These days, there’s no escaping the internet. Whatever industry you work in, more work is done using the internet than ever before, from sharing ledgers and spreadsheets to performing inventory counts to human resource paperwork and much more.

Of course, heavy internet usage in the workplace requires a steady network connection, and these days most businesses are turning to WiFi to solve these problems. Anyone who’s had a hard time setting up a router at home knows the difficulties that come with setting up WiFi, and these problems can become magnified when establishing a wireless network over an area as large as a warehouse. If you’re trying to setup WiFi in your warehouse, or need to redesign your current network to accommodate greater internet needs, we’ve got some tips to get your network up and running through your entire distribution center:

Identify The Areas Where WiFi Is Needed Most

We’ve all dealt with poor signal strength at times, and in the workplace these problems can become doubly frustrating. Before trying to revamp your WiFi network, take a look at the areas where WiFi is most commonly used or needed and focus on those first. Look at where the management offices are located, see where WiFi is needed on the shop floor (like for wireless inventory scanners or shipment logs), and plan on focusing your efforts around these spots in the warehouse.

Price Out Networking Equipment

Next, you’re going to want to look into the sort of routers and modems you’ll need. Many internet service providers will offer to include a router or modem with your networking plan, but these devices are often overpriced and under-powered, especially for the needs of an entire distribution or storage facility. Take some time to look into your options for routers and identify which products are going to meet your needs best without a huge financial impact.

Be Prepared To Renovate Your Warehouse

We’re not saying you need to totally tear everything down and start over, but in order to provide the most powerful WiFi signal possible you might need to do some reorganizing and renovating. If your WiFi signal will be blocked by your industrial storage or if your current installations may get in the way of you placing your routers where they need to go, you might want to consider moving some of your shelves around to improve wireless performance. You could also consider getting something like wire shelving with a more open design that won’t obstruct the WiFi signal as much to improve performance.

Test, Test, and Retest

Once your routers have been installed, take some time to verify their performance in the warehouse. Take a tablet or small laptop and visit various points around the facility to make sure the signal is clear, accessible, and accurate – using too powerful of a signal may cause devices to connect to the wrong router or lose signal by being too far away from the router they’re attempting to connect to.

Hopefully with these tips you’ll be able to get your warehouse more connected than ever before – just try to take it easy on the workers you catch reading Reddit on their break.