Why switching to 2.5G across the household is a great idea

Why switching to 2.5G across the household is a great idea

With more people now working from home, there is a need for faster performance across the WiFi network and one of the easiest and most affordable ways to do that is to go 2.5 Gbps everywhere, as Luke Harley, Switching Market Development Manager EMEA at Zyxel, explains.

Right now, the router that most people have in their homes will provide up to 1 Gbps of bandwidth for wireless. That’s OK for most domestic settings. But at this speed you might see performance drop off at certain times – when numerous devices are accessing the WiFi, or when you are at some distance from the router, for example.

For home workers this can be a real issue. More of us are working at home routinely now and a dedicated workspace will usually be in an upstairs bedroom or loft. Or in a shed or workroom in the garden. Unfortunately, these are usually the places that are farthest away from the router. In most households, the broadband connection tends to be in the main living room space and the router will always be close by.

Boosting signal strength

There are different ways you can address a drop-off in WiFi performance. One of simplest and most affordable is to go 2.5 Gbps right across the network. This is the best option if you want to maintain a higher level of performance for the long term.

All you need to do is install a small switch next your router – and turn off the WiFi on that device; then add a PoE injector to power a WiFi access point where it will provide good coverage to your workspace.

What’s great about this solution is that it’s simple and it’s affordable. For most household it would be perfectly feasible and make sense to use a Zyxel MG105s switch, a Zyxel NWA210AX access point (which also gives you WiFi 6), and a Zyxel PoE12-30W injector in combination.

Smooth and seamless

At 2.5 Gbps you should have enough bandwidth to support smooth, seamless video and audio conferencing, and fast access to the web. And that set-up should be sufficient to support your needs for the foreseeable future.

It would also be ideal for supporting other PoE-powered devices, such as PZT (pan, zoom, tilt) security cameras, smart doorbells and alarms, and other home security devices. These are being installed in more dwellings now. It would also be useful to have a full 2.5 Gbps performance across the home network if you are using a NAS system to store large files. When you transfer these files, you may want to use encryption, and all of this adds to the bandwidth requirement.

One way or another, upgrading your home network to 2.5 Gbps is a smart idea, especially if you have serious work to do at home on a regular basis. With Zyxel’s simple and affordable switches, access points and PoE injectors, it’s something that’s quite easy to do.

If you would like to explore the options, please get in touch with your local Zyxel office or partner.