While WiFi is now an integral part of the home, subscribers expect more from their WiFi than ever before. Today, WiFi powers things in our daily lives, from brewing our pot of coffee in the morning to locking our front doors at night. With so much depending on WiFi, service providers are challenged to deliver the highest performing WiFi possible, through updated routers and advanced management tools. Service providers can go above and beyond by utilizing the cloud and AI to power their WiFi networks and boost WiFi performance.

Five Factors that Impact WiFi Performance in the Home

1. Utilization – The number of devices connected to the WiFi network can make a significant impact on subscriber WiFi performance. In addition, even devices that aren’t in use, but are connected to the WiFi can bog down the network and create WiFi performance issues.
2. WiFi Band Assignments – Today’s WiFi networks have two bands, 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. When a device is connected to a band that doesn’t meet its speed needs, subscribers can experience slowness and performance issues. To make matters more confusing, picking the appropriate band has a number of variables such as the distance between the device and the router, how old the device is, and the structure of your home.
3. Placement of the Router – Similar to the point above, even the placement of the router in the subscribers home has an impact on WiFi performance. Home elements like walls, floors, windows and even household appliances can act as signal blockers and weaken WiFi signals, resulting in poor WiFi performance.
4. Backwards Compatibility with Older WiFi Standards – This one is tricky. It’s not reasonable to expect subscribers to update their devices to be compatible with new WiFi standards. Since WiFi 6 is upon us, service providers are challenged to evolve and include WiFi 6 powered equipment while maintaining optimal performance on legacy CPEs.
5. Weak Network Security – Cyber security continues to be a cause for concern on multiple levels. Beyond the obvious threats to privacy and data, when a subscriber experiences a cyber security breach, the infected device and the WiFi network can experience performance issues.

Improve Your Customer’s WiFi Performance with Cloud-Based Managed WiFi

When it comes to home networking, most subscribers aren’t actively monitoring their WiFi until they experience WiFi issues. Low network visibility and complicated network management tools often result in reactive solutions rather than proactive solutions. Optim Managed Assurance Platform is a cloud-based managed WiFi service that is designed to address common WiFi performance issues. Cloud-based managed WiFi like Optim makes WiFi networking smarter, relying less on subscriber intervention for optimal WiFi performance. When the service provider deploys Optim, their subscribers can expect these features to help boost their networking experience and improve their WiFi performance:

Review network health – Subscribers can see their entire network at a glance from the dashboard. Optim houses all components of the home network and allows subscribers to see how each component is performing and identify under-performing elements of the network. Improved network visibility takes the guesswork out of home networking, making it easier than ever to take a proactive approach to WiFi performance management.

Manage connected devices – With so many devices connected to the network at once, it’s important for subscribers to actively manage those devices for optimal WiFi performance and as a security precaution. Subscribers can easily remove unknown or out of use devices from their network, instantly freeing up their WiFi. Optim also features automatic band steering, directing devices to the appropriate 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz band without subscriber intervention.

Advanced troubleshooting tools – Most subscribers don’t want the hassle of a phone call to tech support when they are experiencing network performance issues. With Optim, subscribers have three troubleshooting options before a call is even necessary. With Optim’s self-healing capabilities, the subscriber can get notifications when Optim identifies a performance issue and the subscriber can elect for Optim to automatically fix the issue. In addition, from the dashboard the subscriber can resolve basic network issues themselves. When the issue is more complicated, the subscriber has the option to remotely contact tech support for a resolution, no phone call necessary.

Advanced security features – Optim offers a wide array of security protections, from browsing protection to botnet protection, that keep the network and the devices on the network secured. Additionally, Optim uses AI and machine learning to automatically detect anomalies on the network, automatically quarantining the infected device and notifying the subscriber and/or service provider.

Home WiFi Performance Powered by AI for Your Customers

Given that WiFi networks are highly dynamic and complex environments, it’s essential to adopt new technologies to help maintain current and future WiFi networks. Optim takes proactive home networking to the next level by leveraging AI and machine learning to deliver smarter, automated WiFi management. The AI and machine learning tools within Optim allow for service providers to glean important network performance information by gathering data from the network. These data insights allow providers to understand their subscriber’s usage habits and offer service improvements that are informed by subscriber data.

While subscribers with Optim can easily manage their WiFi experience, service providers can also work in the background to improve the subscriber’s WiFi. Optim collects and reviews data from the entire network and measures network performance periodically. With this data, service providers can see areas in which their network is underperforming and make scalable adjustments to improve performance. As a result, service providers can deliver an exceptional wireless experience to their subscribers with fewer outages and network faults. Machine learning driven tools like automatic band steering ensure that devices are getting the strongest signal and fastest connection possible, resulting in smooth streaming and seamless audio while connected to the WiFi network.

Optim delivers tools that make network optimization easy for both subscribers and service providers. When subscriber WiFi is performing optimally, service providers can expect fewer support calls and reduced churn rates. Smarter, more efficient WiFi performance is the key to the future of WiFi networking. Optim opens the door.

Learn more about how Optim Managed Service Assurance Platform supports service providers and customers alike. For more industry news and research, check out the Actiontec Industry Articles.