After many years of unreliable Wi-Fi performance, I asked Michael Holland at PC Man to visit and undertake a full review of our existing kit. He made recommendations which have allowed us to have a robust, strong Wi-Fi signal throughout the house, including some areas which never were able to detect the Wi-Fi signal. The network has been up without a moments interruption for the last 2 years. Highly recommended.
Everything you need to know about your WiFi options
We have complied a comprehensive, jargon busting guide to the four most popular WiFi options below, to help you understand the choices available for your network.
With over seventeen years’ experience, we are one of the leading WiFi installation specialists in London and the South East. Established in 2005, we have set up and continue to manage WiFi networks for both domestic and business clients both in the UK and throughout Europe.
A common misconception is that internet and WiFi are the same thing but, whilst co-dependent, they are very much two separate services. Internet (most commonly broadband) is supplied to your premises by an ISP (internet service provider) whist WiFi, is the internal wireless distribution of your internet service. Not only can we deliver secure, reliable and robust WiFi systems to your home or office, we can provide the underlying internet service too.
READY FOR RELIABLE WIFI?
WIFI NETWORK OPTIONS
OPTION A
- WIFI ACCESS
- X
- X
- X
- X
- X
- X
- X
OPTION B
- WIFI ACCESS
- AUTOMATIC HANDOVER
- SINGLE SSID NETWORK SUPPORT
- DUAL BAND OVER SINGLE SSID
- PoE SUPPORT
- SURFACE MOUNTABLE
- X
- X
OPTION C
- WIFI ACCESS
- AUTOMATIC HANDOVER
- SINGLE SSID NETWORK SUPPORT
- DUAL BAND OVER SINGLE SSID
- PoE SUPPORT
- SURFACE MOUNTABLE
- FIRMWARE UPDATES
- CLOUD SUPPORT
OPTION D
- WIFI ACCESS
- AUTOMATIC HANDOVER
- SINGLE SSID NETWORK SUPPORT
- DUAL BAND OVER SINGLE SSID
- PoE SUPPORT
- SURFACE MOUNTABLE
- FIRMWARE UPDATES
- CLOUD SUPPORT
OPTION A:
Utilises basic WiFi hardware which is generally available on the high street (brands such as Netgear, DLink, Buffalo etc.). We’d describe this as a cheap and cheerful solution providing basic wireless access. This is provided for illustration purposes only; we do not supply nor support this option.
OPTION B
This is our entry level option, providing reliable WiFi throughout your premises and powerful enough to support systems such as multi-room audio wireless (SONOS etc.) and Ring doorbell products.
OPTION C:
We’d categorise this an exceptionally reliable solution using cutting-edge WiFi technology delivering guaranteed wireless reliability and performance.
OPTION D:
This as good as it gets! If you’re looking for a robust system with guaranteed wireless reliability and performance, this is the way to go – you can honestly set it and forget it!
HOW IT WORKS
We will carry out a WiFi site survey to ascertain how many wireless access points are required to drive your entire space and to determine where necessary data cables, if any, should be installed. All required data cables are installed as discreetly as possible utilising external elevations, internal voids and celling spaces. We always aim to provide an installation which is aesthetically pleasing. Following our site survey, we’ll provide a system design which is yours to keep, as well as a fixed price for the entire project.
HOME WIFI NETWORK
Contrary to popular belief, WiFi networks rely heavily on wires. This diagram of a WiFi network illustrates the internet service being supplied to the premises, either via the phone line (ADSL/VDSL) or via a cable (fibre optic) service. The internet router is configured to bring the internet connection into the property, to which all other devices must connect, in order to use the internet.
In the case of a wireless network, wireless access points are cabled back to the router, so that when wireless devices (iPhones, iPads, laptops etc.) connect to the wireless access points, internet data is passed back to the router and out to the internet.
WIFI TERMINOLOGY
WiFi access quite simply means the ability to connect to the internet using a wireless connection.
This allows wireless devices to automatically connect to the WiFi access point broadcasting strongest signal, negating the need for the user to physically scan for and manually connect to the WiFi network.
A SSID or Service Set Identifier, is quite simply the name of your WiFi network (e.g. MYWIFI). It is important that your wireless access points can all be configured with the same SSID, thus forming one network throughout your premises – basic WiFi equipment doesn’t support this.
Today’s WiFi operates on two bands or frequencies, 2.4 GHz and 5GHz – the latter being the faster. Not all wireless clients/devices support 5GHz meaning, if using sub-standard equipment, you’ll need two SSIDs running on your wireless access points – usually differentiated by “2.4GHz” or “5GHz” on the end of the SSID (popular on Virgin Hubs). All our suggested options support dual band over single SSID so you’ll only see and connect to one.
PoE (Power over Ethernet) means that your device can be powered via the attached data cable using a device called a PoE injector or a PoE switch. This creates complete flexibility when deciding the placement of your wireless access point, as you don’t need to install it near a power outlet.
The device can be physically mounted to a wall or celling for a discrete and aesthetically pleasing installation.
Most, if not all, internet connected devices have software built into them known as firmware. It is the firmware that controls the device and allows it to perform specific functions. The hardware vendor will release periodic firmware updates keeping the hardware secure, free from bugs and feature rich. It’s preferred that your hardware updates itself automatically or manual firmware updates fall to the end user
A term which has got everyone asking, “What on earth is The Cloud?”. The Cloud quite simply means a service which is supplied over the internet. If you’re backing up your computer data to “The Cloud”, you’re backing it up online/over the internet. Cloud support for your WiFi hardware means it too can be connected to an internet-based service where it can be controlled, configured, troubleshot and updated.
Great service from a really friendly team. Since they started to manage our home Wi-Fi we have had no issues and my children have stopped complaining. I will certainly use them for any future technology services I need.
Swift and accurate diagnosis of the problem. Very efficient delivery of the solution – actually used less equipment at a lower cost than originally expected. Very tidy work. I will use again.
With both of us self employed and working from home, plus a son in his GCSE year, our wifi was unreliable in the first lockdown and live lessons were missed. We paid PC Man to resolve our problems and we have had no issues since. Would certainly recommend their services.
Great service and wifi.
All round rock star – Very professional and very helpful and more importantly for someone who is not technical he didn’t try to “up sell” me products or services I didn’t need. Highly recommend
Great advice on how to boost my home wifi, very friendly support and timely installation, great service throughout. Highly recommended
Diligent and efficient. Excellent customer service.
Michael and his team were great at solving our wi-fi problems, which we had been struggling with for some time. They were very helpful and professional, and were very aware and considerate of hiding as much cabling as possible. We now have a reliable wi-fi signal throughout our house, and with 4 people trying to use the internet at the same time – it has not let us down!
So helpful with sorting out my monitor issue. I will definitely use Michael’s service again if needed. Thank you, Michael!
Michael was professional and helpful when fitting a home wifi network. Would highly recommend.
Cant recommend PC Man enough. So knowledgeable and fixed our terrible internet connection issue around our very old house. Amazingly professional, quick to respond and good value. We now have the best internet service through out the property. thanks to all the Rukus software.
Great team, would highly recommend to anyone. Has been a great help over the years.
Phase Electircal
Michael installed WiFi boosters to improve the signal around the house, and we have had no further problems. The service was quick, professional and friendly. Michael went several extra miles, being very patient in explaining thoroughly the upsides and downsides of the different solutions he proposed, and advising us on what he believed to be the best (which was not the most expensive). Would have absolutely no hesitation in recommending him and his company to anyone needing expert advice on wifi and general network problems.
Reached out to Michael for complete a home network solution for my new house that was being renovated. I work from home, so internet and wireless connectivity throughout the house is a must for me. My Job was completed to my complete satisfaction. It has been a year now since the installation, and I have never had any problems since. I have no hesitation in recommending him / his services!
Delighted with our wifi upgrade – wish we had done it years ago – installed with friendly efficiency and works a treat, like all the work PC Man have done for us over the years.
Michael did a thoroughly professional job, and it has transformed our data-hungry household of parents and three teenagers all keen to use wifi at the same time. Well worth the money.
My experience with PC Man has been great! Quick and efficient service! Highly recommend it.
A huge thank you to Michael who provided a support in my house for my son’s hacked pc. Thank you!
Incredibly professional design and install of full home network and CCTV needs. Exceeded all expectations and responsive follow up when required too – highly recommend
An excellent service. Everything explained in plain English. Fixed my problem quickly and did a few other small jobs while they were here!
Would recommend PC Man for domestic or business.
They offer great solutions to your IT issues at reasonable prices. Great communications and will always find the best way to do something not the most expensive. Quick to respond to emergencies so you can keep your business running. I would highly recommend.
Michael was a pleasure to deal with and the results of his work have transformed my internet experience. Great service, worth every penny.
Really impressed with Michael’s services. Very knowledgeable, responsive and with a can do approach – delighted to have reliable home WiFi throughout the house after years of problems!
Surrey
The network and Wi-Fi system I had installed have both worked extremely well. I won’t pretend to be a fan of any annual charge – but the amount is not unreasonable for the quality and peace of mind the system gives. I’m very happy to recommend it to others.
Helpful, capable and very knowledgeable. I recommend PCMan to look after your computer
Great professional service – worked fastened competently and everything now works like it should!
Efficient and organised, talked through different solutions. System has worked as expected since installation.
PC Man had a great knowledge of what was needed to set up my home office systems and additional wifi throughout the house. And all done in a timely manner. Thanks guys 🙂
London SE24
PC Man did an excellent job for me. Very professional and always responds quickly. I’ve upgraded from patchy standard broadband to a dedicated fibre line and it’s transformed my working from home experience. Very happy I went with PC Man!
Top-notch service provided by Michael. Everything works 100% as advertised, with no drama and exactly on time. Would highly recommend anyone in need of home wifi / IT support to use PC Man. Given my recent experience, I would not call anyone else.
Michael from PC Man gave us excelllent advice on improving our Wifi reception, and installed ethernet cables for our pc and printer to achieve this. He arrived on time and worked speedily and efficiently, and gave good information throughout. He has a most pleasant manner. and is prepared to stay on and work through until the job is satisfactiorily completed.
Excellent service as ever from Michael and the team.
We have been using PC Man/Michael to look after our household IT set up for almost ten years now. His advice is clear and accurate, and he listens to what it is you want to achieve. He is always punctual, tidy and efficient. He resolves any issues quickly, and is reliable and trustworthy. In short PC Man provides a great service and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him.
London, SW2
Always responsive and helpful
Excellent service. Very helpful and efficient.
Very efficient and thorough. Wifi problems have been solved!
Great service from Michael and the team, I thoroughly recommend them.
I have been using PC Man for many years now for all my company IT requirements and they have always been great to deal with. Responsive and helpful in a crisis and good for all general PC needs.
This went off perfectly – the engineer arrived on time, was very polite and professional, and he sorted out my issue (a rather complicated wireless printer) quickly. He ensured that the software was up to date, he not only answered my questions but he also demonstrated how everything works. Excellent service all around. Thank you PC Man!
We used PC Man to design and install a wired WIFI system in our house and are extremely happy with the result. PC Man was responsive, professional and courteous and everything was delivered as agreed. And the system works exactly as expected. 100% recommended
I’ve been going to PC Man for years now. They set up my work laptop, when I first switched from PC to Mac (their understanding of both systems is remarkable). They provide an excellent online security package. They are also on hand each time I hit a problem with my MacBook, to explain very patiently how to fix it. They respond quickly, their advice is very clear, and they don’t treat me like an idiot.
We had been having a lot of problems but they all stopped once PC Man sorted out our system. Really pleased with it.
Wonderful people to deal with, thanks Michael and company and helping me, I have used before and would certainly use you again. A happier Bunny!
The Wine Reserve, Cobham KT11
Having suffered from poor wifi for years, I decided that a wired solution was probably the best way to go. We have also been waiting for fibre to be put onto the house by Openreach, which is just about to happen. I discussed the issue with Michael the MD and he came up with various costed solutions, one of which fitted my budget. On the day of installation, the two engineers – Chris and Scott – were excellent, they worked quickly and everything looks really neat and tidy and they even patiently answered my ‘dumb tech’ questions! Also, it seems as though the new equipment has managed to eak out a bit more bandwidth too, which will hopefully tide me over until the fibre appears. Very pleased with the solution and thanks once again!
Michael has been a great support for my small business over the last couple of years. Always available at short notice he get the job done and makes good suggestions of tweak my set ups to my business can best move forward. Also not question is too small. As a technophobe it’s great to have someone like that as a support.
I contacted Michael as there was an issue with my ethernet cable to my office. He came by the house and sorted it within a couple of days. Asides from that he suggested a few changes that i might want to consider in the future and let me know a few short term fixes that i could do myself.
Amazing service and the best, highest speed internet even in basement!
Very happy with Michael and my new much improved network and WiFi connections in all rooms. I liked the clarity of the pricing options before installation and really like the discreet and tidy installation of wireless access points which have worked a treat. Glad to say that I have not experienced any loss of network or seen any of the buffering which used to frustrate me regularly.
Always excellent service, pleasure to deal with.
Excellent service. Thank you.
Very efficient, on time and friendly. The system they installed has been up and running bug free for over a year. Very happy with result.
Excellent service, Michael provides a professional and friendly service. He set up our home and work internet service which runs very smoothly. He is always very helpful and I would thoroughly recommend him.
Excellent service, highly recommended
PC Man always provides a solution. They are helpful, professional and provide an outstanding service. I would highly recommend them.
I have relied upon PCMan to look after my domain, server and backup needs for years now, and can thoroughly recommend their responsiveness and expertise.
Our business relies on networked and hosted systems, which means the quality of those systems and our IT support are probably the most important things we need for the business to function properly. PC Man gives us the quality and reliability we need, but also understands that as we are a small business, we need value for money, and support that we can scale up as the business grows. Highly recommended.
London WC1
PC Man and team have provided reliable internet security for our household for over five years. Very satisfied.
A very professional outfit that are great to work with
Very professional work my WiFi works perfectly.
Bromley, Kent
We had terrible wifi signal at our house. Our broadband provider was little to no help and we needed to get it sorted. I found PC Man’s website so I called up and Michael was extremely knowledgable and helpful. He knew exactly what to do to solve the signal problem and since he came and fixed it we haven’t had any problems. Its been over 3 years now. I would 100% recommend this service.
Excellent service – upfront about costs, on time for installation, and everything working perfectly.
PC Man set up my home office with WIFI. I was used to working in an office environment, with fast WIFI and the home network provides that for us. Thanks to Michael and his team for making the setup simple and unobtrusive.
Outstanding service, I highly recommend it.
I’ve been a customer of PC man for ten years. Solid professionals who really know their stuff – highly recommended.
After many years of dealing with very unreliable WiFi and no helpful solutions from our Internet service provider, finding Michael was a welcome relief. He was incredibly helpful and explained everything very well when he came to survey our property. He installed 3 Ubiquiti access points around our house and we now have fantastic coverage and get the speeds we pay for. It was quite a big job but he had it up and running in just over a day. Can seem like a bit of a hassle to have the work done at first but it’s 100% worth it!
Always a great service, knowledgeable and professional at all times – highly recommend
PC Man was recommended to me when we had repeated problems with my home internet connection. We wanted a decent home network to use Sonos, have WiFi that’s reliable enough for me to work from home, and watch Netflix without it dropping out. We’d been trying to do this on the standard BT equipment, but it wasn’t up to it. I told PC Man what we wanted to do, and they just made it all happen. They set up everything we needed, providing all the equipment (including routers and Sonos), ran the cabling under the floors so it’s completely invisible, gave us a really neat ‘hub’ for all the technology, tested it all – even the TV channels – to check we were happy, and made sure we could work everything before they left. We now have fantastic WiFi, TV and music throughout the flat, with no cables showing, and couldn’t be happier. It was a really great service, and I wholeheartedly recommend them.
Camberwell, SE5
Michael was very knowledgeable and helped us sort out our issues with the Wi Fi. He really helped us given that my wife and i are lost when it comes to anything to do with Wi Fi set up.
Very Impressive
The McLoughlin Face Clinic
I have been using the services of PC Man for at least 7 years. I trust them to get the job done and to be charged a fair price. Plus, they are always patient with my technological ineptitude!
Excellent – responsive, neat and we now have unbelievable WiFi in all rooms.
WiFi sorted! Michael spent quite a bit of time explaining the options for how we could improve the WiFi signal in our house and worked with me to create the best solution for our space. Installation was not straightforward and required creative thinking, but Michael managed to design a fabulous system that works perfectly! We will definitely be using PC Man for future computer / WiFi needs!
Offered clear advice including answering questions. Installation was easily arranged and carried out. Also had a prompt and appropriate response to a query which arose after installation.
Very professional. Easy to understand. Solved our wi-fi problems quickly and efficiently
The wifi is working faultlessly right across the house, the installation was neat, your technical knowledge was clear and overall you were thorough and did a great job! So thanks!!
London SW12
Michael has been great. Our house was in a broadband black-spot: despite being in South London we were not connected to a cabinet and so could not get fibre. As such, in 2018 Michael helped us install a leased line, plus industrial quality cabled WiFi network throughout the house. He was then on hand over the next few years to service it, upgrade it and deal with problems. When the lock-down hit and we were all at home, we couldn’t have done it without our IT set-up. Would recommend without hesitation.
Great service all round – really know their stuff.
5* service! We were having so many WiFi issues in our home and being self employed and working from home it was important that we had a fast connection throughout the entire house (which we didn’t). We spent a lot of time in Starbucks just to get some work done quickly! Michael spent the day at ours organising everything properly, we haven’t had a single issue since. He ensured we have a strong connection throughout the entire house – it’s been a game changer for working at home! I’d thoroughly recommend Michael, he really knows his stuff!
Great service, fast response, competent engineer’s job. Recommend 👍
Fantastic advice and service. My new WiFi network is a joy! Seamlessly fast in every nook and cranny of a large house. Great workmanship and excellent after sales care. Would recommend 100%
Thank you to you and your team for all your help. You helped save not only my files but my sanity!
I only wish I had used PC Man earlier to solve my wifi problems. Excellent service and my problem is solved.
Fantastic service, I have nothing but praise for PC Man. I would recommend this company with no hesitation whatsoever to anyone who needs help with their computer!
I’ve been using PC Man for around 5 years for a variety of smaller jobs and one large installation too. For the larger job they installed a projector, screen and sound system for my TV including in ceiling speakers. The whole system is amazing and I’ve been so pleased with the results as it involved working around builders plus they recommended all of the hardware so I didn’t have to worry about a thing. What I really appreciate though is having support on the smaller things. PC Man are able to come to my house or my office, whichever is best for me and sort stuff like routers, buying new laptops, transferring all the data and taking all the hassle out of it for me. Definitely recommend.
Walthamstow, E17
If you have struggled with WIFI like I did for years and you have been exhausted by the process of working between your AV guy and unhelpful, unresponsive broadband carriers….PC MAN is the right call for you. Michael is a perfectionist…and knows his stuff better than anyone i’ve met. He will introduce you to the right solutions to make the best of your situation.
Michael was knowledgeable, friendly and immediately helped me find the right solution for the wifi problems at my house. A huge thank you to Michael as I now have stable internet after years of issues.
Michael installed a robust and trouble-free system which was ideal for my requirements. I use him for all my IT issues. Highly recommended.
London SW2
Great service – got our Wifi working at last! Thank you Michael.
5 star sound system.
5 star service.
5 star people!
I found PC Man in a google search and initially spoke to Michael – he scoped the work and then arranged for the installation of a ‘bridge’ system to extend the reach of my wifi. Great service and the team made the process easy for a non technical person. Overall a great service and I would recommend.
PC Man provides a great service and amazing support. After years of struggle with poor/intermittent WiFi connection throughout our hotel, we finally do not have any problems. Everything works perfectly, and our guests are happy. No more complaints! We highly recommend this company
London WC1
My computer knowledge is zero but Michael @ PC Man has always been there for me & I couldn’t recommend them more.
Got an appointment really quickly and Michael arrived at the time he’d given me. He managed to improve the performance of our very old Mac desktop and offered to advise us when we were in a position to buy a new one. He’s friendly, doesn’t judge those of us who are not so tech savvy and always provides an excellent service.
Put in robust Wifi very efficiently, despite its requiring some tricky physical feats – eg clambering on to the roof. Now have excellent connection all over the house.
I have nothing other than the highest praise for Michael who came in resolved some challenging issues in our house. Practically speaking since he installed the network and new routers we’ve had no issues whatsoever. A really great service and one which is very reliable and over time very reasonable
Excellent service – very efficient and we were left with fantastic wi-fi coverage in all areas of the house and all members of the family happy with the improved coverage.
Michael has provided me with excellent service for many years. He’s extremely personable and has a superb knowledge of all things tech. As well as brilliantly solving hardware and software problems for me he’s also given me lots of great advice and tips. Always professional, prompt and friendly. I highly recommend him. Excellent service always.
Responsive, efficient service. Very helpful troubleshooting any problems and also at anticipating any issues.
My experience with PC man was excellent and our wifi works the best it has ever done. Worth every penny.
Great service!!! Michael set our home and work Wi-Fi together with a system that we could work on it even if we not there. Very pleased with the service and impressed with knowledge Michael has. Always helpful. I’ll recommend to anyone.
Thank you very much.
London SW18
I have used Michael @ PC Man for the last 5 years for everything from a Sonos installation, helping with Sky Q, a home network and Wifi in every room. He is brilliant, prompt and on top of his game. You cannot go wrong.
Michael took care of all the data networking, access point based wi-fi coverage, installation + config of data cabinet plus provision of dedicated internet line and I’d recommend him highly.
Quick turnaround on comms, highly knowledgeable, competitively priced and a great guy to boot!
One year on after having the house hard wired, time really flies when you have no problems with your Wi-Fi
Professional, reliable and expert. Highly recommended.