For new installations, we recommend it. Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 access points increasingly use multi-gigabit uplinks, and CAT6a carries 10 Gbps over the full 100 metre cable run, so the cabling won’t hold back the access points you fit now or at the next upgrade. Existing Cat6 can often support 2.5 or 5 Gbps uplinks, so we check what you already have before recommending a replacement.
Enough to power every access point at full capability, with headroom to spare. Newer access points often need PoE+ (802.3at) or PoE++ (802.3bt), and some run with features switched off if they receive less power than they need. Add up the power draw of every access point, plus any cameras or phones on the same switch, and check the total against the switch’s overall PoE budget, not just the rating per port. We check this as part of every Wi-Fi design.
Often, yes. If your cabling is in good condition and your switches have enough PoE budget and uplink speed for the new access points, we design around them. Where they fall short, we tell you exactly which parts need upgrading rather than recommending you replace everything.
For a new network, plan on it. WPA3 is required for Wi-Fi 7 and for the 6 GHz band, while Wi-Fi 6 made it optional. Many older scanners and IoT devices only support WPA2, so we check every device model in your fleet before the network is designed. Where some devices can’t use WPA3, we plan how they connect securely, for example on a separate network, while newer devices use WPA3.
No. Directional access points and antennas are not available across every vendor’s range, and the options vary a lot between vendors. If your site needs directional coverage, for example down narrow racked aisles, check that the vendor has suitable models before you commit to a platform. We confirm this at the design stage.
We work with the vendor of your choice, including Cisco, Cisco Meraki, Juniper Mist (now part of HPE), RUCKUS Networks and Cambium Networks. We survey, design, configure and troubleshoot networks on all of these, so you can keep the platform you already run.
Yes. The hardware we supply ourselves is RUCKUS Networks, as a RUCKUS partner. If you would rather use a different vendor, we can also provide Mist, Cisco and Meraki hardware, we don’t hold the same status as Ruckus and may need to use a partner.
Yes. Because we are vendor-agnostic, we start from what you already have. Many sites need better design, placement or configuration rather than a new platform. If you run more than one vendor, we can survey and troubleshoot across all of them.
Start with your devices and your building, not the brand. Check that the vendor supports what your devices need, such as WPA3 and fast roaming, that it has directional and outdoor models if your site needs them, and that its management and licensing model suits your IT team. We’ll give you an honest view of which platforms fit your site.
Yes. We plan the move so the new network is designed and tested before the old one is switched off, and the cutover happens in stages during your maintenance windows.
It depends on how you want to manage the network. Cloud-managed platforms are run from a web dashboard, suit multi-site estates and smaller IT teams, and are usually licensed by subscription. Controller-based platforms keep management on your own hardware or private cloud, which some organisations prefer for control or security. Both can run a reliable warehouse network.
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) works in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands and handles large numbers of devices more efficiently than earlier standards. Wi-Fi 6E adds the 6 GHz band, which adds more spectrum, leading to higher throughput. Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) builds on Wi-Fi 6E with features such as Multi-Link Operation, and requires WPA3. Your devices need to support a standard to benefit from it.
Only if your devices can use it. Many scanners and vehicle terminals in use today support Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6, so a Wi-Fi 7 network won’t make them faster on its own. Wi-Fi 7 access points can still make sense for a new installation that needs to last, as long as your cabling, PoE budget and WPA3 support are ready for them.
For 6 GHz networks it is usually 40 MHz, and 80 MHz at a push. The UK has a limited number of Wi-Fi channels, and narrower channels let us reuse them across a large site without access points interfering with each other. Wider channels look faster on paper but leave fewer channels to work with. The 320 MHz channels that Wi-Fi 7 supports are not practical in real deployments. In 5 GHz networks we use 20 MHz and 40 MHz if possible.
Multi-Link Operation (MLO) is a Wi-Fi 7 feature that lets a device use more than one frequency band at the same time. It still needs work before it delivers benefits in real-world use, so it isn’t a reason to choose Wi-Fi 7 for a warehouse today.
Yes. Ofcom has opened the lower 6 GHz band (5925 to 6425 MHz) for licence-exempt Wi-Fi, mainly for indoor use. It offers clean spectrum, but it has a shorter range than 5 GHz, and only devices that have a 6 GHz radio can support it; just because your device is Wi-Fi 7 capable, doesn’t mean it supports 6 GHz.
A design decides where every access point goes, which antennas it uses and how channels and power are planned, before any hardware is bought. Without one, networks are sized by guesswork, which leads to coverage gaps, interference and paying for access points you don’t need. Find out more about our Wi-Fi design service.
Access point locations and mounting heights, antenna types, channel and power plans, expected coverage and capacity for your devices, how devices will roam between access points, and the switching, cabling and power needed to support it all. We model the design in Ekahau, based on your floor plans, building layout and device list.
With a validation survey after installation. An engineer walks the site with survey equipment to confirm that coverage, capacity and roaming match the design, ideally testing with your own devices. Any gaps are fixed before sign-off.
Yes, simply reach out to us! Our team have been responsible for designing some of the largest Wi-Fi deployments in the world, just get in touch via the contact form at the bottom of this page to hear how we can help design your network.
For warehouses and other demanding sites, yes. Racking, stock and building materials affect Wi-Fi in ways a floor plan can’t show. A survey measures how the signal actually behaves on your site, so the design is based on evidence rather than assumptions. It costs far less than fixing a network installed in the wrong places.
A predictive survey models the site in software, from floor plans, to estimate how many access points you need and where. An on-site survey tests real access point positions in the building. A validation survey after installation proves the finished network performs as designed. Most warehouse projects use all three.
Our engineers use Ekahau survey tools to measure signal strength, interference, noise and roaming across your site, along the routes your devices actually travel. The results go into a report with findings and recommendations, whether the survey is for a new installation, a check on an existing network or troubleshooting. Find out more about our Wi-Fi surveys.
Up-to-date floor plans, racking layouts and heights, a list of the devices and applications that use the network, any known problem areas, and access to the site at a suitable time. Our survey readiness checklist covers everything you need to prepare.
Ideally, yes. Stock changes how Wi-Fi travels, so a survey of an empty or half-empty building can give a misleading picture. Where a stocked survey isn’t possible, we account for expected stock levels in the design.
A written report including coverage heatmaps, interference findings, recommended access point locations, installation details, and BOM where applicable.
It depends on the size and complexity of the site. A small site may only take a day or two, however we have completed sites that have taken many days due to sheer size and amount of testing required.
A professional survey takes a qualified engineer on site with specialist equipment, followed by analysis and a written report or design. That work is what stops you buying the wrong number of access points or installing them in the wrong places, which costs far more to put right.
Yes. We deliver the whole network, from wireless and switching to firewalls, cabling and voice, then test it before handover. That means one partner from the first survey to sign-off, with no hand-offs between contractors. Find out more about our deployment and configuration service.
It depends on the size of the site, the cabling needed and how much can be done in each maintenance window. We have worked on projects ranging from one day to many months.
Yes. We schedule work around your maintenance windows, and larger sites can be done in phases, out of hours or at weekends, so the parts of the site that are live stay connected.
Access points in the wrong places or at the wrong height, poor channel and power planning, interference, more devices than the network was designed for, and roaming settings that don’t suit the devices. Outdated firmware and configuration changes made over time also play a part.
Other Wi-Fi networks nearby, including your own access points on overlapping channels, and non-Wi-Fi sources such as microwave equipment, lighting sensors, some industrial machinery and other wireless devices. In warehouses, metal racking also reflects signals and makes coverage harder to predict.
Yes. We troubleshoot networks, whoever installed them and whichever vendor they use. We start by measuring how the network performs where your devices operate, find the root cause, and recommend the smallest change that fixes it. Find out more about our Wi-Fi troubleshooting service.
Measure the Wi-Fi from the device’s point of view. If coverage, roaming and packet loss are healthy where the problem happens, the cause is more likely the application, server or device. Our troubleshooting surveys and Wi-Fi Assurance monitoring give you that evidence.
Usually when the vendor stops providing software and security updates for them, or when they can’t support the devices and standards you now need. We most commonly see access points last 5-7 years, but there isn’t anything to say they cannot last longer should the network continue to meet the operational requirements.
Yes. Our Wi-Fi Assurance service monitors your network continuously from the device’s point of view, using 7Signal sensors and agents, and we act on problems before they reach your team. It works on networks we installed and on existing networks from other providers. If you deploy a RUCKUS network, we are also able to offer a managed service ensuring we take care of the configuration and support for you.
By giving each device its own credentials rather than one shared password. Per-device keys or 802.1X certificate authentication mean a lost or stolen scanner can be locked out without changing every other device. Combined with WPA3 where devices support it, and separate networks for different device types, this keeps operational devices secure.
Yes. Operational devices, office users, guests and IoT should sit on separate networks with their own security rules. Separation stops limits the damage if one device is compromised.
Wi-Net Connect is a UK Wi-Fi and network infrastructure specialist, founded in 2024 by Simon McDonnell. Simon has over 11 years’ experience in wireless and network engineering, including roles at Amazon, Arqiva and Airangel. We design, survey, install and support networks, with a particular focus on warehouse Wi-Fi.
Warehousing and logistics is our main focus, alongside enterprise offices, hospitality venues and outdoor holiday parks. See our sectors for more.
Yes. We work with sites throughout the UK, including organisations with several locations that want the same network standard at every site.