Optimising through AI

No one likes being stuck in traffic. While we all wish we were the only car on the road, instead of sitting bumper to bumper, the reality is we’re all trying to get from A to B. Sometimes though, we’re stuck in a different type of traffic – on wireless networks.  

Managing complex and easily congested wireless networks, including use of the shared radio spectrum, plays a critical role in keeping user traffic flowing at the necessary speed. AI solutions are uniquely suited to control and optimise that flow of traffic. Tools like RUCKUS Network’s AI-Driven Cloud Radio Resource Management (AI RRM) can dramatically improve traditional RRM processes and even keep stealthy bad actors at bay. 

Optimising through AI 

When most of us hit a traffic jam, we try to find a less crowded route. Similarly, conventional RRM solutions improve Wi-Fi performance by using all available capacity to retune the network as needed. However, this often requires IT pros to spend hours auditing and adjusting their networks. The arrival of the new 6 GHz spectrum and its many channel widths makes this even more complex. And IT teams can’t always administer their networks with full attention, 24/7 – which means sub-optimal conditions can go unnoticed by a busy network administrator until downtime strikes users. 

Adding AI to the mix supercharges RRM, so that network admins can do far more with less. RUCKUS Networks’ solution is one example of how AI can help service providers optimise their wireless resources at speed. It’s like having an extra team member on 24/7, freeing up IT staff to focus on other work. 

Unlike human IT personnel, AI can do everything, everywhere all at once. It continually monitors network conditions, scanning all channels and channel widths along with access points and overall usage. That always-on monitoring generates recommendations to bolster your network tuning. With the simple click of a button, you can make these changes and apply the optimal settings to the APs in a zone, winning back hours that would’ve otherwise gone into auditing and making manual updates. 

AI systems will also track the recommendations you apply – monitoring further information about the change for the next 24 hours and adjusting future recommendations based on the results. Changes aren’t set in stone either, with network admins able to revert recommendations and restore previous configurations. 

Safer, smoother wireless highways 

Enabling AI RRM also benefits all users on the wireless network. Doing so unlocks more access point (AP) capacity and reduces airtime utilisation in the network, typically resulting in faster connectivity speeds and less interference at little to no cost. Customer Wi-Fi devices can expect to experience higher reliability with fewer connection retries and errors – meaning less lag and associated interruption to the overall user experience. 

Not just faster, but safer too. On the roads, the actions of others can be risky or even downright dangerous – like suddenly swerving across lanes. Even accidental or non-malicious “bad behaviour” can cause accidents and even shut off part of the road network. Similarly, rogue access points or devices don’t always constitute a security threat, but they can easily cause disruption or create risks on the wireless network.  

AI RRM cuts down these traffic hazards far more efficiently than manual monitoring can. Since the AI RRM monitors everything in the network, taking note of rogue APs falls well within its standard process, including any third-party access points that may show up. By default, RUCKUS Networks’ AI RRM will avoid these unknown APs during its optimisation process. Network admins can then choose to investigate the rogue APs flagged by the AI. If they do turn out to be malicious, this zero-trust approach helps protect your Wi-Fi network from stealthy bad actors before they can even get near to users’ devices or sensitive data. 

It may feel uncomfortable giving control of RRM to an AI, but doing so can significantly improve not only the end-user experience but the security and efficiency of how IT teams manage their wireless networks. In many ways, making AI the traffic controller puts network admins back in the driver’s seat: giving them the intelligence and automation they need to make smarter, safer decisions to keep the network flowing at top speed.