Preparing for Wi-Fi 7: Five Key Steps for a Smooth Transition

Katayoon Ghotb

November 15, 2024

Is your network ready for Wi-Fi 7? Here are five steps to help prepare.

Imagine life without Wi-Fi! It’s a key part of modern life, helping us work and connect in our digital world. Wi-Fi 7 is the next step forward, promising faster speeds, better efficiency, and more capacity.

With speeds up to 46 Gbps, Wi-Fi 7 offers a big upgrade. But businesses need more than fast access points (APs) to handle it. Busy places like stadiums, campuses, and airports will need robust networks.

Is your network ready for Wi-Fi 7? Here are five steps to help prepare.

Step 1: Check edge switches

Wi-Fi 7 APs need more power. They support multi-gig speeds (5 Gbps and 10 Gbps), which means they need more power to run at their best. Check that:

• Your switches support 802.3at (PoE+) for 30W or 802.3bt (Hi-PoE) for up to 100W
• There are no network slowdowns, especially at edge switches
• Bottlenecks are cleared from edge to distribution switches and all the way to the core

Step 2: Use a distributed wireless architecture

A distributed wireless setup saves costs by removing the need for a controller and the associated maintenance. It saves time and money, while improving efficiency.

The advantages go beyond cost. Wi-Fi 7 APs in this setup eliminate single points of failure and improve scalability and latency.

Step 3: Choose unified network management

A single platform for wired and wireless management simplifies operations. Unified management reduces IT tasks, avoids duplicate work, and improves consistency. It also provides alerts, analytics, and a real-time view of the whole network’s health.

Step 4: Pick the right access points

Choose APs that fit your needs. Consider how many devices will connect to them and what they will  access (apps, video, etc.). Decide if you need APs for indoor or outdoor areas.

Key features to look for include:

• Advanced technology like MLO, 320MHz channels, and MU-MIMO
• Support for high-demand applications with fast speeds and low latency
• Built-in threat monitoring with a dedicated scanning radio

Step 5: Conduct a wireless site survey

Once you’ve chosen your APs, do a site survey. This is key for older buildings, campuses, and critical areas like hospitals. The survey should measure actual RSSI and SNR to ensure smooth roaming and a network design based on real data, not a prediction.

To learn more, download the eBook.