Old buildings are lovely places to work and difficult places for Wi-Fi. Thick stone, brick and flint walls, timber frames packed with lath and plaster, cellars and extensions added over centuries all absorb wireless signal. In a listed building you also can’t just drill holes and run cable wherever you like. The good news is that reliable Wi-Fi is almost always achievable. It just needs planning rather than a bigger router.

Why old buildings block Wi-Fi

  • Wall thickness and material. Solid masonry walls can be several times thicker than modern partition walls. Stone, flint and brick absorb Wi-Fi far more than plasterboard.
  • Hidden metal. Lath-and-plaster walls sometimes contain metal mesh, and later refurbishments can add foil-backed insulation, which blocks signal very effectively.
  • Odd layouts. Narrow corridors, split levels and rooms added in different eras mean signal has to turn corners and pass through several walls.
  • Floors. Heavy timber floors and old ceilings reduce signal between storeys.

The result is familiar: great signal in the room with the router, and nothing in the back office or upstairs.

What works

Start with a survey

A Wi-Fi survey measures how the building actually behaves, room by room. It shows where access points need to go, how many you need and which channels to use. Guessing in an old building usually means too few access points in the wrong places.

More, smaller access points

Instead of one powerful router, use several business access points at lower power, each covering a few rooms. Devices roam between them as people move around, so calls don’t drop between rooms.

Cable where it’s acceptable, wireless links where it isn’t

Access points work best with a network cable, which also powers them. In historic buildings, cable routes can often follow existing paths: alongside old pipework, through existing holes, under floorboards, in skirting-height trunking or through modern parts of the building. Where cabling isn’t acceptable, access points can link to each other wirelessly. Each wireless hop costs some speed, so we use cable wherever it’s allowed and wireless links only where it isn’t.

Discreet mounting

Modern access points are small and can be mounted on furniture, shelving or freestanding brackets rather than fixed to historic walls or ceilings. Some can be placed on a desk or bookshelf without any fixings at all.

What’s allowed: listed building consent

Listed building consent is needed for works that affect a listed building’s character, and that can include fixings, drilling and new cable routes through historic fabric. Simply plugging in equipment doesn’t need consent. Before any work that alters the building:

  • Talk to your landlord if you rent, because they will have their own requirements.
  • Check with the local planning authority’s conservation officer if you’re unsure whether a change needs consent. Carrying out unauthorised works to a listed building can be a criminal offence, so it’s worth asking first.
  • Prefer reversible solutions: surface trunking that can be removed, freestanding mounts and existing openings.

This guide isn’t legal advice, and every building is different. Your conservation officer is the authority on what needs consent.

Getting cables in without damage

  • Use what’s already there. Old telephone and alarm cable routes, existing holes and voids under floors can often carry new network cable.
  • Follow modern additions. Later extensions, kitchens and bathrooms are rarely as sensitive as the historic core.
  • Surface trunking that can be removed is usually preferable to chasing into old plaster.
  • Fewer, well-placed cable runs. A good survey reduces the number of cables needed in the first place.

Security still matters

Historic businesses, from hotels to galleries to solicitors in old town centres, often provide guest Wi-Fi. Keep it on a separate network from your own computers, tills and booking systems, so visitors can reach the internet but nothing else. Our managed wireless service sets this up as standard.

Kent’s historic town centres

Kent has some of the most historic town centres in England, from Canterbury inside its city walls to Rochester High Street and the conservation area in Deal. If your business is in one of them, book a Wi-Fi survey. We’ll show you where coverage is weak, design a network that works with the building, and give you a fixed quote before any work starts.