By Dave Junker, Senior Director of Technical Services at Great Plains Communications
#WFH (Work From Home) is a popular hashtag on Twitter and Instagram and at the present time, #deadzone refers more to #WiFi than @TheWalkingDead. Furthermore, “homework” is now “schoolwork” (though some students are watching YouTube instead of online learning programs through virtual school).
These are just a few of the changes since the COVID-19 outbreak altered how we’re using our internet service at home. Many predict the work-from-home movement isn’t going away any time soon, which means our home WiFi networks have become a utility as essential as electricity. Regrettably, many are discovering that their home WiFi set up is not able to handle full-fledged #WFH, along with the network demands coming – often simultaneously — from other household members.
In this environment, wireless “dead zones” and coverage issues are a result of numerous wireless devices and don’t reflect the internet service itself. Still, customers are understandably looking at ways to optimize their home WiFi network. Keep in mind that eliminating dead spots is important, yet there are other critical issues to consider, such as security and data privacy.
WiFi coverage that adapts
The first and most obvious step for optimizing your WiFi network is the physical placement of your WiFi router. Place your router as close to the center of your home as possible where it’s not obstructed by walls or non-porous materials or furniture. Check how close the router is to devices and appliances, such as microwaves and baby monitors, that could interfere with the connection.
Another consideration is adding a mesh WiFi system to broaden coverage areas. The GPC Whole Home WiFi service, powered by Plume®, is a mesh adaptive platform that employs artificial intelligence (AI) to automatically monitor and adjust home networks throughout the premises to meet the current bandwidth demands in real time.
Protect and secure your home WiFi network
Homes today offer many potential targets for would-be hackers. Some households can have over 20+ devices that connect to the internet from computers, phones, and tablets to IoT (Internet of things) devices like smart TVs, voice assistants, security cameras, thermostats, doorbells and more.
Remember, to protect your WiFi from hackers, set a secure password on your router and change the password frequently. If devices outside your home use your WiFi, not only is your signal depleted, but it can open up your personal information to hacking. The GPC Whole Home WiFi engages Plume’s AI Security™ control feature that detects and halts suspicious activity and quarantines any compromised devices. This provides real time threat protection.
Parental controls and guest access
Sometimes a “time out” from devices, or at least a limit on internet usage, is in order. And, when teenagers come over to your house to hang out, they inevitably bring their devices. What if you could allocate access so that devices only connect to the internet and not to any other connected devices in your home? The GPC Whole Home WiFi service with Plume HomePass® allows you to approve or block specific websites that each device or profile can access, and even block specific content by device or profile.
GPC Whole Home WiFi powered by Plume®
At Great Plains Communications, we are excited to offer our customers a new service that improves the work-from-home, learn-from-home, and complete WiFi experience for the entire household: our new GPC Whole Home WiFi.
To learn more, visit gpcom.com/wholehomewifi or contact the Great Plains Communications Customer Response Center at 888.343.8014.