ZK Research Labs gives HPE OfficeConnect an “A” in extensive testing

[TechExperts]

Networking that’s easier to set up than every other business-grade solution tested, report notes.

High-quality Wi-Fi is the foundation of creating new customer experiences and worker productivity. Coffee shops offer free Wi-Fi to encourage customers to stay longer and spend more. Burger joints can offer a special price on milkshakes to loyal customers as they walk through the door. People can get work done while waiting for their dentist appointment to start. Modern life depends on great Wi-Fi.

As a solution provider, you know that your clients need robust, reliable Wi-Fi, but unfortunately, too many small businesses have had to get by with less capable, consumer-grade Wi-Fi. Even as their businesses grew, enterprise-grade Wi-Fi stayed out of reach—to expensive and too hard to install and maintain.

Enter HPE OfficeConnect OC20 business-grade Wi-Fi. Ideal for your small business clients, OC20 is great Wi-Fi that’s affordable, easy to set up and manage, and delivers the key networking and security capabilities that businesses need.

OC20 earns an A+ for initial setup

ZK Research Labs recently conducted an in-depth review of the HPE OfficeConnect solution. The test simulated the needs of a small office, with two OC20 802.11ac Series Access Points (APs) and an OfficeConnect 1920S Switch Series, a gigabit switch with support for Power over Ethernet (PoE) for added flexibility. ZK Research Labs assessed the OC20 AP and switch design as “well-built and sturdy,” and offering enterprise-grade quality and near-consumer pricing.

Getting the network up and running took about ten minutes. “The setup and creation of the OC20’s Wi-Fi network was, by far, the simplest that ZK Research Labs has tested,” the ZK Research Labs report noted.

The Wi-Fi can be set up through a mobile app, either iOS or Android. “The app is so intuitive, and the process is so simple that the whole thing can be done on a phone,” reports ZK Research Labs.

An "A" for ongoing management

Managing the Wi-Fi is similarly easy. The OfficeConnect Wi-Fi management app provides a view into information like the network status and how many clients are connected to each SSID and details about those clients. It also lets the administrator block categories of applications, such as adult content or games and streaming media, that the organization doesn’t want workers or guests to visit.

The app also allows remote monitoring of the wireless network, which is great if the client has multiple sites or if a problem arises when the administrator is not in the office. It also makes it simple for solution providers to monitor their client networks as a service.

High-quality Wi-Fi is a must-have

 “ZK Research Labs believes that the HPE OfficeConnect series of Wi-Fi APs and wired switches are ideally suited for small businesses, as they offer enterprise-grade connectivity and reliability but can be managed by someone with no technical skills. Small businesses will know their network is secure, with simple-to-set-up guest networks and blocks for risky websites.

- ZK Research Labs in-depth review of the HPE OfficeConnect solution

Go deeper

Read the full ZK Research Labs report.

Learn more about small business networking with HPE OfficeConnect.

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Meet Infracstructure Insights Blogger, PG Menon, Senior Director, Product and Solutions Marketing at Aruba.

PG Menon is Senior Director, Product and Solutions Marketing at Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company, for the wired Switching product line and the Small Business and Managed Service Provider businesses. Before joining Aruba, Mr. Menon was Senior Director of Technology Strategy at Brocade Communications for Switching, Routing and Analytics business unit.