. Cloud storage or more servers: Backing up data has never been a more crucial element to many businesses and interruptions due to slow Internet can cause major issues, especially if you have employees that work both on-site and remotely.
4. More customers: If you expand your retail location that offers free WiFi, underwhelming Internet can affect their perception of your organization and frustration that impacts their experience.
5. New software: Many software programs are now accessed on the Internet instead of directly installed on a desktop computer or laptop. Switching to a software that is cloud-based you may experience glitches and lag time due to low bandwidth.
6. New office: If you’re utilizing WiFi in a new office space, walls and large furniture can significantly reduce signal strength. This can cause a variety of issues for employees and customers.

In addition to knowing when you need to increase your bandwidth, knowing how much to increase your bandwidth can be hard to determine. Most Internet service providers are willing to review your current usage data and needs, as well as comparison data from other clients with similar needs to calculate a bandwidth level that matches your needs free of charge. So, it is a good idea to periodically reach out to your provider for a bandwidth assessment.

TIP: Don’t let free WiFi backfire on your business. Develop policies and enable WPA2-level security. You can also add firewalls, change passwords often, and keep the WiFi router in a location out of sight from customers.