Preparing Your Network for the Future: Why Multigigabit Switches Are Key in the Era of WiFi 6/6E and WiFi 7Preparing Your Network for the Future: Why Multigigabit Switches Are Key in the Era of WiFi 6/6E and WiFi 7
As WiFi 7 begins its gradual rollout, it’s making waves primarily in the consumer space. Most recently released smartphones already come equipped with WiFi 7 capabilities, but for the business world, things are moving at a slower pace. Companies are still digesting their relatively recent upgrades to WiFi 6/6E, and many are in no rush to jump to WiFi 7—unless a compelling business case arises.
However, while companies may not feel an immediate need to adopt WiFi 7, there’s a critical network infrastructure issue that shouldn’t be ignored: the growing demand for higher throughput on LAN interfaces, driven by advances in wireless technology.
In this post, we’ll break down why Multigigabit switches are becoming essential and how businesses can prepare their networks for the future, regardless of whether WiFi 7 is on their immediate horizon.
Why WiFi 7 Isn’t a Business Priority (Yet)
WiFi 7 promises faster speeds, lower latency, and improved efficiency, which makes it sound appealing. However, in the business sector, there’s a general sense of reluctance to upgrade immediately. The majority of companies have only recently transitioned to WiFi 6 or WiFi 6E, and are enjoying the benefits of higher capacity and improved connectivity.
The cost and effort required for a new upgrade so soon after the last one are often difficult to justify. Even major networking companies like Meraki have indicated that they have no immediate plans to launch WiFi 7 access points (APs). While it’s likely they are developing WiFi 7 solutions behind the scenes, it’s clear that demand from business customers isn’t urgent enough to fast-track these products.
The Infrastructure Bottleneck: LAN Throughput
Although businesses may not be rushing to upgrade their wireless networks to WiFi 7, many are facing an issue that is already affecting their operations: LAN throughput. Even WiFi 6/6E APs are capable of pushing more than 1 Gbps of data, which exceeds the capacity of many traditional network switches that businesses still rely on.
With WiFi 7, that potential throughput could skyrocket to over 10 Gbps. What does this mean? It means that LAN bottlenecks are becoming a real concern. You could have the latest and greatest WiFi 6 or 6E access points, but if your switches can’t handle the increased traffic, your users won’t be able to take full advantage of your high-performance wireless network.
This is where Multigigabit switches come into play.
Multigigabit Switches: The Immediate Business Case
Multigigabit switches can handle data rates higher than the standard 1 Gbps, typically supporting speeds of 2.5G, 5G, and even up to 10G. For businesses that have already invested in WiFi 6 or 6E, upgrading to multigigabit switches is a crucial step in future-proofing their network. Here’s why:
Prevent Network Bottlenecks
As access points push more data, especially in high-density environments or with data-heavy applications, a 1 Gbps switch will quickly become a bottleneck. Multigigabit switches ensure your network can keep up with the demands of modern wireless infrastructure.
Prepare for WiFi 7
Even if your organization isn’t planning to adopt WiFi 7 immediately, preparing your network now with multigigabit switches ensures that when the time comes, your infrastructure is ready to support the higher throughput demands without a costly and disruptive overhaul.
Maximize Your Current Investment
If you’ve already deployed WiFi 6/6E APs, you’re likely not getting their full potential without the right switching capabilities. An upgrade to multigigabit switches ensures that you’re getting the most out of your existing wireless infrastructure.
When to Consider a Switch Upgrade
While a full network overhaul might not be on your radar, there are certain scenarios where considering an upgrade to multigigabit switches makes immediate sense:
Network Switch Refresh
If your business is already planning to refresh its switching hardware, now is the perfect time to future-proof with multigigabit switches. Investing in these today will save you from having to make another upgrade when WiFi 7 becomes more prevalent.
Bandwidth-Heavy Applications
If your business relies heavily on bandwidth-hungry applications such as video conferencing, cloud computing, or large file transfers, multigigabit switches will ensure that your network can handle the load without hiccups.
High-Density Environments
Businesses with a high number of connected devices, such as offices, schools, or hospitals, should prioritize multigigabit switches to avoid performance degradation as the number of users and devices grows.
Looking Ahead: Preparing for WiFi 7
While WiFi 7 might not be top-of-mind for businesses today, the need for Multigigabit-capable switches is already here. WiFi 6 and 6E access points are capable of more than 1 Gbps, and businesses that don’t upgrade their switching infrastructure will soon find themselves falling behind in terms of network performance.
If your business is planning a network refresh or is experiencing bottlenecks due to bandwidth-heavy applications, investing in Multigigabit switches now is a smart move to ensure your infrastructure is ready for the future—whether that future includes WiFi 7 or not.
Prepare today, and your network will be ready to handle the demands of tomorrow.
Conclusion!!
Although WiFi 7 adoption may be slow in the business world, underlying network infrastructure issues demand immediate attention. Multigigabit switches provide the solution that forward-thinking businesses need to ensure they aren’t left behind as wireless technology continues to evolve.
Are you ready to future-proof your network? Contact us to learn how Multigigabit switching solutions can help your business thrive in the evolving wireless landscape
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