Modern network management from the cloud
Game over: The time-wasting guessing game “Find the Wi-Fi error” is history.
Yes, the propagation of electromagnetic waves follows the principle of cause and effect and is therefore calculable and predictable. In theory. Because the effect of waves bouncing around offices at 2.4 or 5 Gigahertz puts an end to physical predictability. “Hey, something’s wrong with the Wi-Fi,” tops the hit list of the most feared messages arriving at IT departments. Pure chaos is not alone in determining the propagation of Wi-Fi signals. Complexity scientists speak of deterministic chaos, rather like what happens to racked-up billiard balls at the start of a game when they are hit by a speeding cue ball. The paths of the balls can be calculated from Newtonian mechanics. In theory.
Rather like Wi-Fi practice: Radio networks on the same channel causing interference, stray Bluetooth signals, a leaky microwave oven, walls, furniture, people moving around, or even a full cup of coffee standing in the signal path. Any number of causes with effects that are difficult to assess. What comes next can be described as “empirical procedure”, to put it kindly. What is in fact little more than trial and error – change something, see what happens. And that until – hopefully, and for whatever reason – things improve. Or a spontaneous purchase is made – the more, the better – and an actually superfluous access point is installed. And this Wi-Fi guessing game isn't just a side hustle. According to a study (CWNA Certified Wireless Network Administrator Study Guide) this burns up an average of 40 percent of IT administrators’ working time.
But the stumbling around in the fog has come to an end thanks, of all things, to a cloud. Cloud-controlled network management with a good portion of Wi-Fi intelligence cannot cure frozen video streams or smooth out choppy Voice-over-Wi-Fi telephone calls at the push of a button. But it does provide meaningful, up-to-date data from the Wi-Fi components and, based on this, proposes solutions to get the data traffic back into shape. Read here how the Wi-Fi functions of the LANCOM Management Cloud put an end to guessing games and pave the way for structured problem solving.
Is your company NIS2-compliant and digitally sovereign?
Take control of your network security and Digital Sovereignty. Security requirements are increasing: starting in 2024, the EU NIS2 directive will apply to more companies than ever before and mandate stricter measures for network and information security. Additionally, Digital Sovereignty is becoming an increasingly urgent issue in Europe. It’s worth checking whether your company needs to take action. We provide informational material and practical tips to help:
Learn more about NIS2 and Digital Sovereignty
WLAN anomaly detection
The best complaints are those that never happen. With its WLAN anomaly detection, the LANCOM Management Cloud actually fixes errors even before the hotline rings.
List view with detailed data
After clicking on the orange alert button, a list of the affected devices is displayed. With a further click on the arrow symbol next to the warning triangle, the IT administrator sees what's going on: It has exceeded the preset maximum channel load. And the anomaly detection not only identifies the problem and when it occurred, it also presents potential solutions.
Clarity instead of guesswork: A boon for all IT admins
The preset limits for triggering the alert messages can be adjusted at any time. This also applies to the other metrics monitored by the anomaly detection: Apart from the channel load, these are noise, transmission quality, the maximum number of concurrent Wi-Fi users, and the availability of the 5-GHz channel, i.e. whether the frequency band is impaired by radar signals, for example from weather services or the military.
Thanks to the historical view, interference events can be reconstructed almost like a detective, and remedial action can be taken in a targeted manner:
Yesterday at 9:34 AM there was sudden interference on 2.4 GHz. Talking to the janitor reveals the troublemaker: A microwave oven was recently placed in the communal kitchen: it is past its prime and obviously has gaps in its shielding. So get rid of the troublemaker and replace it with an intact device.
Every day at 2.30 PM the access point for the visitor hotspot reports an overload. The result of quick search: The trainees take their afternoon break and the social media and streaming activity skyrockets. Solution: the available bandwidth of the hotspot could be reduced or, more elegant and effective, certain applications could be blocked on this hotspot network by using a firewall filter.
Would you like to have a deeper insight into the functions and possible applications of WLAN anomaly detection in the LANCOM Management Cloud?
Then feel free to visit our technology page!
There you can see exactly how anomaly detection works, what metrics are analyzed, and what troubleshooting assistance it offers.
Modern network management
„Globalization, digitalization and the pandemic have shown companies that the technical prerequisites for a future-proof operation are not yet fully developed. Not only the number, but also the variation of the devices in the network has risen rapidly alone by the fact that a lot of employees have switched to working from home. [...] Today, a network architecture uses a large number of sensors, controllers, routers, switches and access points. In addition, the networking of different locations has become a significant factor in the efficient operation of the entire company due to globalization, internationalization and outsourcing as well as the integration of business areas. What is needed are network management solutions that intelligently organize, optimize and manage these components and enable the network to achieve a holistic security standard.“ – techconsult study from 2022
Optimize Wi-Fi at the push of a button
Put an end to inefficient radio fields, channel conflicts, unfavorable transmitting powers, and other interference in the corporate Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi optimization no longer requires many hours of effort, fiercly contested expert know-how, and high costs.
LANCOM Active Radio Control™ 2.0 evaluates and optimizes WLAN installations on the basis of real usage data. The automated, holistic, and self-learning Wi-Fi optimization solution is an integral part of the WLAN management in the LANCOM Management Cloud.
Reduce costs for Wi-Fi setup and optimization by up to 99% now
Thick walls, high ceilings, impermeable building materials, furniture, highly valued colleagues – there are quite a few things that can get in the way of good transmission and reception performance in the Wi-Fi. Fortunately, many interference factors can already be taken into account when planning a wireless network and can be avoided or compensated for with a few clever tricks.
Take a look at our tips for Wi-Fi optimization and learn which criteria are important for the setup and smooth operation of a WLAN! Thus, troubleshooting will be kept within a limit and the anomaly detection of the LMC will only uncover small weaknesses.
Even more shooting support
Now that you have time to focus on the really important and enjoyable parts of your job: Why not read one of our info papers, tech papers or white papers on software-defined / cloud-managed networks!
Besides, the LMC is not your only helper. In our FAQs, tutorials and in our Support Knowledge Base you will find additional answers to your questions as well as tips and tricks for using the LMC:
Infopaper: LMC User Roles and Rights
Infopaper: LMC (Public) Data Protection and Data Security
Infopaper: LMC – SIEM Integration Service
Techpaper: Concepts of the LANCOM Management Cloud (LMC)
Techpaper: LANCOM Management Cloud - Rollout
Techpaper: Cloud-managed Hotspot
Techpaper: Cloud-managed Security
Whitepaper: LANCOM Cloud-managed hospital networks (SDN)
Whitepaper: Cloud Management and Software-defined Networking
