With the arrival of the summer season, outdoor activity is more common, whether for leisure, tourism or work. However, the need for a reliable connection with appropriate access points to use our devices remains equally a priority. In today’s fully connected world, it is essential for companies to provide reliable wireless connectivity both outdoors and indoors.
Life outside requires access points with secure, fast and stable connections, which is why outdoor access points represent a decisive option for the digital experience that users and companies demand. You just have to see why and what its characteristics are to verify its immense potential in different external environments.
To begin with, wireless connectivity needs to reach a considerable distance from the main coverage area, which uncongests the usual wiring and, likewise, the devices must be sealed and resistant enough to be outdoors while also having IP55 and IP67 certifications. Furthermore, the needs may be different taking into account each use case.
In the Horeca sector
It is clear that bars, restaurants, hotels and other complexes in the Horeca sector see an increase in the number of customers who opt for outdoor areas during these dates. That’s why they require rapid, scalable deployment of access points with flexible wall or pole mounting options, while being easy to install. The smart mesh and wireless bridge capabilities should provide self-optimizing and intelligent coverage, ideal for campus or hotel facilities.
And, of course, without forgetting cybersecurity. Outdoor APs must enable fast, secure, high-performance connectivity, with support for captive portal and IEEE 802.1X authentication, providing enterprise-grade protection for all users and guests, whether in hospitality or customer-facing environments.
RF-first designs reduce interference between the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands thanks to advanced filtering, while integrated 4G/5G interference protection ensures seamless coexistence with mobile networks, enabling a seamless and continuous WiFi experience.
in the industry
But we cannot forget the industry either. Manufacturing environments need special conditions to facilitate connections, although in many cases they fail to achieve their objectives. Thus, they require IP67 certified access points that resist dust, water and extreme temperatures (ranging from -40 degrees to 70 degrees). The technical characteristics they require include WiFi 7 Multi-Link Operation (MLO) and adaptive smart antennas, to achieve higher speed, lower latency and more stable connections in high-density areas.
RF-first designs reduce interference between the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands thanks to advanced filtering
It is also recommended that access points have a high-speed 10G SFP+ fiber port to support long-distance installations beyond the limits of copper Ethernet, which facilitates stable, high-capacity connections with minimal signal loss, while concentrating wireless power where it is needed most.
Finally, it should be noted that the cloud and artificial intelligence are two factors that collaborate in configuration, security and maintenance as they help manage the entire network – wireless, switching, security and FWA – from a single centralized platform. Meanwhile, integrated AI tools continuously monitor and optimize network performance.
Gonzalo Echeverría, Country Manager of Zyxel Iberia
