Thinking of Upgrading Your WiFi?
Here’s What You Need to Know About Your Switches
Are you considering upgrading your WiFi system to the latest 802.11ac access points? Thinking of Upgrading Your WiFi? While this is a fantastic move to enhance your network performance, it’s crucial to assess the capability of your current switches. Two key aspects to consider are Power over Ethernet (PoE) capability and maximum port speeds.
Power over Ethernet (PoE)
What is PoE?
Power over Ethernet (PoE) allows network cables to carry electrical power, eliminating the need for separate power supplies for devices like access points, cameras, and phones.
Things to Check before Thinking of Upgrading Your WiFi?
PoE Capability: Determine if your switches support PoE. There are different standards, such as 802.3af and 802.3at.
PoE Budget: This refers to the total power available for all connected PoE devices. Even if a switch has 24 or 48 ports, it may only support PoE on a percentage of those ports, depending on the power each device requires.
802.3af Standard: Provides up to 15.4W per device, suitable for most access points.
802.3at Standard (PoE+): Provides up to 30W per device, necessary for many newer access points that require more power.
High Power Devices: Some advanced devices may need up to 50W, demanding even higher
specifications.
Port Speeds
Why are Port Speeds Important?
The port speeds of your switches determine how much data can be transferred to and from your devices. Faster port speeds are essential to fully utilize the capabilities of modern WiFi standards.
Things to Check:
Current Port Speeds: Identify whether your switches support 10/100/1000Mb (Gigabit Ethernet).
Compatibility with 802.11ac: The 802.11ac access points can achieve speeds up to 1.7Gbps on the 5GHz band and 800Mbps on the 2.4GHz band. To benefit from these speeds, gigabit ports are essential.
802.11n Standard: Older 802.11n access points might not benefit from ports over 100Mb full duplex in practical scenarios.
Why Upgrade Your Switches?
Upgrading to the latest 802.11ac access points without ensuring your switches can support them might limit your network’s performance. Here’s why upgrading your switches might be necessary:
Maximize Speed and Performance: Take full advantage of the high speeds offered by 802.11ac access points.
Future-Proof Your Network: Ensure your network infrastructure can handle future advancements and increased data demands.
Enhanced Power Management: Support more and higher-power PoE devices, enabling you to expand your network capabilities.
Need Assistance? Thinking of Upgrading Your WiFi?
If you’re unsure about the capabilities of your current switches or need an upgrade, Wififixing
can help.Contact Wififixing today at 055 591 9838 or We offer comprehensive assessments of your existing switch capabilities and provide upgrade options to ensure your network is up to speed with the latest 802.11ac WiFi standard..