Modern Wi-Fi networks are engineered systems, not plug-and-play utilities. When performance degrades in office and warehouse environments, many teams assume the fix is more access points, higher transmit power, or a full rip-and-replace.
In reality, the most expensive wireless hardware in the world cannot overcome poor configuration and unmanaged RF behavior.
This anonymous BTI success story shows how a mid-market organization with a strong Meraki access point footprint was operating at roughly 20% of its potential. The issue was not coverage or hardware, it was configuration.
BTI corrected the underlying misconfiguration, restored the intended 6 GHz design, reduced 5 GHz interference, and returned the environment to stable, high-performance Wi-Fi without unnecessary new equipment.
The Situation: “We Have Meraki Wi-Fi, but It’s Not Working”
The client told us they had a Meraki Wi-Fi network intended to cover both office and warehouse areas. Performance was inconsistent, reliability was poor, and user experience was degrading during normal operations.
They asked BTI to conduct a professional Wi-Fi site survey and provide recommendations to improve performance.
This scenario is increasingly common in multi-zone facilities: you can have a modern Wi-Fi platform, but still struggle if configuration, channel planning, and RF strategy are misaligned with the environment.
BTI’s Approach: Start with Topology, Then Validate RF Reality
Before we touched the RF layer, BTI followed a disciplined process:
Step 1: Network topology and configuration analysis
We reviewed the wireless network architecture and current configuration settings. This included how radios were assigned, how bands were being used, and how the network was behaving under load.
Step 2: Ekahau site survey with Ekahau AI Pro
Next, we performed a professional Wi-Fi site survey using Ekahau AI Pro, which allowed us to measure real-world RF conditions, verify coverage and overlap, and confirm whether the environment matched the network’s intended design.
This two-step approach matters. A site survey without configuration analysis often leads to “add more APs” recommendations. Configuration analysis without RF validation often misses the real-world interference patterns users experience.
What We Found: The Hardware Was Strong, but the Network Was Misconfigured
The client’s Meraki environment used capable tri-band access points. The AP count and placement were solid. Coverage was not the root problem.
The problem was a serious configuration issue that effectively collapsed the network’s tri-band design into an overloaded 5 GHz environment.
Key finding: 6 GHz radios were configured to operate in the 5 GHz band
This meant each access point effectively had two radios operating in 5 GHz. Instead of distributing clients and airtime across bands, the configuration concentrated RF energy into one already-busy band.
The impact: severe 5 GHz interference and wasted 6 GHz capacity
The 5 GHz band became saturated with interference and contention, which made it close to unusable in many areas, especially under normal work activity. Meanwhile, the 6 GHz band was not being used at all.
This is exactly the type of “hidden misconfiguration” that makes teams believe they need more hardware, when what they really need is a corrected RF strategy.
The Workaround They Were Forced Into: Power Down APs to Reduce Interference
Because 5 GHz interference was so severe, the environment fell into a common reactive pattern: reduce the number of active access points to reduce RF noise.
In this case, roughly two-thirds of the APs were powered down, simply to make the network tolerable.
The result was predictable:
- The network ran under capacity
- Performance was inconsistent across zones
- Coverage reliability became dependent on fewer APs carrying more load
- The business was paying for enterprise-grade Wi-Fi while using a fraction of its capabilities
In practical terms, a premium Wi-Fi investment was operating at roughly 20% of its potential.
The Fix: Restore the Intended Tri-Band Design and Apply Best Practices
BTI corrected the configuration and rebuilt the wireless strategy around best-practice RF design principles.
What BTI implemented
- Correct band assignments so 6 GHz was actually available and utilized
- Reduced unnecessary 5 GHz contention and interference
- Re-enabled access points with a controlled plan to restore proper coverage density
- Optimized channel planning and radio behavior so the network performed as designed
This was not a “turn knobs randomly” approach. It was measured, validated, and based on established wireless engineering principles.
The Result: Full-Potential Meraki Wi-Fi, Without Replacing Hardware
Once the network was properly configured, the client could finally operate the platform they already owned.
Improvements achieved
- Significantly improved Wi-Fi performance across office and warehouse zones
- Restored reliability and stability for daily operations
- Reduced interference by returning the network to a true tri-band design
- Re-enabled access points to deliver intended coverage and capacity
- Unlocked the value of the existing Meraki investment without unnecessary new purchases
In short: the network stopped behaving like a compromised system and started behaving like a properly engineered Wi-Fi environment.
Why This Matters: Wi-Fi Problems Are Often Design and Configuration Problems
This success story is a reminder that Wi-Fi performance issues are frequently misdiagnosed.
If you have modern access points but still experience drops, poor roaming, slow speeds, or “dead zones,” the culprit is often:
- Band strategy misalignment
- Channel planning issues
- Interference and contention
- Radio configuration errors
- Density miscalculations
- Lack of validation surveys and ongoing optimization
BTI’s value is not simply installation. It is engineering: validating the environment, identifying root cause, and implementing fixes that restore performance and reduce operational risk.
Get a Wi-Fi Site Survey and Configuration Review
If your Meraki Wi-Fi network is underperforming in office, warehouse, or multi-site environments, BTI can help you determine whether the issue is coverage, capacity, interference, or configuration.
