Client: An Industrial CNC Warehouse
Property Size: Two large warehouses with office areas
The Chalange
The business had extended WiFi coverage using multiple extenders and routers of different brands, resulting in poor and inconsistent connectivity.
The WiFi signal was weak in most warehouse areas and some office areas, especially in the second warehouse.
There was no central management system to control the network and WiFi, making it difficult to manage and troubleshoot issues.
The business faced problems with resource sharing, such as printers, across the environment.
Heavy machinery in the warehouses caused interference, further weakening the WiFi signal.
There was a lack of network security for both warehouse and office areas.
Significant delays were experienced in the second warehouse, even on Ethernet, due to multi-routing.
Our Solution
Consultation and Assessment:
We began by conducting a thorough consultation to understand the specific needs and challenges of the business’s current network setup.
Performed a professional site WiFi survey to analyze how the WiFi signal behaved with reflection, absorption, diffraction, scattering, and interference caused by heavy CNC machinery.
Customized Network Design:
Network Planning: Developed a detailed network plan to provide seamless WiFi coverage and efficient data flow throughout both warehouses and office areas. This involved calculating optimal AP placement using site survey data to ensure full coverage.
Unified WiFi System: A single, high-performance WiFi system is recommended to replace the disparate extenders and routers. We chose a system with seamless roaming capabilities to maintain strong connections as users move through different areas.
High-Performance Equipment:
Access Points (APs): Installed enterprise-grade access points with dual-band capabilities strategically placed to overcome obstacles such as heavy machinery. Each AP was equipped with MU-MIMO technology to handle multiple simultaneous connections effectively.
Central Management: Implemented a centralized management system using a network controller to provide a single interface for monitoring and managing all network devices. This included real-time analytics and remote configuration capabilities.
Network Switching: Deployed managed switches to replace the existing multi-router setup—configured VLANs on these switches to segment network traffic for improved security and performance. The switches supported PoE to power APs and reduce cable clutter.
Enhanced Security:
VLAN Segmentation: Created multiple VLANs for different departments and functions, such as administration, production, and guest access, to isolate and secure traffic and configured inter-VLAN routing to allow controlled access between VLANs where necessary.
WiFi Security: We set up WPA2 Enterprise security with RADIUS authentication for robust wireless security. We also added MAC address filtering to allow only authorized devices to connect.
Firewall and Intrusion Prevention: Implemented a next-generation firewall with intrusion prevention capabilities to protect against external and internal threats. Configured the firewall to enforce security policies across all VLANs.
Improved Connectivity:
Interference Mitigation: RF planning tools were used to analyze and mitigate interference from heavy machinery, and AP power levels and channel assignments were adjusted to minimize interference and optimize performance.
Optimized Ethernet Connections: Upgraded Ethernet infrastructure in the second warehouse to Cat6a cabling to support higher data rates and reduce latency. Implemented link aggregation to increase bandwidth and provide redundancy.
- Resource Sharing: Configured network printers and other shared resources to be accessible across all VLANs using the central management system. Set up network print to streamline printer access and management.
The Results
- The entire business now enjoys solid and reliable WiFi coverage throughout both warehouses and office areas.
- Internet connections are stable and consistent, enabling smooth operations and productivity.
- The central management system provides easy control and monitoring of the network, simplifying IT management tasks.
- Network security is robust, protecting the business's data and resources from potential threats.
- Improved connectivity has significantly enhanced productivity, with fast and reliable access to shared resources like printers.
- The business no longer experiences delays or connectivity issues, even in challenging areas of the warehouses.
- Network downtime decreased to nearly zero due to a triple SD-WAN fail-over Internet connection.
Conclusion:
This project successfully addressed the business’s WiFi and network challenges, transforming its network into a reliable and high-performing system.
The business now enjoys a secure, stable, and efficient network environment, supporting smooth operations and improved productivity.
The business has expressed great satisfaction with Datcomm’s solution, highlighting the improved network performance and management capabilities.
The client was very satisfied with Datcomm’s solution, as it met all challenges with a professional design and installation. They trusted Datcomm to replace their new CCTV system with the one Datcomm recommended and installed to meet their requirement.
