Ultra Broadband Wi-Fi with Cisco Meraki Access Points

How Wi-Fi works on Ultra

On Essential, Enhanced and Pro, the Smart Hub broadcasts the Wi-Fi and Complete Wi-Fi Plus discs extend it. BT Ultra Broadband works differently. The Cisco Meraki security appliance does the routing and security, and the Wi-Fi comes from separate Cisco Meraki access points.

From BT's Ultra material:

• Wi-Fi 6 access points: the Meraki access points supplied with Ultra use the Wi-Fi 6 standard
• One access point is delivered with the kit, cabled to one of the security appliance's wired ports
• Up to two more can be fitted by the BT Expert Setup engineer from van stock, for a maximum of three
• Wireless mesh: the extra access points connect to the first over Wi-Fi, so no extra cabling is needed
• Corporate and guest Wi-Fi: separate networks for your business devices and for visitors
• Managed through the Meraki cloud dashboard, with BT making configuration changes on request

BT's public Ultra terms add that if the engineer decides your site needs further mesh access points for a stronger signal, they may provide them, up to the maximum of three, at no extra charge.

How far each access point reaches

BT's Ultra terms say each access point covers a 10-15m radius, and that signal strength varies with the environment, including office layout and physical obstacles.

That radius is a guide, not a promise. Things that shrink it in real buildings:

• Solid internal walls, especially brick, block and stone
• Floors and ceilings between storeys
• Metal: shelving, partitions, lift shafts, server racks, fridges and foil-backed insulation
• Glass with metallic coatings and mirrored surfaces
• Lots of people and devices in one space, which affects capacity rather than reach

Wireless mesh brings its own consideration: each extra access point needs a good signal from the one it connects to. Placing a meshed access point at the very edge of the first one's coverage tends to give weak results, which is why the engineer chooses positions on the day.

Buildings where Ultra Wi-Fi may not fit

BT's Ultra briefing is direct about this. Ultra includes a maximum of three access points and is meant for small business premises. BT flags several floors and several buildings as warning signs, and asks for high-ceilinged areas to be checked before an order. Large open spaces follow from the same arithmetic:

• Several floors in the same building. One access point per floor may not be enough, and meshing through a floor is harder than across a room.
• Several buildings on one site, such as a main office with a workshop or a separate unit. Outbuildings need their own coverage.
• High ceilings in warehouses, workshops, showrooms or halls. BT's engineers carry a standard step ladder and expect to fix access points to walls, and working at height is subject to BT's health and safety rules.
• Large open areas that need Wi-Fi across a wide space, beyond what three access points at a 10-15m radius can reach.

If your premises looks like this, there are better routes. Pro with Complete Wi-Fi Plus is backed by BT's coverage guarantee for the main building (outbuildings are not covered by it). For a designed wireless network with as many access points as the building needs, Forever Group plans and supplies Meraki access points separately, usually starting with a survey.

Corporate and guest networks

The Expert Setup engineer sets up both networks during the visit. BT's briefing says the engineer updates the network name and password for the business network and sets up guest Wi-Fi.

Keeping guests on their own network matters for two reasons. It keeps visitors' phones and laptops away from your computers, printers and shared files, and it means the business network password does not need to be handed out. The security appliance sits behind both networks, so the content filtering and threat protection in the Ultra security package apply to guest traffic as well.

For how guest Wi-Fi works on BT's other plans, see business broadband with guest Wi-Fi.

Ultra Wi-Fi vs Complete Wi-Fi Plus

Neither is better everywhere. Complete Wi-Fi Plus comes with BT's guarantee and is easy to adjust yourself. Ultra's access points come with the security package and an engineer who fits them, but within a fixed limit of three. Our business Wi-Fi guide covers getting good coverage on any BT plan.

Preparing your premises

A little preparation makes the Expert Setup visit go further:

1. Sketch the layout. Mark where people work, where guests sit and any rooms that struggle with Wi-Fi today.
2. Choose where the security appliance goes. It needs power and to be near where the line comes in; the first access point is cabled to it.
3. Think about wall positions. The engineer expects to fix access points to walls, so note walls that are clear, reachable with a step ladder and roughly central to each area.
4. Flag high ceilings and outbuildings early. Tell us at quote stage, not on the day, so we can confirm Ultra is the right plan.
5. Decide network names and who gets which password. Staff devices on the business network, visitors on guest Wi-Fi.

Living with Ultra Wi-Fi after installation

Once the access points are in, day-to-day Wi-Fi on Ultra looks like this:

• Finding the details: BT's help pages explain where to find your network name and password on the Meraki equipment.
• Seeing who is connected: the Meraki cloud dashboard shows the devices using the network and how much they use, which helps when something feels slow.
• Making changes: changes to the Wi-Fi set-up, like other configuration changes on Ultra, are requested from BT through its online form rather than made on a hub yourself.
• Reporting problems: a fault with the service is reported to BT and handled under Prompt Care, included with Ultra.

If a part of the building turns out to be weak after installation, the options are limited by the three-access-point maximum, so it is worth getting the layout right before the order rather than after. That is the main reason we ask so many questions about the building up front.

Getting Ultra Wi-Fi right through us

Before we put Ultra forward for its Wi-Fi, we ask about floors, buildings, ceilings and wall types, and compare BT's 10-15m guide with the space you need covered. Where Ultra is a good fit we place the order and help you prepare for the Expert Setup visit. Where it is not, we say so and suggest Pro with Complete Wi-Fi Plus or a designed network.

Contact us to check whether Ultra Wi-Fi will cover your premises.