A Landlord’s Guide to Checking and Optimising WiFi Speed in Your Building

Reliable, high-speed internet is now a non-negotiable requirement for tenants, especially in commercial properties. WiFi has become an essential utility, whether it’s for remote work, cloud computing, or simply ensuring a seamless online experience. This presents a significant opportunity for landlords to enhance tenant satisfaction, reduce turnover, and even increase property value.  

This guide covers essential steps for checking and optimising your property’s WiFi speed—from spotting signs of slow connectivity to testing, troubleshooting, and upgrading. Follow these steps to ensure your building provides the reliable connectivity tenants expect. 

Why WiFi Speed Matters for Landlords

Today’s tenants expect more from landlords with the rise of hybrid work models and increased reliance on digital tools, and high-speed WiFi is one of the most requested amenities in commercial spaces. Here’s why it matters: 

• Tenant Retention: Uninterrupted, fast internet keeps tenants satisfied, reducing turnover and vacancy rates.
• Competitive Advantage: Enhanced internet infrastructure makes your property more attractive, especially for tech-driven tenants and co-working spaces. 
• Future-Proofing:  By investing in scalable and robust internet capabilities, your property remains equipped to handle future advancements in technology without the need for repeated costly upgrades, ensuring long-term tenant satisfaction.
• IoT Integration: A reliable WiFi network enables smart building features like automated lighting, energy management, and security systems, making your property more attractive to tech-savvy tenants. 

Signs Your Building’s WiFi Needs an Upgrade

You may already be seeing the symptoms of slow or inconsistent WiFi speeds. Here are some indicators: 

• Frequent Tenant Complaints: Reports of poor connectivity are a red flag that your current setup may be outdated. 
• Dead Zones: Dead zones are areas within the property where the WiFi signal is weak or entirely absent. This can be particularly frustrating for tenants who depend on stable connectivity for remote work, especially in more secluded spaces like basements or distant corners of the building. 
• Slow Speeds During Peak Hours: If internet speeds drop significantly during high-usage times (like evenings or weekends), it’s often due to network congestion. This occurs when too many users are trying to access the same network at once, stretching available bandwidth thin and resulting in slower performance for everyone. 
• Lag and Latency Issues: Lag and latency refer to delays in data transmission that can impact activities requiring real-time connectivity, like video calls or interactive cloud applications. Tenants experiencing high latency might notice video buffering, delays in audio during calls, or sluggish response times when working with cloud-based tools. 

 Learn more about what bandwidth you need for a commercial building. 

How to Check WiFi Speed in Your Property: A Step-by-Step Guide

Here’s how to effectively test your building’s WiFi speed, along with practical advice on what speeds to aim for: 

Step 1: Use a Reliable Speed Testing Tool

Start with tools like Speedtest by Ookla, Fast.com, or Cloudflare Speed Test to measure download speed, upload speed, and latency (ping). These measurements will help you assess whether your network is performing as expected. 

Download Speed: Measures how quickly data can be received (important for browsing, streaming, and downloading files). 

• For basic internet use (eg. browsing the web and sending emails), you should be looking for a speed of at least 5-10 Mbps 
• For medium internet use including video streaming, it should be at least 25+ Mbps. 
• For premises with multiple devices, the download speed should be at least 100+ Mbps per tenant.  

Upload Speed: Measures how quickly data can be sent (crucial for video calls, uploading files, and cloud backups).  

• For basic internet use – like sending a picture over Whatsapp, upload speed should be at least 5-10 Mbps per tenant.
• For medium internet use like video conferencing and file sharing it should be at least 10-25 Mbps per tenant.  
• For streaming and frequent large file uploads it should be at least 25+ Mbps per tenant.  

Latency (Ping): Measures the time it takes for data to travel to and from the server, often measured in milliseconds. Lower latency is better for real-time activities like video conferencing. 

• For basic internet use, latency should be under 100ms.
• For real-time activities like video conferencing latency should be under 50ms. 
• When using high-performance applications – such as financial trading platforms or online gaming, a latency below 30ms is ideal.  

 However, these metrics are just estimates and to determine the exact speed you need factors such as the number of tenants and types of activities should also be considered.  

Step 2: Use a Wired Connection for Baseline Tests

For the most accurate results, test your speed on a desktop or laptop connected directly to your router via an Ethernet cable. This eliminates interference and shows the true speed provided by your ISP (Internet Service Provider). 

Step 3: Test on Wireless Devices

After checking the wired connection, test speeds on wireless devices like smartphones and tablets to see if there are significant drops. If WiFi speeds are much lower than wired speeds, it could indicate issues with your router or signal interference. 

Step 4: Test at Different Times of the Day

Perform speed tests at various times, especially during peak hours, to identify fluctuations: 

• Morning vs. Evening: Compare speeds during low and high usage times. 
• Weekdays vs. Weekends: Test on different days to account for varying tenant activity. 

 If speeds drop significantly during peak times, consider upgrading your bandwidth or optimising your network to reduce congestion. 

Step 5: Check WiFi Speeds in Different Areas of Your Property

Walk around your property and test WiFi speeds in various locations, especially in rooms farthest from the router. This will help you identify any dead zones where coverage is weak.

• Coverage Goal: Ideally, for a smooth user experience, even the farthest corners of your building should have speeds of at least 50 Mbps.
• Fixing Dead Zones: If weak spots are detected, consider installing WiFi extenders or upgrading your network to ensure consistent coverage. 

Step 6: Review Your ISP Subscription

Compare your test results with the speeds promised by your Internet Service Provider. If your actual speeds are consistently lower than expected, it may indicate a problem with your connection.

Consider plans for a commercial building that offer at least 200-500 Mbps, especially if multiple tenants rely on your network. 

Step 7: Monitor Speeds Over Time

Check your WiFi speeds regularly to ensure ongoing reliability. Consistent testing can help you catch issues early before they affect tenant satisfaction.

Pro Tip: Schedule quarterly or biannual audits of your network performance to ensure your infrastructure remains robust as tenant needs evolve.

If your network performance is below what it should be – consider a business-grade internet connection. Business-grade connections typically offer more reliable connectivity and better customer support. 

Factors Affecting WiFi Speed in Commercial Properties

Several factors can influence the quality of your building’s internet connection:

• Building Materials: Thick walls, metal reinforcements, and certain building materials can obstruct WiFi signals.
• Network Congestion: High traffic from multiple users can slow down speeds, especially during peak times.
• Outdated Equipment: Old routers and modems may not support higher speeds or modern protocols, limiting your property’s performance.
• Interference: Devices like microwaves, phones, and other WiFi networks can disrupt your connection. 

How Optinet Can Help improve your WiFi Speed

If your property’s WiFi isn’t meeting tenant expectations or speed test requirements, Optinet provides tailored solutions to optimise connectivity:

• Seamless Installation: Optinet manages everything from site surveys to complete installation with minimal disruption to tenants and no hidden costs.
• Wayleave Agreements: We handle the complexities of obtaining necessary permissions and only one wayleave is required, ensuring a smooth upgrade process.
• Continuous Support: We pride ourselves on market-leading aftercare services, which include 24/7 network monitoring and support from Cisco-qualified technical consultants.   

Learn more about what sets Optinet apart from other providers. 

As a landlord, investing in high-quality WiFi infrastructure is essential for tenant satisfaction and long-term property value. Ensuring your building has fast, reliable internet can enhance tenant experiences, reduce turnover, and attract higher-end clients.