As part of our software investment project for 2023/24 (with the help of UK Coms) we have upgraded and extended our wireless network at both our Heathrow and Wokingham warehouses to improve connectivity for our staff when using scanners and mobile devices. The warehouses are 17,000 sq ft at Heathrow and 16,000 sq ft at Wokingham, both have large open spaces with high ceilings and a lot of metal shelving which made it a challenge to get a strong signal throughout the entire space.
After a heat map survey was completed, the coverage area that required a networking solution was established. The correct equipment for the environment was selected and designed then a new wireless network was implemented that included the following:
Access points – DrayTek Access Points for use within the warehouse, these are designed to cover a large area especially where the Wi-Fi signal was poor (including full coverage of our many offices).
Switches – DrayTek Switches that can handle the high traffic demands of a warehouse environment.
Cloud management – allows us to remotely monitor and manage our network.
Keyence handheld computers – These units offer us incredible wide reading ranges at high speed allowing our staff to quickly scan product codes when picking stock.
Results:
The new wireless network has significantly improved connectivity throughout both our warehouses. The scanners now have a strong signal no matter where they are in the warehouse, along with the mobile devices and staff who can connect to the network without any problems.
